‘The Survivalist’ Trailer: John Malkovich Rules The Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland
ForgetBeing John Malkovich. This October, you’ll befleeingJohn Malkovich.
Let’s just hope everyone hasn’t already fled the reading of this article after that terrible pun. InThe Survivalist, Malkovich stars as a gang leader who’s out for the blood of a young woman, played byRuby Modine, daughter of Matthew Modine. This sets him on a collision course with an ex-FBI agent (JonathanRhys Meyers) in a post-apocalyptic action thriller that is bound for release this October.
“A year and a half after the fall of civilization due to a viral outbreak …”
That’s not some future headline, but rather a movie logline, or the beginning of one. The title ofThe Survivalistrefers to Meyers' character, who will defend his property at all costs. He’s got a house guest and she’s somehow not affected by the disease that has wiped out the government and left the streets ravaged.
“It’s going to be a long night,” he says dramatically.The Survivalistlooks like a cross betweenThe PurgeandHome Alone, which I guess makes itStraw Dogs?Check out the trailer for it below.
The Survivalist Trailer
Under different circumstances,The Survivalistmight be dismissed as a simple home invasion thriller, but with its pandemic plot and vision of a war-torn America on the streets outside, it has some clear parallels to the last year and a half of real-world news. We first reported on the filmlast December, with producersJordan Yale LevineandJordan Beckermantalking it up as “an exhilarating, timely and action-packed feature film with stellar performances.”
This first trailer allows you to get a feel for the movie’s overall tone, and as our own Chris Evangelista predicted, it’s sometimes hammy. There’s at least one funny reaction shot with Malkovich bugging his eyes in aNouveauShamanic, Nicolas Cage kind of way (keeping in mind that Malkovich and Cage co-starred inCon Air.) What’s even more amusing is how the trailer splices together lines that spell the story out in dialogue:
“You come to my house…you try to kidnap this girl…and then you try to kill me?!”
“There are five of us…there’s one of him!”
The Survivalistis directed byJon Keeyesand it also features the acting talents ofLori PettyandJulian Sands. Here’s the full synopsis:
The Survivalisthits theaters and all digital and VOD outlets onOctober 1, 2021.
