Before the Fire

I think that I read that this film was made prior to COVID-19 but released during the pandemic. I live in the US but watch tons of British/Australian/Kiwi content through subscriptions to AcornTV, BritBox, and AMC+ (Comcast Xfinity's offering that combines stuff from Sundance, IFC, and Shudder). I initially assumed that this was an Australian film despite all the Texas references but learned that this is, in fact, a US based thriller. "Thriller" may be a tad too generous but it is definitely designed to disturb viewers enough to get folks thinking about the extremes they may have to resort to just to stay alive during a massive catastrophe. This movie doesn’t really offer anything new to the genre itself IMO but I did find it to be easily watchable. To be honest I would probably watch anything that Dakota Morrissiey wears a tank top in at this point. Eye candy aside I found this film to be easily watchable and relevant given the recent pandemic. If you still observe shelter in place protocols then I suggest you give this a go. I will say that it would be nice to have the option to purchase/buy this movie versus just renting it. Rentals can be frustrating because they force paying customers to view it within just a day or two once the meter starts running. I have a terribly extreme case of ADHD so finding a 2 hour window to watch things from start to finish before deadlines expire can be problematic. I generally like the option of spending an extra $5 or whatever so I can watch on my own terms. Maybe that's too nitpicky but the pandemic has left many of us powerless. We can and can't do this thing or that now, places we used to visit are closed for a bit or eventually had to go under due to lack of operating funds etc. So many more things are now out of our control which can lead people to feeling helpless and isolated and so forth. This movie stands to benefit given its parallels to what's going on in the real world right now. If the ability to purchase this film versus just renting it is possible then I recommend that they allow that. Like I said before: this film doesn’t really offer much in terms of new ideas or concepts as far as pandemic scenarios are concerned but I do think it is worth a watch if you are cool with spending a few bucks to rent and then promptly watch it within a short time frame. If users have ample content available to them to watch while living in this new world of "shelter in place" directives then I recommend that this movie be purchasable or wait for it to inevitably land on streaming platforms like Prime Video and/or Tubi etc. If money is no object and/or you intend to binge through the whole thing well within the rental period then knock yourself out. Otherwise, I'd bookmark this flick and wait to watch it once a purchase option becomes available or it ends up as a catalog item on free platforms like Tubi, Xumo, etc.

I really enjoyed this movie, the acting was excellent, beautifully shot, and great production design. The story was well told and highlighted the events it portrayed while hinting at the past, it left me wanting to know more about the characters, what caused the outbreak, why did she leave? I definitely recommend this movie.

Good movie with unexpected plot twists.