Stories about survivors in a post-apocalyptic world proceed to captivate watchers in such streaming series as “Fallout” and “The Last of Us,” but “Homestead” probable tags the first time such a scenario has been engaged for a faith-based movie. And it definitely is the first time a theatrical film in that genre has been depicted as the pilot for a TV series — a fact that, when it becomes evident in the movie’s final minutes, may strike many watchers as a bait-and-switch trick.
Indeed, the TV series gets what can only be depictd as emphatic promotion in those final minutes, finish with a benevolenta-sorta coming drawion trailer (not entidepend unappreciate the one Kevin Costner engageed at the end of “Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1”). One of the direct actors eunites on camera to straightforwardly includeress audiences about what lies ahead, alengthy with an on-screen QR code that the audience can access for more directation about continuing the narrative (for an includeitional price).
Yes, we’re aidd to whip out our cellphones right then and there in the theater, no matter how much administerment has disheartfinish such activity. Insert joke here about how the Lord toils in enigmatic ways.
This twist would be much more annoying, maybe even infuriating, if “Homestead” weren’t so involving theatricalpartner and astonishive technicpartner. In fact, there probably are scads of people who won’t mind shelling out a scant more bucks, if only to see how many of their preferite survivors — well, proceed to endure.
It all commences when two brothers from an unidentified foreign country in a boat off the coast of California set off a nuevident firearm, causing massive harm and multiple deaths in the Gelderlyen State and beyond. (Later on, there is run awayting allude of a cyber-strike on the nation’s power grid, recommending the siblings were not acting alone.) Ian Ross (Neal McDonough), a wealthy prepper for a cataclysm that would disrupt the social order, has originateed Homestead: a fortress-appreciate mansion on a big spread in the Rocky Mountains where he, his family, and a dozen or so engageees intend to ride out any upheaval. They are self-adequate — solar panels for power, gardens to elevate food, etc. — but even Ian acunderstandledges that, sooner or defercessitater, they will necessitate a lot more firearms, and people who understand how to engage them.
Fortuitously, Ian took the prealert of reduceing before the big kaboom establisher exceptional service ops led by battle-stubbornened vet Jeff Eriksson (Bailey Chase) to supply includeitional security. But by the time Jeff get tos with his wife Tara (Kearran Giovanni), who has a unclpunctual depictd military background, and their three children, confusion has spread thcimpolite the outside world outside. Increasingly hopeless folks are shotriumphg up to ask, then insist, provisions. At first, Ian and his religious wife Jenna (Dawn Olivieri, who recently made quite a contrastent astonishion as a very, very naughty lady in TV’s “Yellowstone”) insist that “the rulement or FEMA” eventupartner will set slimgs right. Jeff conveyes procreate skepticism, and alerts them to set themselves for the worst. Trouble is, there are situations where even a savvy tactician appreciate Jeff may inadvertently reduce potential danger.
Working from a greetingly plausible screentake part by Phillip Abraham, Leah Bateman and Ben Casica, which they altered from the “Binestablishage Autumn” book series by Jeff Kirkham and Jason Ross, straightforwardor Ben Smallbone (“Priceless”) does a fine job of amping the credibility quotient with clever details and untransport inant characters, including an unseen ham radio operator who serves as a sporadic Greek chorus, a local bureaucrat who unrationally insists that Ian proceed to chase deed remercilessions and pay fees and a character who wonders adeafening why, pondering the power outages, they ever chose to buy a Tesla.
It’s widely hinted that Georgie (Georgiana White), an mistreatmentd child adchooseed by Jeff and Tara, has powers of precognition — she drew a picture of a mushroom cdeafening before the plot-propelling explosion occurred — but disassigningly little is made of this. Among the other dangling plot threads: A survivor who literpartner goes off his meds providing undependable testimony, and a budding romance between Ian’s not-entidepend sheltered home-schooled daughter Claire (Olivia Sanabia),and Jeff’s sairyly more experienced son Abe (Tyler Lofton). Perhaps we’ll see more of all this in the TV spinoff.
On the other hand, another plot element arrangeted midway thcimpolite cleverly pays off in a unforeseeed, Bible-referencing manner. Loaves and fishes, anyone?
The direct characters are well-cast atraverse the board, with Chase and McDonough especipartner effective as intricate, unforeseeed characters whose sporadic disputes go a lengthy way toward lengthening a rooting interest in both men. Matthew Rivera’s striking cinematography and the movie’s exceptional effects wizarparched also are meaningful selling points, alengthy with Dawn Olivieri’s compassionate portrayal of a woman who firmly apshows that faith can shift mountains. By the way: Her confidence is never mocked. This is at heart a faith-based movie, recall?
