Release Year: 2015

Rating: 6.5/10 ( voted)

Critic's Score: /100

Director: Patricia Rozema

Stars: Ellen Page, Evan Rachel Wood, Max Minghella

Storyline
After a massive power outage, two sisters learn to survive on their own in their isolated woodland home.

Writers: Patricia Rozema, Jean Hegland, Ellen Page, Evan Rachel Wood, Max Minghella, Ellen Page, Evan Rachel Wood, Max Minghella, Callum Rennie, Michael Eklund, Wendy Crewson, Ronin Cara, Owen Cara, Crystal Pite, Lorne Cardinal, Katherine Cowie, Sandy Sidhu, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Cast:
Ellen Page - Nell
Evan Rachel Wood - Eva
Max Minghella - Eli
Callum Rennie - Dad (as Callum Keith Rennie)
Michael Eklund - Stan
Wendy Crewson - Mom
Ronin Cara - Baby
Owen Cara - Baby
Crystal Pite - Ruby
Lorne Cardinal - Jerry
Katherine Cowie - Catherine
Sandy Sidhu - Quiz Woman

Taglines: Hope is power

Official Website: Official Facebook | Official Twitter

Country: Canada

Language: English

Release Date: 3 Jan 2015

Filming Locations: Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada

Technical Specs

Runtime: 101 min

Trivia:
Movie contains Ellen Page's first on screen nude scene. See more »

Author:

Rating: 9/10

I had the privilege of seeing this at a film festival in Chicago, where the director--Patricia Rozema--gave a Q&A session after the credits rolled. Before walking in, all I knew was that it starred Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood--actresses whom I thought were talented as is-- and that it was a "post-apocalyptic" film.

However, rather than zombies or nuclear fallout wiping out humankind, what I saw was an emotionally powerful story of how two sisters enter a new world while discarding an old one; through this process, I saw some of the most believable character arcs thanks to Page and Wood's incredible performances.

The set-up is deceptively simple: a house in an isolated forest. Rozema used this setting to evoke moods of both tension, beauty, and fear. The scenes were beautifully shot and accompanied by an equally beautiful score by Max Richter. I found the sisters' interaction with the house and surrounding forest to be incredibly engaging throughout.

There are no cataclysmic doomsday scenes here; no cracks in the earth swallowing up humanity. If you want to see a film like that, there are plenty to choose from. But if you want to instead see a film that makes you feel raw emotions and reflect as you watch the sisters' transformation in a time of adversity, then I can't recommend this film enough.

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