Holy cow this is a dark film. Another one I had on my “post-apocalyptic” watch list for a long time. I’m shocked that this was directed by the same guy (Stanley Kramer) that made my all-time favorite comedy “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World”. The plot begins with nuclear war having engulfed most of the world. Only a small group of people in Australia are left alive. The rest of the world has all died of radiation fallout. The people in Australia know they only have about a month to live before the radiation reaches them and they too will all die. And that’s where the movie begins.
What you get then is some tremendous acting from the likes of Gregory Peck, Anthony Perkins, and Ava Gardner as we watch these characters deal with their incredibly bleak situation, discuss suicide, the meaning of life, lose love and find love, and come to terms with their inevitable demise. Recommended to anyone who wants to see a depressing and thought-provoking drama.