Amy Price

First - it's a story told with the talents of some of the better actors working today. Set in a verdant, exclusive 'hamlet' of a place near NYC, where the two families who come together in this one house normally live, it's to me more a 'mystery in a locked room'. Why? Given the events happening around them (and yes, there are quite a few), the story hones in on the actions and reactions of only the people who are caught up in it - first pushing apart, then coming together as if by magnetic force. People have questioned the ending, but the character study which leads up to that will have you both questioning humans' inherent cruelty to each other and then recognizing that sometimes terrible situations can reveal a better nature. The script isn't wonderful in places - it makes the characters more shallow than they should be. The premise though is interesting and the supporting story line hangs together What happens when world enemies band together to take down a major government - in this case, the US - and they do it with the least possible military expenditure? You create a situation where people turn against each other, resulting in a civil war and where no one trusts anyone else. That honestly is the scariest part of this story - and something I'll ponder for a while. In the meantime, and after the end of the film - the Thornes did construct a very well equipped bunker that they doubtless will not ever use, and I do see the families learning to share this space while they wait out the largest part of the unpleasantness raining down on the country. Some people who reviewed this film thought that the story left too many loose ends. In my opinion, it left just enough - and could make for interesting discussions over wine or an incredibly delicious cocktail. See it and draw your own conclusions. Four stars for interesting story and good actors. Loses one star for the lapses in scripting. Maybe a "Director's Cut" would improve on this. I'll put the story up there however with "Alas, Babylon".