Is
it the end of the world, or is it just Ohio?
Sarah White might be the last girl on Earth and the last man might have found
his way to her doorstep. Yet, that does
not necessarily mean what you probably think in J.C. Schroder’s Forever’s End (trailer here), which screens
tomorrow as part of Dances With Films.
White
apparently survived a violent attack when the apocalypse broke out. For the last six years, she has lived
completely isolated in her family’s farmhouse, convinced she is Armageddon’s
sole survivor. When several stragglers mysteriously
arrive in rapid succession, she is confused, frightened, and perhaps a little
hopeful. However, deciding who she should
trust is difficult for the traumatized young woman.
Serious
cult cinema connoisseurs will have a general idea where Forever is heading, but Schroder still keeps viewers wondering just
how exactly the pieces will finally fit together. The writer-director-editor-cinematographer establishes
an eerie vibe that keeps viewers off-balance, getting a key assist from his Ohio
and Kentucky locations, where the apocalypse could happen tomorrow, but you’d
never notice. (FYI, I joke because I attended a Lutheran liberal arts college
not far from where the film was shot.)
Charity
Farrell’s Sarah White is convincingly vulnerable and emotionally troubled, but
in an engaging rather than showy kind of way.
Lili Reinhart has the perfect look for her sisterly protector,
projecting all kinds of menace and resentment.
Conversely, Warren Bryson’s understatement helps sell his character’s
revelations.
A
strange hybrid of apocalyptic cinema and the psychological thriller, Forever’s End is a fine example of how
an evocative mood and rich mise-en-scène can fortify an inconsistent
narrative. Despite its challenging
budget constraints, Forever’s End is
an impressive looking production. A
promising first feature, it is worth checking out when it screens tomorrow
(6/7) as part of the “Sweet Sixteen” Dances With Films, in Hollywood,
California.
