Thorns & Thistles at the End of the World

This is an indie drama that sneaks up on you with its storytelling and message of hope. Paul, the lead played by Jeremy Levi, lives in a quiet Australian seaside city during the final days of the world. It is not an apocalyptic landscape but people are giving up and resigned to their uncertain fates. Besides the anxiety of the situation, Paul's institutionalized wife returns into his life which brings up their shared grief and guilt over a past tragedy. Jeremy Levi as Paul and Vivienne Marshall as his wife Felicity give fine performance as people with a shared history and the confusion, grief, and accompanying guilt of their shared tragedy. Paul wears a figurative crown of thorns as he wonders about his responsibilities and possible paths towards redemption.

The mature script is smart about human emotions and doesn't give any character an easy out from their situation. The pacing is slow and the drama mainly internal but Aaron Kamp's direction remains tightly-focused on the drama that leads to an instructive and cathartic conclusion. Even as the world ends this beautiful film suggest the importance of faith and hope.