Overview and Context
Survive is a thriller produced in France that is set to release in 2024. The movie is directed by Frédéric Jardin and has a screenplay by Alexandre Coquelle and Mathieu Oullion. Jardin’s film is a rare mix of speculative science fiction, family drama, horror, and surrealist imagery. “Survive” has a running time of about one and a half hours and was made on a low budget. It was first shown at the FrightFest film festival and later on released on digital platforms. The film looks into deep issues related to environmental collapse, family resilience, and the psychological effects of extreme survival conditions.
Plot Summary
The film revolves around a family of four, where the father, Tom, is a composed and pragmatic figure, and Julia works as a resourceful mother and a medical professional. They have two children, Ben and Cassie. The family depicted in the movie sets off on a sailing trip to celebrate Ben’s 13th birthday. Contained within the film is a plot twist whereby the joyful sailing trip turns to horror as a storm unlike any other capsizes the family’s boat. The charming nature of Puerto Rico is also described within the film.
The next morning, the family wakes up to a different world. Their boat now sits on what looks like an infinite desert. The ocean has vanished, now replaced by a sun-baked and dry seabbed. The ocean is still gone. Taking a closer on a roundish formation, Tom hypothesizes it to a geomagnetic pole reversal. The family now views their new surroundings and sets on an adventure to uncover the mystery of the land.
The last glimmer of hope for the family lies in a deep sea submersible located some distance away. It is operated by Nao, a survivor who in the past had warned them of a coming second pole reversal in a few days. Throughout their travel to the submersible, the family faced countless dangerously unnerving obstacles such as fragments of exploded boats, downed aircrafts, shifting magnetic fields, and hostile sea creatures. The family had also to defend themselves from giant and swift crabs that attacked out of the blue.
Their trek challenges both physical endurance and emotional resilience. Julia steps up as a smart and strong leader, and Tom tries to be the calm and logical morale booster. Out of fear and in the harsh environment, the children make poor choices, putting the family in worse danger. In a desperate showdown with the monstrous crabs, the film reaches its climax and tests the entire family’s limits.
Themes and Style
- Environmental Catastrophe and Science Fiction
At the core of Survive lies an inventive idea, albeit a scientifically exaggerated one, of a geomagnetic reversal so extreme it removes Earth’s oceans. This narrative explores environmental collapse in a fantastical way, symbolizing humanity’s fragile bond with nature. The barren ocean floor and the surreal, dry ocean landscape create an intriguing backdrop for the survival story that feels both dystopian and mythic.
- Family and Human Resilience
The film shows the emotional and psychological hardships a family endures in a chronic crisis. Julia emerges as a figure of maternal resilience, as she possesses both creativity and pluck in the face of frightening odds. Tom, on the other hand, epitomizes stoic rationality, although he suffers setbacks because of unpredictable danger. Adjusting alongside the other children is Ben, who epitomizes the generational fragility that is both a tension and source of development across the film. The film portrays the interplay of stress and family love, multi-dimensional responsibility, and sacrifice that shapes a moment of survival.
- Visual and Tonal Style
This parts remains in the intersection of visual elements and the mood of the film. This is because of how Frédéric Jardin directs and focuses on the images, as he captures much of the feeling of isolation and feeling destitute through the sharing of large landscapes in the desert and stark lighting. The other world, and yet post-apocalyptic feel is reminiscent of surrealist or comic book visuals. The addition of absurd things like giant crabs attacking people, while they are serious, give certain scenes a B-movie feel. This mix of styles is rich in visuals, but can lack a standard or steady tone.
- Surrealism and Dream Logic
This film uses inexplicable forms and dream imagery to enhance mystery and a sense of dread. Characters experience inexplicable visions, shifting landscapes, and surreal environmental effects. These choices create a psychological atmosphere that is more sense of internal conflict, suggesting that the film revolves around internal survival and trauma rather than the imminent danger of a post-apocalyptic world.
Acting and Production
Emilie Dequenne, who stars as Julia, gives a standout performance. Her emotional portrayal of a mother dealing with physical and emotional turmoil fighting to survive as a mother offers a heart to the film. Andreas Pietschmann, as Tom, balances stoic strength with fragility which adds credibility to the role of the family’s analytical father struggling to keep the family from falling apart.
The child performers, Lisa Delamar and Lucas Ebel, capture the childish, impulsive nature of their roles. Some critics noted that the children acted overly stubborn, but these children put a family under extreme stress and contributed to the family’s portrayal of the relentless pressures.
The cinematography prominently features wide shots of the desert alongside tight frames which create a claustrophobic atmosphere, especially when danger is imminent. The practical effects of the crab-like creatures, although somewhat crude due to the budget, succeed in building a sense of danger and dread without overly relying on digital effects.
Critical Reception
The film Survive was met with mixed reviews when it was released. The critics, in particular, seemed to appreciate the ambition and unique visual style of the movie. They noted the film’s surreal imagery and focus on the environment as distinguishing features when compared to typical disaster films. It was praised for attempting to combine literary devices and dry genre conventions with more poetic and contemplative elements.
On the other hand, the script faced a lot of criticism for its convoluted and inconsistent tone. Some critics thought the film bounced between serious, high-concept moments and absurd low-budget creature features without landing on a satisfying blend. At times, the dialogue was described as unnatural, and the film’s rhythm was inconsistent, alternating between frantic bursts of movement and extended periods of slow stillness.
Overall, the movie is seen as a bold and imaginative attempt, especially as the film was viewed as more appealing to lovers of eclectic storytelling and speculation.
Strengths
Concept originality and surrealism based on environmental science fiction themes
Striking visuals and noteworthy cinematography as well as production design
Émilie Dequenne’s strong lead performance
Suspenseful moments and inventive creature design
Weaknesses
Drama and absurdist horror blend inconsistency
Pacing imbalance combined with sparse dialogue
Character choices from some are quite unbelievable
Limited emotional complexity for supporting characters
Conclusion
Visually artistic and ambitious, Survive dives into the disaster and survival thriller. The movie blends speculative science fiction with horror and emotional drama, and crafts a story that is gripping while provoking critical thought. Survive’s unique vision and artistic risk-taking makes the film stand out, even when it struggles with narrative and tonal shifts.
This is a film that resonates more for its bold ideas, themes, and atmosphere instead of traditional narrative structure. Survive will appeal to viewers interested in genre-defying stories, surreal tales set in a post-apocalyptic world, or family survival narratives.
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