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Film: Last Night on Earth
Year: 2024
Director: Marcos Efron
Writer: Marcos Efron
Starring: Leven Rambin, Shane West and Jake McLaughlin
Review:
This was a movie that I got the chance to check when the X account for Uncork’d Entertainment reached out to me. Their PR rep then sent over the screener link to see this. Now this isn’t a horror movie. I knew that coming in. Since this has darker elements and a bleak synopsis, I decided to watch this for review.
Synopsis: faced with impending doom from a planet-killing asteroid, a couple flee to the hills of Tennessee to spend their last days together – but the chaotic breakdown of society disrupts their peaceful plans.
Now our couple from the synopsis are Holly (Leven Rambin) and Ryan (Jake McLaughlin). We see them as they’re staying in an RV near a lake. Through radio broadcasts and flashbacks to 7 months before, we know that NASA discovered a large asteroid heading toward Earth. There is a news report about how this is going to be an apocalyptic event, much like what happened to the dinosaurs. It is through this couple’s interactions and seeing different things, we learn more about them both.
There are others staying nearby as well. Holly and Ryan find a couple that we got to meet before shifting over to them. There were parents with their son. The stress of what was coming got to be too much for them. We see there is a cult living nearby, led by Carla (Dee Wallace). Our couple also meets with a couple, Gene (Shane West) and Gabby (Sohvi Rodrigeuz), who seem nice. This can be deceiving with the impending end of the world though.
What I’ll say about this film is that I like the tone that it sets. We don’t necessarily know that the world is ending until the end of the first night in the timeline. This feels like Lars Von Trier’s Melancholia. This isn’t as stylized as that was and there is more in that other movie that it delves into. What we’re getting here is the stark realism of how people would handle the end of the world. It is terrifying that there is a countdown as to when the impact will happen. We see how people react to their own mortality.
I’ll stick with our couple and through their flashbacks, we learn different things. They know something is up at a party for Vicky (Katie Keene), when her new boyfriend of Brad (Jackson Davis), takes a call and leaves in a hurry. Ryan asks if Holly wants to change their plans to see her mother before the world ends. That one stuck with me as it seemed like there was a fallout of sorts. There also is a dark side and issues that Holly is dealing with. It is depression and low self-esteem.
Something else I like is the world building. We hear on the radio calling for conspiracies. That is a good touch with this day and age that we live in. I also like incorporating in this religious group. These are all troupes that you’d expect from this sub-genre. It does make it feel generic, I’ll be honest there. There were things that I saw coming.
Let me then shift over to discuss the acting. I thought that Rambin and McLaughlin were fine. The biggest issue is that I don’t know if I feel much emotion, which is driving on the fact that they’re living in a bleak world that is ending soon. There is something with Holly that I can forgive when it is revealed as to why for her. West was solid in his role. I thought that he does what he can to develop his character from where we see him to where he ends up. Rodriguez is a bit over the top, which made it more obvious. It doesn’t ruin anything. I did like seeing Wallace here. I’m a fan of hers. Other than that, the rest of the cast was fine for what was needed.
All that is left is filmmaking. I’d say that this is made well enough. Setting in this in what looks like a national park is a good move. That limits the cast that we need. The sequences we got in the city were fine. I like these for framing the state of the world. There did seem to be CGI used. No major issues there. We don’t get much in the way of effects, but the practical ones were good. The soundtrack fit what was needed. I did like the use of the radio at different times to fill in back-story or to show where we are.
In conclusion, this was a solid film. The biggest issue is that this doesn’t do enough to set itself apart from others. I think that is going to cause this to get lost in the shuffle. The bleak feel was my favorite part. The acting was fine. No one is great, but I’ve seen worse. This is made well enough from the cinematography, setting to the framing. Not one that I can recommend to everyone. There are just ones doing the same thing better. This is still worth a watch though if you like movies like this.
My Rating: 6 out of 10