The movie opens with Ana (Grace Van Patten), a young waitress being treated quite harshly in several ways, including the most personal. She opens an oven door to discover a Narnia-like portal to another realm. But this one's a grim war zone, in which she joins a few other women living in a bunker, and learns to fight the male armies around them. Her situation is rather vaguely defined. Is she dead? Is she dreaming? Is this a true alternate universe? The tale unfolds with Ana gaining skills and confidence as she bonds with the others. Her journey begins to seem more akin to The Wizard of Oz, with abuse playing the causative role of Dorothy's tornado.
We watch the quartet of young kindred spirits employing several tactics for bumping off the males of the surrounding armies and navies, including the eponymous distress signal. We also watch Ana's determination and coping abilities blossom in that barren, post-apocalyptic setting. Eventually, the war begins to seem endless and pointless, spurring her to take the initiative and alter her path.
The production is quite minimalist in every respect, from locations to costumes and cast size. Much is achieved via communications with offstage voices in the gloomy, gray exteriors, and even darker interior sets. It's a message film that winds up being anything but subtle, with little joy for its principals along the way, other than a whimsical musical sequence in the latter half.
The premise and tone from writer/director Karen Cinnore are relatively unique, which makes this film intriguing. The same can be said for Van Patten's performance as she evolves under duress.
We watch the quartet of young kindred spirits employing several tactics for bumping off the males of the surrounding armies and navies, including the eponymous distress signal. We also watch Ana's determination and coping abilities blossom in that barren, post-apocalyptic setting. Eventually, the war begins to seem endless and pointless, spurring her to take the initiative and alter her path.
The production is quite minimalist in every respect, from locations to costumes and cast size. Much is achieved via communications with offstage voices in the gloomy, gray exteriors, and even darker interior sets. It's a message film that winds up being anything but subtle, with little joy for its principals along the way, other than a whimsical musical sequence in the latter half.
The premise and tone from writer/director Karen Cinnore are relatively unique, which makes this film intriguing. The same can be said for Van Patten's performance as she evolves under duress.