Set in a near future when water has become the most precious and dwindling resource on the planet, one that dictates everything from the macro of political policy to the detailed micro of interpersonal family and romantic relationships. The land has withered into something wretched. The dust has settled on a lonely, barren planet. The hardened survivors of the loss of Earth’s precious resources scrape and struggle. Ernest Holm lives on this harsh frontier with his children, Jerome and Mary. He defends his farm from bandits, works the supply routes, and hopes to rejuvenate the soil. But Mary’s boyfriend, Flem Lever, has grander designs. He wants Ernest’s land for himself, and will go to any length to get it.
I really like that the dusty apocalypse setting is making a comeback, and I like even more that it has resulted in a movie starring Michael Shannon. Young Ones, not to be confused with the classic Rik Mayall sitcom, takes Mad Max‘s drought-ridden, resource-scavenged world and tones it down considerably, making it more into a Western survival movie than a car-crashing action flick. With a good cast and a pretty badass trailer, I think this shows promise.
Young Ones comes out October 17, 2014.