The Survivalist (2021) User Reviews

Beyond bad -- what the heck was John Malkovich thinking?

[paul-allaer · 3/10 · 11 February 2022]

As "The Survivalist" (2021 release; 90 min.) opens, we hear a radio DJ talk about it being "Day 592 since the outbreak of COVID-19", and lamenting that the authorities put healthy people in camps, with dire results. We then are introduced to Sarah, a teenage girl who is immune to the virus, and hence needs special protection.. But Sarah and her friend are being chased by a crew of baddies, headed by Aaron. At this point we are less than 10 minutes into the film.

Couple of comments: this is the latest from prolific producer and at times also director (as in this film) of mostly horror fare, done on the cheap. Here he diverts slightly. For a few minutes, I thought this might actually be quite good, with the reference to COVID-19 and how messed up it got. But alas, when the story really gets going, it unravels pretty quickly. It all looks so.. amateurish! I almost fell off the couch when I realized that Aaron, the leader of the baddies, was played by... John Malkovich. Yes, THE John Malkovich. Say it ain't so, John! What the hell were you thinking? Have you really fallen this low? I guess so...Anyway, to say that this movie is beyond bad would be the understatement of the year.

"The Survivalist" was released straight on VOD last Fall. I saw it on Showtime Anytime the other night, taking a flyer on it. Wasn't worth it, and I cannot recommend this film in good conscience to anyone, not least to the Malkovich fans out there. But of course don't take my word for it, so check it out and draw your own conclusion.

Watching this mess, makes you a Survivalist

[angelsunchained · 1/10 · 2 December 2021]

Dumb, dumber, and even more dumber. This film is pure trash. Overacted and badly acted. Dull action scenes. The whole film is ridiculously stupid. For Dooms Day movies, watch Omega Man, Last Man on Earth, I Am Legend and No Blade of Grass and flush this waste of a movie down the toilet bowl.

low budget apocalypse

[SnoopyStyle · 3/10 · 13 November 2021]

It's day 592 of Covid-19 Delta and the world has collapsed. Uninfected people were rounded up in camps which ended in disaster. The cities are devastated and bands of pirates are headed out into the country. Aaron (John Malkovich) leads one group searching for a young woman assumed to be immune. She finds a protector in Ben (Jonathan Rhys Meyers).

This is a low budget affair. Somebody found a location with a few buildings. They slap-dashed some stuff. Worst still, they slap-dashed a script. The biggest mistake is using the real world situation. They need to use a fictional virus so that they can create a fictional world. It's more than the worlds not matching. They can't possibly get the science right. They need a fictional virus to create movie-logic of their own. The directing is pretty bad. There are a few good actors here who probably had projects canceled on them and needed the work during the pandemic. Malkovich is trying his best but the camera work is bad. It's all pretty bad except for the professional actors working.

Yikes

[maryannfarley · 1/10 · 7 January 2022]

It's hard to fathom how Jonathan Rhys Meyers ends up in movies like these. He's so damn talented, so handsome, has that "it" factor, and yet time and again he ends up in pure trash. I mean, this guy was the lead in Matchpoint! It's almost like when I see him advertised in a film now, I assume it will be abysmal.

An actor can do a few clunkers without self destructing, but Rhys Meyers seems intent on blowing up what could have been a total A list career.

Can't blame COVID for this!

[Valid_ID · 1/10 · 28 December 2021]

2021 is the year of low budget, low quality movies such as this, which not even an A-list actor like John Malkovich can redeem.

This movie looks like a student project, and a poor one at that.

The story is unoriginal to say the least, the camera action is jittery, the script is artificial, and the list goes on. No wonder the movie is free on Hoopla and Fubo right now.

I understand the pandemic makes people restless, and actors are not an exception; they want to go out, and shoot a film rather than stay cooped in their mansions, but better not make a movie at all than waste whatever little resources this flop used, and wait until you can make a movie worth watching.

John Malkovich does not deserve to star in such a below average movie...

[imseeg · 4/10 · 1 October 2021]

Beware: this is a B-movie, cheaply made, with black and white (UNimpressive) photography.

I was drawn to this movie by the name of the magnificent actor John Malkovich. Why does he lower himself to these kind of movies? Perhaps he has hit lower ground financially, because such a terrific actor should not lower himself to these kind of cheaply made B-movies.

Everything about this movie looks and feels amateurish. Just watching the first 5 minutes gave me a sinking feeling in my stumach. John Malkovich only appears for a few minutes, so this seems to be that sort of movies some actors (desperately) agree to do out of financial dire straits.

Let's hope John Malkovich can still be given parts that give credit to his wonderfully gifted acting talents.

The story: forget about it. Forget about this movie alltogether...that would be best for everybody involved...

Meyers and Malkovitch must really not care about their reputations.

[jaimegonzales210 · 1/10 · 6 October 2021]

This is a terrible movie. Terrible plot, terrible script, terrible acting/directing, terrible in every way imaginable. The only way for this movie to have been saved was if they asked Tommy Wiseau to rewrite and direct it.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers was in another terrible movie I have watched in the last week, American Night. This movie is actually worse. It is also worse than The Many Saints of Newark, which was extremely disappointing.

What has happened to the entertainment industry? Are there no more creatives around who can make something worth watching? I am so tired of stupidity, virtue signaling, preaching, political correctness, bashing people you disagree with, etc.

At this rate many people will simply just watch fail videos and look at cat pictures online, that would be more satisfying than watching crap Hollywood puts out nowadays.

Stupid and Boring-a deadly combination.

[mhorg2018 · 1/10 · 30 December 2021]

Holy... this was beyond bad. I think the people who wrote this trash were drunk. One stupid situation after another, this is like the really bad zombie movies that constantly get made and will be the next big grade Z genre to be assaulted by poor filmmakers. These virus movies will be done because they can be made even cheaper than zombie films. They require virtually no talent or special effects. The cast, other than Malkovitch-who must have needed a pay day and Mendelsohn, who also sleep walks through his role-are forgettable. It's basically a one set 'drama' with little going for it. I regret that I watched this worthless film. Another bit of time I'll never get back.

Very Forgettable

[westsideschl · 2/10 · 22 November 2021]

Right from the git-go it seemed very rushed, generic formula, made-up at the last moment to fit the current pandemic. Not believable or well-acted. Just watched it yesterday & really can't remember much of it. On the other hand I also watched The Suicide Squad, and it I won't forget.

Scary this could be our future

[trimblair · 3/10 · 16 January 2022]

COVID is referenced throughout. Some carriers, some spreaders. Lots of death. A complete failure of leadership. This movie seems like it was made for $1000 over a long weekend. Boring and predictable. No upside.

More Bullcrap from Hollywood

[Luvhallmark · 1/10 · 24 October 2021]

I will spare you the laughable details.. this movie sucked BIG TIME! Probably the WORST I've ever seen. It was so bad even my parakeet told me it sucked. The other reviews (most of them are spot on) Don't waste your money!

Poor script & dumb moves

[deafo · 3/10 · 9 October 2021]

The acting are ok from well experienced actors. It is just poor script with characters' dumb moves that I wouldn't do if I'm drunk.

OMG! Jonathan & John actually in this movie?! why?!

[clne · 1/10 · 2 October 2021]

Such good actors ! They must be desperate. This story is terrible. Country boy / FBI cant fight nor shoot. Plot is unbearable. And someone rated this 9/10 ? Must be smoking something good lol.

Couldn't make it through

[munstermoon · 1/10 · 3 October 2021]

The first 5 minutes is enough to tell you this movie is going to suck, and I couldn't watch more than 15 min. Jon Malkovich is turning into Bruce Willis making low grade crappy movies.

Don't Bother

[tamaradell2 · 2/10 · 27 December 2021]

To say this is low budget is to insult low budget movies. Decent actors, terrible sets, terrible script. I kept fast forwarding just to get to the end. Not entertaining, actually painful.

Zombie movie without zombies

[zalessky · 4/10 · 7 October 2021]

The Survivalist is another generic post-apocalypse movie with all the standard disease/zombie tropes (with COVID instead of zombies). There's even a girl who is allegedly the key to cure everyone.

The idea, I guess, was to throw in a few high-tier actors, mainly Rhys Meyers and Malkovich, and make them play out a highly emotional drama about human determination, weakness and self-sacrifice. At some points it works. But mostly it doesn't. Emotional moments look either hysterical or indifferent. And it's not the actors' fault.

Also, why do people in this movie shoot endlessly without aiming when they are SO low on ammo?

Terrible

[maygwan · 1/10 · 1 October 2021]

Some of the worst acting i have ever seen,Awful plot full of holes and all round terrible movie.

You can't wait for them to die

[maryeplissey · 1/10 · 26 October 2021]

Worst movie ever! Horrible writing, and the acting.... Maybe they wanted horrible acting. I hope the actors watch it. I suffered through the entire movie that eventually became a comedy because it was so bad.

This movie is all kinds of Terrible

[millordrak · 2/10 · 2 October 2021]

The plot was bad & unrealistic, the lead actor's overacting & yelling was ridiculous, & John Malkovich was his usual annoying self. The only one I liked was the girl from Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

So bad it's... Unbearable

[uriahjulin · 1/10 · 2 October 2021]

Horrible acting, rough story line, slow paced, comical- because it was so bad. Was looking forward to watching it play out but I think it got worse as it went...

What In The Actual F$ck!

[fddcg · 1/10 · 25 November 2021]

Really? Why in the hell would John Malkovich star in this garbage. Watching this movie was like watching a train wreck getting hit by a plane crash. Whoever conceived of this atrocity should throw themself headfirst into a wood chipper!

Title is misleading!

[fourluptons-92280 · 1/10 · 1 January 2022]

There is only 3 reasons to watch this movie.

1) so that you can see what the opposite of a survivalist is.

2) you want to pick apart every second of the movie with what he has or is done wrong.

3) it's the last movie on earth.

I'm angry this was made. Malchovich career must be over

[rcys-76221 · 1/10 · 26 January 2022]

The worst piece of drivel I've ever seen. I couldn't wait for everyone to die. The "hero" was a moron that I was hoping would die quick so they could save the human race with 1 woman. Lol seriously if there was a plot there would be holes all through it. If there were actors, the acting would have been horrible. The sheer stupidity of the characters actions were beyond belief. I fast forwarded through to the end to save myself 80 minutes of pain. Even the ending was pointless. They should just delete the movie and burn the originals.

It didn't let me pick zero

[helmarosk · 1/10 · 15 November 2021]

I could say how bad this film was, but it is clear that the movie speaks for itself. It is hard to muster forward in this agonizing bandage-ripping monologue of many renowned actors that have participated in better movies throughout the years. But I guess it is true what they say "with enough money you can lead anyone eager enough into the fire" Jon Keeyes is just an American Uwe Boll; that lets wealthy donors write-off income taxes in his long line of box-offices flops.

Terrible Terrible Terrible

[Lokii321 · 3/10 · 2 September 2022]

This is one of those movies that starts off with a decent idea. The idea won't stand to a 90 min movie but the writer won't admit to that and the director hasn't got a clue what they are doing. The result is this hideous dollop of waste that they dare call a movie.

The plot goes absolutely nowhere, the story has been done before, soo many times. It really doesn't explain why they are all after the girl in question! The set pieces barely leaves the farm. I find it hard to believe that someone so well trained as the FBI character doesn't have any better weapons or defences!

At one point the FBI character sends the truck away and walk back to the farm. Someone with his training wouldn't drop their guard that easily. This just does not make any sense what soever. Watch this steaming pile at your own risk......