PopHorror Let's Get Scared
There is no shortage of films depicting a post-apocalyptic wasteland following the collapse of society. With classics such as Mad Max, Mad Max: Fury Road and The Road, stories of survival in a world of chaos have become a subgenre all on their own. However, in Blue World Order, debut directors Che Baker and Dallas Bland tell the story of a governing order working to restore civilization through questionable methods.
After nuclear war has ravaged the world, unleashing a deadly bacterium, a self-appointed government called The Order provides hope in the form of a cure that’s administered through a massive Electro-Magnetic Pulse. However, this immunization comes with the devastating cost of leaving all children dead in its wake while also giving The Order unprecedented control. While managing to avoid contracting the bacterium, Jake Slater (Jake Ryan: The Great Gatsby) soon learns that he is an anomaly that appears to be unaffected by The Order’s cure.
While fighting and foraging to keep his daughter alive, Jake is unaware that Molly (Billie Rutherford) may very well be the last surviving child of the post-apocalypse. Stumbling onto The Order’s camp, the scavenger hopes to find answers to his daughter’s illness that has kept her in a coma since the EMP. Hope quickly turns to fear upon awakening to find Molly missing. Recovering his comatose little girl from The Order, Jake flees the camp and crosses paths with a quirky freedom fighter named MadCap (Stephen Hunter: The Hobbit). Together, the duo works together to uncover The Order’s true intentions.
Although Blue World Order seems to struggle to maintain flow and consistency while conveying a broad range of focus, it preserves a unique story featuring visual appeal, fun action and comedic moments. Grabbing your attention right from the start with a clever introduction, this post-apocalypse feature offers a captivating backstory explaining the nuclear fallout. However, it could have been beneficial to include The Order’s rise to power in the introductory backstory. Parts of Jake’s backstory and how it fit in the film’s timeline were also unclear at times. This could have been explained through additional flashbacks as well as notations marking how long each flashback occurs before the EMP blast.
Despite minor complaints, Blue World Order applies a freshly unique angle to an old concept. Packed full of martial arts action, several shootouts, this indie has enough nods to the genre without sacrificing originality, delivering a Mad Max style car chase and a story that unravels similar to Children of Men (2006). Helping drive the film are exceptional performances from Ryan and Rutherford as well as Hunter, who serves as the perfect comedy relief. Another familiar face is Billy Zane (Titanic, The Phantom), who plays a great antagonist role as Master Crane.
Regardless of its flaws, Blue World Order is an enjoyable feature that ends on a high note while setting itself up for a potential sequel. Introducing an intriguing shift in storyline just before end credits begin to roll, the film implies a sequel, which would be welcomed with excitement of seeing humanity’s final fight for survival. While nothing has been mentioned about a follow-up feature, fans of post-apocalyptic films will appreciate this indie installment to the genre.
