What Still Remains

What Still Remains is a post-apocalyptic drama from 2018, directed and written by Joshua Mendoza. The movie stars Lulu Antariksa, Colin O'Donoghue, and Mimi Rogers among others. The film surrounds the idea of survival, trust and the strength of humanity in bleak, desolate conditions and deftly examines how far one could go to retain their humanity in a world overridden by despair and hopelessness.

The film opens in the aftermath of an apocalyptic event that has wiped out much of the world's population, leaving only a handful of survivors. Our protagonist, played by Lulu Antariksa, is a young woman named Anna. She has been living off the grid with her family, surviving harsh conditions and the dangers of a desolated world devoid of civilization. After the loss of her family, she's left to fend for herself in the wilderness.

Enter Peter, played by Colin O’Donoghue, a wanderer who stumbles across Anna's isolated home. Peter approaches Anna with both caution and intrigue, and his arrival marks the end of her solitary life. He promises safety and security in a distant community that he is a part of, and this proposition sparks hope and dread within the fiercely independent Anna. However, with the threats lurking in the wilderness, Anna finds herself faced with a choice of staying alone or taking a leap of faith with Peter.

Mimi Rogers portrays Judith; a charismatic, albeit eerie matriarchal figure playing a critical role in the distant community Peter hails from. The dynamics that are formed between these characters define the path of the story, giving us an insightful exploration of faith, fear, and manipulation in dystopian circumstances.

What Still Remains is a compelling study of post-apocalyptic survival that differentiates itself from other films in the genre by focusing less on the details of the apocalyptic disaster and more on the human issues that arise from it. The film captures the essence of the dystopia through its gritty cinematic style, a haunting visual narrative coupled with skillful sound design, all contributing to the somber atmosphere that the movie consistently maintains.

The performances in the film are laudable - Lulu Antariksa convincingly portrays the fierce naivety and courage of Anna, while Colin O'Donoghue’s portrayal of Peter is filled with a complexity that is as intriguing as it is ambiguous. Mimi Rogers brings a certain gravitas to the movie, with nuances encapsulating trust, power, and dogmatic leadership.

The concept of trust is central to the plot, where it acts as both a safe passage and a deadly weapon in a world where human relationships have taken a raw and primal turn. It speaks of the nature of humans in desperate circumstances, whether to find solace in solitary survival or to search for reconstructed human civilization with all its new rules and unknown dangers.

What Still Remains encourages discussion and interpretation; it is equally about the emotional and psychological fallout of a post-apocalyptic world as it is about survival in the physical sense. It pays tribute to the endurance and resilience of the human spirit in the face of despair, whilst not shying away from exposing the morally corrupt and bleak depths individuals might plunge into when cornered by extraordinary circumstances.

In summary, What Still Remains is a genuine exploration of the human condition in a post-apocalyptic setting, where fear, faith, hope and desperation intermingle. It's a tale of survival and trust, of choosing between the devil you know and the devil you don't. It’s a film that keeps you on-edge, questioning humanity’s capacity for both compassion and cruelty in desperate times. This potent drama offers an insight into what lengths a person would go to protect themselves, their beliefs, and above all, their humanity.