In a time of starvation, a survivalist lives off a small plot of land hidden deep in forest. When two women seeking food and shelter discover his farm, he finds his existence threatened.In a time of starvation, a survivalist lives off a small plot of land hidden deep in forest. When two women seeking food and shelter discover his farm, he finds his existence threatened.In a time of starvation, a survivalist lives off a small plot of land hidden deep in forest. When two women seeking food and shelter discover his farm, he finds his existence threatened.
- Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
- 3 wins & 11 nominations total
- Young Lookout
- (as Michael Og Lane)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
An unnamed man (Martin McCann) lives in a forest, protecting his vegetable garden from occasional marauders with his rifle, his knife, and his totally naff haircut. This hand-to-mouth existence is disrupted one morning when a mother and daughter appear, seeking to barter the sexual favours of the daughter (Mia Goth) for food. The two women stay and, although suspicious, the man gradually, slightly, lets down his guard - but are the women as innocent as they appear?
Essentially a three-hander, at first glance this could make a good play, although live audiences might find their attention wandering during the long periods where nobody speaks as they tramp through the forest, do gardening, or irrigate the crops by urinating on them. But on film these sequences have a quiet beauty (well, not the urination) and, crucially, writer/director Stephen Fingleton - who has won several awards for this work - doesn't over-play them, or drag them out - something of which certain other directors of far more experience would be guilty.
The acting is good, with all three leads providing low-key but believable - as far as the circumstances allow - performances. Olwen Fouéré is especially noteworthy as the older woman seeking to manipulate things in order to survive, and McCann provides some good facial expressions that well convey emotions that would otherwise remain unexpressed, such is the monosyllabic speech of his character.
Combining human interest with tension and threat, this is a low-budget gem that is well worth seeing if you get the chance.
Then a woman and her, rather plain looking, daughter show up asking to trade. The Survivalist, devoid of all human contact apart from the marauders he kills, cannot resist the pull of some female companionship.
This film has a very small stage, concentrating entirely on the three central characters. Dialogue is minimal but effective, the Survivalist is especially grumpy and non-communicative.
There is a lot of nudity, expect dong shots and people washing their bits in the river and some very grubby sex scenes.
The scope of the story is small but the stakes for the characters are high. It has a poke around at desperation and necessity. Would you pimp your daughter out for a bowl of soup? I suppose it depends how hungry you are.
Well made, well acted, small budget but clever lighting makes it look gritty rather than cheap.
A very good, low octane watch.
The viewer is given no background story and none of the characters are fleshed out. There is next to no information on anyone in the film apart from the main character, and even with him, there is very little information given. But that is the point. The strength of the film lies not in the story but the idea of what one does to survive when life goes back to basics. The viewer's attention is drawn to the intensity of the situation, the survival skills that are actual knowledge one needs to survive in the wild. The cold and barren undertone of the film should have been the reason for its failure. Instead, it serves to emphasise the stark and bleak situation that all the characters are faced with. The script does not pull any punches and a strong stomach is needed for some scenes. And if you get the gist of the film so far, then you will already know whether there is a happy ending or not...
James
Main 3 characters didn't have any allusions of hope; they were just there trying to survive day-to-day. I am a fan of the Dystopian genre; however, often times, it ends up being unrealistic or trying to a franchise maker. This didn't try any of it, and just succeeded to be a strong movie.
Did you know
- TriviaWas filmed in Antrim, Northern Ireland
- GoofsAfter Milja is abducted from the pond by the snatcher, the survivalist and Kathryn search desperately for her. They reach the pond, but Milja is missing, finding only her boots on the bank. Milja is then shown with the snatcher in the tall grass wearing her boots.
- Quotes
[last lines]
Milja: [waiting outside gate of settlement] What happens now?
Watchwoman: They'll be taking a vote. Shouldn't be long. When are you due?
Milja: Six months - I think.
Watchwoman: Do you know what'll you call it?
Milja: If it's a boy...
- ConnectionsFeatured in The EE British Academy Film Awards (2016)
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Những Kẻ Sinh Tồn
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross worldwide
- $56,971
- Runtime
- 1h 44m(104 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1