I am always on the look out for anything where people are trying to survive a world that is clearly screwed. This came up on some forums as fitting the bill. It isn't. In this world people are a bit thirsty, well some of them are anyway. This is more like a western in look, feel and in plot.A struggling farm owner is trying to get the water company to put a main into his farm. The main character is an interesting chap with high morals, including a healthy obligation to his fellow man. He does however have some drinking demons.What plays out is story of struggle, conflict, betrayal and absolution. Pretty much like a western then.Performances are great, scenery and production are excellent. The story is grounded and interesting - but not particularly exciting.A well made film with a good story - just not what I was looking for on the night.

I didn't check the budget of this movie but it feels like a low budget production in many ways.First of all the characters are roughly cut and stereotypes, you don't find real inner conflicts in them, Flem could have had good intentions to a degree, but he was just selfish - that is to simple for a drama.Second the long chapters don't make much sense, it's just confusing. Finishing a chapter with the death of it's subject is not smart. No flashbacks, no learnings in the later chapters about Ernest or the past for example.The setup was perfect for a Rashomon style drama, by simply NOT letting the audience know every detail all the time. Wasted chance.The whole movie was to long for the story. The slow pacing and the lack of anything happening over long periods (nothing of substance at least) makes it tiresome.The automatic mule robot (Big Dog or LS3 Pack Mule) did not add much to the sci fi feeling - it was developed around 2009 or even earlier. If this movie is supposed to take place in the near future (like some 20-50 years) such a machine would be long gone and replaced by better systems. Some primitive drones and stuff do not convince me, too. A little bit more attention to the details would have been nice. Even poor settlers would use something better than an 80s style transistor radio.The border situation was awkward. I wonder how the patrols walking on stilts would defend against the mob pushing them over... the available fences and guard's walkways would allow much better control. Just silly.I watched the German translation and the dub voices were terrible. They sounded like some people from the street had been asked to dub the movie during their lunch brake.All in all the story was too simple, too often seen and the rest of the movie didn't save the day.I don't consider it a waste of time but would expect something more imaginative or original these days. It would make a solid first movie for a director starting his career right after film school.

There's a tone in the Young One's that even though I can't put my finger on, it feels very familiar, almost a languid natural ease. The story is compelling, so much so, that almost a year after seeing it, I reflect on the bright light of the desert and still hear the soundtrack. There were movies with this light made in the 70's, panoramic, larger then life, but full of individual stories. Without even delving into the true nature of the accurate rendering of future issues regarding the environment, and natural resources, this is a story about justice and metering that out in the harsh climate of a shaken world.

Set in the future when water is hard to find a teenage boy sets out to protect his family and survive.In a small way, this works as a companion piece to "Interstellar". Both are futuristic, science fiction movies that address a world consumed by drought. And both were released in 2014. That may be just about the only overlap, but it makes them a nice pair, and also makes me want to watch "Dune".Somehow, though, this film never really grabs your attention. Elle Fanning is decent, and Kodi Smit-McPhee is a good actor (and a nice guy). Maybe this needed more Michael Shannon? He is, of course, among the best actors in the business today.