ReelBob: ‘After the Pandemic’ ★★½

By Bob Bloom

“After the Pandemic” is one of those post-apocalyptic features in which a virus has wiped out nearly the entire human race.

The few survivors are young people who are hunted by Stalkers — agents of government officials and elites, who have taken refuge in underground bunkers for survival.

The Stalkers want to use the survivors for experimental purposes — to see what makes them immune.

The movie, written and directed by Richard Lowry, was made on a shoestring budget. The cast is basically two young women, Ellie (Eve James) and Quinn (Kannon Smith).

The movie is set five years after the catastrophe. For the first 22 minutes, dialogue is nonexistent, as Ellie is alone, surviving the best she can — going into houses to scrounge for food and other necessities.

When the Stalkers get on her trail, she flees.

Making it to a town, she is rescued by Quinn, a survivalist who admits that she cares only for herself and her own preservation.

She allows Ellie to stay one night before she gathers some supplies for the young woman and sets her on the road to another town.

But Quinn, seeing a drawing Ellie made of her, has a change of heart. She goes after Ellie and brings her back, setting some ground rules that the inexperienced young woman must follow.

Quinn begins teaching Ellie survival skills.

“After the Pandemic” may be bleak, but it also is hopeful. It’s a story about connection and the necessity of companionship to fully survive.

The movie is minimalist filmmaking — very little dialogue and no big special effects. It is more a human drama than a thriller.

Smartly, no zombies are involved; only a few remnants of humanity who have sunk to cannibalism for meat.

The Stalkers, donned all in white and wearing gas masks, are the threat. Ominous music swells as they drive around with tranquilizer weapons and sound devices hunting those who are left.

The movie does have some drawbacks: Despite taking place five years after the pandemic, some lawns still look pristine — as if they were recently cut — and the bodies that lie around on roads or in homes may stink, but they have not rotted.

Other than that, “After the Pandemic” is a simple feature about how people need each other and can reach out so as not to face the challenges of a new world alone.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap substack and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob.com or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.

AFTER THE PANDEMIC
2½ stars out of 4
Not rated, disturbing images, violence, language