Hell is a Roland Emmerich produced post-apocalyptic film. It focuses on a few survivors in Germany, struggling to get on in a world where the sun has scorched the Earth and left it too bright to inhabit. It was once the source of life, light and warmth. But now the sun has turned the entire world into a baked and barren wasteland. Forests are scorched. Animal carcasses line the roads. Even the nights are dazzlingly bright.
Maria, her little sister Leonie and Phillip are heading for the mountains in a car with tinted glass. Rumour has it that water can still be found there. It is a hazardous trip into the unknown. Along the way, they run into Tom. He turns out to be a first-rate mechanic and becomes indispensible. But can they trust him? The tension grows. As if things weren’t bad enough, they are lured into an ambush and their real battle for survival begins…
Starring: Stipe Erceg, Michael Kranz, Hannah Herzsprung
Directed by: Tim Fehlbaum
Runtime: 84 minutes
Studio: Arc Entertainment
Amazon USAmazon UKIMDBReview: Hell
Tim Fehlbaum’s Hell is a post-apocalyptic horror with echoes of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. Set in 2016, the earth’s atmosphere has been destroyed and global temperatures have increased by 10°C. Survivors wander wastelands and deserts, shielded from the deadly sun and seeking whatever food and water they can find. Our focus is on two sisters, Marie (Hannah Herzsprung) and Leonie (Lisa Vicari), who are traveling with Phillip (Lars Eidinger). With their car protected from the sun, the trio come to an abandoned petrol station in search of fuel and supplies. They have some goods pilfered by Tom (Stipe Erceg) who they catch up with and Phillip reasons that is better to work together than fight so Tom joins them. Though the quartet work well together, there are plenty of dangers out in this scorching world, some of which the group come to face.
Marie and Leonie are clearly close but Leonie is unhappy that they have to travel with Phillip. It’s obvious that Phillip and Marie have become lovers much to Leonie’s discontent but when Tom joins the group the younger sister seems to settle. Continuing on their journey, the group continue to ascend into the hills and mountains in the hope that fresh water will be there. Seeing their path halted by scrap metal, they manage to move the obstacle before investigating a car wreck downhill from them. While Phillip and Tom try to empty the car of its fuel, Marie comes to help leaving Leonie alone on the road. Moments later the trio hear a struggle and realize Leonie has been kidnapped. The group in the mountains are fighting hard for survival and have dark intentions towards the four friends.
Hell is a good little horror that explores the dark depths of humanity when driven by a need for survival. While not up to the standard of The Road this is a different experience in that it doesn’t go as deeply with the characters. This is a realistic prediction of what may one day await future generations and if this film is anything to go by then the title really is an apt description of what to expect.
Verdict: 3/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
About the Author:
I was born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England and have always been a bookworm and enjoyed creative writing at school. In 1999 I created the Elencheran Chronicles and have been writing ever since. My first novel, Fezariu's Epiphany, was published in May 2011. When not writing I'm a lover of films, games, books and blogging. I now live in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, with my wife, Donna, and our six cats - Kain, Razz, Buggles, Charlie, Bilbo and Frodo.
David M. Brown – who has written 766 posts on Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave.
