The Survivalist

A stark corrective to the garish dystopia of films like Mad Max: Fury Road, this brutal Northern Ireland-set drama takes a more realistic look at a world driven to near-collapse by the steady depletion of its resources. Scavenging to get by in a remote woodland shack, the nameless hunter of the title lives in disciplined but paranoid isolation, his senses perpetually primed for intruders. When two female strangers arrive - a mother, Kathryn (Olwen Fouéré), and her daughter, Milja (Mia Goth)-the survivalist is naturally suspicious but nevertheless lets them in, albeit at gunpoint. In this scenario, three is definitely a crowd, and first-time director Stephen Fingleton grippingly ramps up the tension as supplies dwindle and loyalties are tested. The stench of the sweat and filth of life in the wilderness are evoked without mercy, notably in an unflinching DIY abortion scene. Nevertheless, like Fury Road, there's an accent on the feminine here that offers hope, which leads us to a low-key but much-needed glimmer of redemption.