Apocalypse now, in the desert — that's the mood in American sci-fi films these days, as the epic Californian drought continues.
Desert landscapes have always provided wonderful backdrops for doomsday movies — including "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," the "Mad Max" series, and even HBO's "Breaking Bad." Now it seems Hollywood has only to step out into their own backyard for scenes of cracked dirt, dust storms, wildfires and dune buggies driven by thirsty people ready to bludgeon anyone with a spare bottle of Evian.
The latest in the current crop of drought-inspired movies is "The Last Survivors," directed and cowritten by Thomas S. Haddock. In this world, the parched-in-the-desert look is definitely in, complete with dust-caked cowboy boots and fringe jackets. It hasn't rained in 10 years, the world is sun-bleached and sandy-brown. The only people left alive are a water-hogging gangster and his brood, plus the maverick heroine played by Haley Lu Richardson, who clearly channels Jennifer "Hunger Games" Lawrence as she fights the bad guys to protect her scarce water supply while caring for a bed-ridden friend.
She also manages to have perfect hair and moist skin with zero shower access, which brings me to the conclusion that someone had better come up with a drought-friendly cosmetics and hair product line pretty soon, because many moments in "The Last Survivors" feel a little too close for comfort.