AFTERMATH begins not with a bang, but with a flash. A backpacker who is traveling down the road sees it and helps a woman (Jessie Rusu) and a child (Kennon Kepper) take cover. The childs eyes are burned from the flash so the backpacker, Hunter (C.J. Thomason) explains hes a Med student and he can help. Soon they are on the road looking for supplies. It isnt long before they take refuge in a farmhouse with other survivors including mad at the world Brad (Edward Furlong) and his wife (Christine Kelly) who is pregnant, and a nurse (Monica Keena) among others.
What we see from this point is akin to a play in many ways. We see how these different people deal with the bleakness of their situation and the situations that arise from it. There are moments of love, hope, and redemption, but they are fleeting. There is no end to the horror and everyone knows it deep down. Just when they believe that there is something more out there, the farm is invaded and a friend of the family takes refuge. He brings word from the outside world but with his gift of knowledge comes the realization that life outside their four walls is not getting better.
AFTERMATH is the type of film that relies completely on performance. It isnt flashy nor does it contain a lot of special effects. Its horror comes from the day to day living in a world of death and that is difficult to make engaging and real. This film does just that.
AFTERMATH reminds us that we as human beings need each other, not just for survival, but in every way we can fathom. It is a film about the end and how we deal with a slow but unavoidable death.
