The Survivalist’s plot of a man living in a dangerous, post-apocalyptic world after its oil runs out feels deceptively new, but it ends up treading the same ground as countless other films, books and TV shows.

Director Stephen Fingleton has an excellent grip on the dramatic tension, drawing out many scenes to torturous lengths – often wordlessly – but keeping the action engaging. The cumulative effect, however, is less impressive.

You end up feeling the soul-sapping drudgery of the premise a little too strongly. It’s an impression not helped by an abundance of false endings, indicative of The Survivalist’s biggest problems.

Many of the ingredients are good – the concept, the cast, the direction – but it’s never clear exactly what story the script is trying to tell.

RATING: 2/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Martin McCann, Mia Goth, Olwen Fouéré, Andrew Simpson

DIRECTOR: Stephen Fingleton

WRITER: Stephen Fingleton

SYNOPSIS: In a time of starvation, a survivalist lives off a small plot of land hidden deep in a forest. When two women seeking food and shelter discover his farm, he finds his existence threatened.