Curtis (Michael Shannon; Boardwalk Empire) has begun having apocalyptic dreams which have been manifesting themselves in the real world into paranoia and irrational behavior. Curtis quickly becomes obsessed with a fall out shelter in his backyard and begins stockpiling it with food and water and all the other amenities that he can think of for the coming storm. Is he crazy or is there some truth to the nightmares he’s been having? Time will tell in this captivating drama.

I missed seeing this one in theaters and heard nothing but good things about it so when I saw it in my work pile I was definitely interested in watching it right away. It was not what I expected it to be. It’s very slow moving but when you feel that nagging sensation that you want something to happen, something small but significant does and your captivated again. Maybe it’s a dream sequence or the crushing realties of Curtis' paranoia effecting his financial future in a not so stable economy, or the fact that his actions may have worse consequences for his family. The contrast between dream and reality offers up a good balance that brings you into Curtis’ position, being stuck between the crippling paranoia of nightmares and the hopelessness of making irrational decisions in the real world that could jeopardize his home life.  

Michael Shannon gives a pretty fantastic performance here as the main character struggling with weather or not his situation is mental or other. As the film progressed I was amazed at how my logic was being manipulated by every turn of events. The entertainment factor wants you to hope for the apocalyptic, that Curtis is proven right, but your logic is telling you it has to be something else. A mixture of dream sequences and reality find ways to fool you until they reveal themselves as one or the other, and then there are other aspects of the film that keep you guessing. It does a fantastic job of opening up the end of the film to conversation.

I will agree with critics who said that the film was phenomenal, unforgettable, a masterpiece even, but it’s not a film that I would consider timeless. It’s the type of film that you have to devote all of your attention to or you might as well not even watch it at all. Once you’ve seen it after that there’s really no point in sitting through it again. After all, if you thought it was a bit slow going the first time around, you can only imagine how much more slow going it will be when there are no surprises left for you to help progress the film along. Definitely one to see though. Very heartbreaking in some senses and a bit quizzical in others. In a way though you have to wonder just how much of this was inspired by the story of Noah and The Arc? As always final judgment is yours. Enjoy.