Watch After the Dark
- R
- 2014
- 1 hr 47 min
-
5.6 (23,832)
After the Dark is a 2013 sci-fi thriller that takes place in an international high school in Jakarta. The storyline of the movie is unique where a teacher, Mr. Zimit, played by James D'Arcy, conducts a thought experiment in his philosophy class with the students. The premise of the experiment is that a nuclear apocalypse has occurred, and the only way for ten people to survive is if they can decide on who they are and how they contribute to the restart of humanity. As every student has a different view on life and philosophy, the experiment leads to an exciting and engaging conversation among the group, highlighting how their decisions can affect humanity's future.
The narrative starts with what seems like a typical school day until the point where the philosophy class starts, and the students find out that Mr. Zimit has prepared a thought experiment that has a life or death scenario. Mr. Zimit explains the premise of their exercise to the students, where they imagine themselves as leaders stuck in a bunker with limited resources, and they have to decide on which professions are the most valuable and how they can contribute to rebuilding the human race.
The experiment has a few rules, and the students have to make their decisions based on logical reasoning, without any influence from their emotions or prior relationship. The students are divided into ten professions, including a doctor, a historian, an architect, a farmer, a scientist, a judge, an engineer, a soldier, a psychologist, and a musician.
The students immediately get into the experiment, and they start discussing the value of their professions and how they can collectively work towards starting a new world. As the conversation moves forward, the plot takes different twists and turns, showcasing each student's view of the world and how they want to contribute to society.
Throughout the experiment, the students have to make challenging decisions, including choosing who gets to live or die based on their profession's value. These debates happen across several rounds, with each round bringing new situations to test the students' decision-making skills.
The students face different challenges, including murders, unexpected pregnancies, difficult ethical questions, and strained relationships. Several of these problems force the students to thrown out of the bunker, and the rest have less than a day to resurface, causing the experiment to take a different turn.
The movie is enticing and thought-provoking, asking the viewer to question their morality and perspective on humanity. The acting from the students is top-notch, with each actor bringing an individualistic character to the film's story. James D'Arcy is brilliant as Mr. Zimit, and his performance as a mediator in the experiment, trying to keep everything logical, is commendable.
The movie always feels like a conversation between bright minds, with the students constantly challenging each other's thoughts and reasoning. The screenplay is captivating and keeps the audience invested in the movie from start to finish.
Another noteworthy aspect of the movie is the production design and cinematography. The movie's dungeon-like bunker accompanied by dim lighting creates an intense atmosphere, making the viewer feel like a participant in the experiment. The music is haunting and sets a mysterious tone throughout the movie.
In conclusion, After the Dark is an intriguing and absorbing sci-fi movie that discusses thought-provoking topics through a captivating plotline. The film's unpredictability and twists keep the viewer invested in the story, making it an engrossing cinematic experience.
After the Dark is a 2014 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 47 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.6 and a MetaScore of 37.