Movie Review: High Octane Pictures’ Atomic Apocalypse - Sci-Fi Film Has Charm But Not Much Else

Atomic Apocalypse - High Octane Pictures key art

Genre: Sci-Fi

Director: Martin Gooch

Cast: Krista DeMille, Andrea Sweeney Blanco, and Jesus Lloveras

Studio: High Octane Pictures

Runtime: 102 Minutes

Release Date: Out on Digital and DVD February 4, 2020

Rated: Not Rated

Review Rating ★★★★★

I believe the production on filming Atomic Apocalypse could possibly be compared to my high school teacher grading my AP Stats final. While I wasn’t the best at AP Stats, I gave it my all, and my teacher noticed my efforts with appreciation; however, I’m sure grading my final was no easy task. And that’s what it feels like to sit and write this review after watching Atomic Apocalypse; it’s no picnic.

Atomic Apocalypse 001 — The Apocalypse Begins

The sci-fi adventure film, written and directed by Martin Gooch, is set about two years after a catastrophic nuclear event. Atomic Apocalypse follows a mother, Kate (Krista DeMille) and her daughter, Suzi (Andrea Sweeney Blanco), as they travel in search for a place to call home.

As they battle against raiders, they run into Joe (Jesus Lloveras), a loner who has heard of the possibility that a fallout shelter filled with food and medical supplies exists. The trio set off in search of the mythical shelter, but all the while, Kate and Suzi realize that Joe may not be as friendly as he appears to be.

I enjoyed the sense of adventure Atomic Apocalypse showcases. There’s something inherently fun about watching a group of characters with nothing except the clothes on their backs setting off on a cross-country trek, experiencing random encounters, the latter of which the film has in spades. From meeting a group of partiers celebrating the end of the world, to a park ranger who’s gone insane from being isolated, the best moments of Atomic Apocalypse come from the colorful strangers and the interactions that ensue.

Atomic Apocalype 002 — Krista DeMille as Kate

Another surprise is the scope the film tries to achieve despite its smaller budget. There are lush landscape shots, and the geography is always changing from dense forest to barren fields/desert/wastelands. The most breathtaking scenes take place during sunrise and sunset because cinematographer Todd Wilson allows the natural light and colors fill the screen. It might not make a lot of sense due to the supposed devastating nuclear fallout the Earth has endured; however, it’s a nice change of pace to see an apocalyptic film with a bright color palette.

The rest of Atomic Apocalypse feels undercooked, if you will. The pacing slows to a crawl due to a lot of meandering and a lack of direction from Gooch. There are multiple sequences where nothing noteworthy happens except our lead characters walking or sitting around a campfire talking. While these moments could be used to build a character’s story, or allow the audience to get a snapshot of what their lives are like in this desolation, the dialogue ends up being characters explaining plot developments to each other.

The film feels padded out in order to meet its nearly two-hour runtime. The characters are insufferable. It’s obvious from the get-go that Joe is bad news, and despite the constant red flags, Kate and Suzi keep him around.

Movie Review: High Octane Pictures’ <em>Atomic Apocalypse</em> - Sci-Fi Film Has Charm But Not Much Else 1 — Andrea Sweeney Blanco as Suzi

Throughout Atomic Apocalypse, [I’ll keep this as vague as possible] Joe commits a felony which in any other film, someone would kill him for his crimes. Instead, Kate and Suzi essentially shrug it off. I typically defend characters who make stupid decisions; sci-fi films would be boring if everyone made perfect choices, but I was genuinely left bewildered at how easily Kate, and especially Suzi, forgive him.

This perplexity is present in most of Gooch’s script choices. Characters make a point in saying that most of the water is contaminated with radiation yet they stop and drink out of any source of running water, even walking in it without any concern of radiation poisoning. Suzi, at one point, finds a solar-powered phone charger and decides that she’s going to try and recharge her phone in the hopes of calling 911…two years after the apocalypse. What? This may sound like nitpicking, but there are so many details like this, they start to pile up to the point where you cannot help to notice.

The actors try their best; however, in spite of the poor dialogue, coupled with the lackluster direction. Their collective performances come across as unintentionally funny. Lloveras is stiff in his performance when he’s supposed to seem threatening. DeMille plays her character like a young teenager when she’s supposed to be a mother with an adult daughter. Blanco provides a commendable performance in spite of the script.

So, do I recommend Atomic Apocalypse? It’s pretty hard to. It’s boring for long stretches, and most of the entertainment value comes in the way that I don’t think the filmmakers intended. There is a certain charm in the sincerity of everyone involved, and there are a few entertaining/amusing bits of action in the last act that keep me from totally writing it off. If you’re looking for a lazy Sunday afternoon movie, then it might be worth renting this one.

Want more movie reviews? Uncork’d Entertainment A PERFECT HOST and Dark Star Pictures GOALIE

For more on Atomic Apocalypse

Official Website: https://www.highoctanepictures.com/

IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7314630/

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Dustin Kogler

Professional amateur movie watcher. Dustin is a laid-back nerd who loves discussing pop culture. He loves listening to 80s music, playing video games and watching netflix all day. He's pretty sarcastic and if you tell him your favorite movie he can tell you why you're wrong.