My Review Of "Atomic Apocalypse"

"Atomic Apocalypse" is a post-apocalyptic thriller from Martin Gooch. The film stars Krista DeMille, Andrea Sweeney-Blanco, Jesús Lloveras, William Mark McCullough, Ron Roggé, Christina DeRosa, Neil Dickson, Domenica Cameron-Scorsese, Lex Anastasia, Andrea R. Baker, Cory Birkenbuel, Ryder Kole Emerson, Nicholas Fabrio, Ice Fox, Randy Granstrom. It falls along the lines of films like "The Road" and "The Day".

Welcome to the future - two years from now after the nuclear apocalypse that changed life as we know it. In this hellish landscape, one family fights for survival. Superhero Mother, Kate (Krista DeMille) loses her injured survivalist husband Sam (Ron Roggé) and lovestruck daughter Suzi (Andrea Sweeney Blanco) in a matter of days after they join handsome loner Joe (Jesus Lloveras) in search of a rumored hidden nuclear bunker full of food and medicine. Suddenly alone, lost in the chemical clouds and pursued by murderous scavengers, Kate fights to stay alive and reunite with her family. 

"Atomic Apocalypse" falls short of being a strong thriller with heavy drama. It often feels aimless with no clear agenda for the story's path forward. Some moments seem to tap into dark humor that doesn't look intentionally don't. Still, much like the films I mentioned above, "Atomic Apocalypse" has heart, deep emotional awareness and a singular focus, even if the plot isn't that original. 

The cast seem carefully chosen and I found the female leads strong and emotive. To me they were the most developed characters in the film. At times the acting did get shakey. Moments when high tension kicks in the acting seems forced. Other characters fail to deliver dialog convincingly at times. Still the story flowed forward due to enough quality moments stringing the plot along.

Special effects are a strong blend of low grade practical choices mixed mostly with "gamer" level CGI. Stuff commonly seen on the Syfy channel. There is a portion of the film dealing with cannibals but not nearly enough attention is to them. Overall "Atomic Apocalypse" will find a fan base and for indie sci-fi fans, but don't go into it with high expectations. (2.5/5)