If Wes Anderson made a movie with 1/50th of his usual budget and a cast of indie gems, you’d have the new pre-apocalyptic comedy DOOMSDAYS. Since post-apocalyptic films are all the rage these days, the concept of a precursor is already funny in it’s own right. The story revolves around two eccentric slackers extraordinaire who have a penchant for breaking into vacation homes in the Catskills. Why, you might ask? Well, the world’s need for oil as a natural resource is rapidly running into a bit of a snafu since mother nature is none too pleased with the choice, besides the fact that when it does eventually and inevitably run out, life as we know it essentially fucked. So, before this becomes a major reality, Dirty Fred and Bruho have decided that the vagabond lifestyle is the bees knees. Using existing resources left behind by these dwellings owners, these two gentleman roam the countryside of upstate New York living a life relatively free of consequences from ‘the man’. Once they run into a teen runaway and wanderlust filled young woman, the small group dynamic shifts dramatically. 
Filled with sharp and witty dialogue that’s just weird enough to be both funny and face-palmy (new word), Doomsdays is like nothing you expect it to be. Scenes filled with nothing become everything. There is no technology in this film. No cell phones, no television, and no working laptops, allow conversation and contemplation to become the main focus of this unusual film. With a strangely adorable slice of buddy comedy mixed in, it’s a film any indie buff would be proud to have in his/her back pocket of greatness. 
Writer/Director Eddie Mullins clearly knows his shit. Besides the obvious writing talent, his use of a singular stationary camera is a perfect fit for this piece. The structure is laid out in a month long calendar style, which only adds to the great pacing. The original score by Bang And Yell is catchy and really well placed. Justin Rice as Dirty Fred is a pretentious nutter but completely lovable. Leo Fitzpatrick plays Bruho with a genuine curmudgeonly edge. Brian Charles Johnson, who this theater nerd recognized from Broadway’s Spring Awakening, is young Jaidon. Comic timing of a master and excitable enthusiasm of a star, I loved him. Laura Campbell is Reyna. Not so different from the rest of the crew, this seemingly normal woman is just as damaged and adventurous as the boys. These four have an incredible chemistry which makes me ponder the amount of rehearsal time everyone had together, which is clearly a total compliment.
Doomsdays is ultimately a story about adjusting to other people’s odd idiosyncrasies. This film nails all the things we wish we could get away with doing and saying. I highly recommend catching this unique indie this weekend. DOOMSDAYS comes to theaters and VOD Fridsay, June 5th.
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