Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

I've never seen Saoirse Ronan before but I was impressed by her performance in this film. I'd even rank her as one of the top three actresses aged 30 or younger, the other two being Jenna Coleman and Jennifer Lawrence. Actually, Saoirse reminded me of Jennifer because they look fairly similar (Jennifer's hotter though) and have similar acting styles. I've never read the novel so I can't compare it to this film, but it seemed to me that Saoirse was perfect for the role of Daisy. Daisy started off as being antisocial and a bit bitchy but despite her rudeness, I didn't dislike her and she developed into a much nicer person throughout the film. I thought her romance with Eddie was a bit rushed and nobody in the film even mentioned the incest going on between them, but overall Saoirse did an excellent job.I also liked Piper, played by Harley Bird, although at times, I thought she put a bit too much emphasis on some of her lines. However, she has a considerable amount of talent which makes up for her inexperience. She did a great job of showing how a child would react in those circumstances and even though she was a bit whiny at times, I wasn't bothered because it was stated in the movie that it was part of her character's personality.George MacKay and Tom Holland did good jobs as Piper's big brothers but didn't impress me as much as the girls. I also thought they didn't get enough focus. Although Daisy and Eddie were in love and Daisy warmed up to Isaac, I felt that her relationship with Piper is what carried the film. If not for the sisterly love between them, this movie would have been pretty weak. Daisy and Piper seemed more like sisters than cousins and I think their relationship was portrayed very well and became the heart and soul of the film. I thought that the terrorist attacks and Daisy's romance with Eddie didn't get enough focus, even though I think they were supposed to be a central part of the story. However, it did show how far one can be willing to go to protect a loved one as Daisy committed murder and serious injury in order to protect Piper. Despite not seeing any battles or explosions, the film did show us the aftermath of these events by showing a pile of corpses and giving Eddie post traumatic stress disorder. I think it may have been going with the idea that some things are better left to the imagination, so I'll give the movie credit for that, but I think a bit more attention should have been given to why Daisy and Piper were taken away. When the soldiers arrived, I wasn't sure if they were taking the girls to safety or simply kidnapping them. Because of the lack of focus on the terrorism and romance, I think the script was a little weak and slightly unfocused but Saoirse and Harley's acting made up for the flaws in the storyline.

To start with, I just want to let you know that this is my first review on IMDb. This movie made me feel and do something I hate doing, I just had to write a review for it. At first I was all about watching this movie. NEVER in my life have I stopped watching a movie, but when watching this movie, this I could just not do. I'm Serious when I say never. I've watched some really terrible movies, but I have always seen them through. I felt so uncomfortable on this one. I tried giving the movie a chance after a few minor touches and flirtatious acts. Then halfway through the movie I witnessed two cousins have sex with each other. Like I said, at first I was giving it a chance because nothing serious had happened between the two, but that changed.Bottom line... If you don't think incest is romantic, don't watch this one!Update: I didn't stop watching this movie because of the incest, it was the fact that they tried making it romantic! I've watched television with incest before and let me tell you that my favorite show ever even contains some incest. Think GoT (g. of thrones). GoT has incest and the whole thing is even worse there because it is brother on sister. Just thought I would clarify.

I watched "How I Live Now" on Netflix.The summary was a bit deceiving, as I wasn't really expecting a YA (Young Adult) type of flick, but none the less the meta-narrative was a bit more interesting than the direct narrative.Everything is hinted at if you pay attention. However there's two narratives, and the overreaching "war? terrorists?" meta-narrative is never clarified and a bit distracting. While the main character's narrative clearly makes it out that she doesn't want to be there until she notices something about one of her cousins. So her attitude starts to change.So if you interested in the meta-narrative, you might be disappointed. If you're not keen on YA types of stories, you might also feel a bit disappointed. Overall it's a decent film that doesn't focus too much on a violent narrative and mostly about survival after the first act.

Once again, I'm blown away by the comments and reviews, not to mention the criminally low rating of this movie. I appreciate that not everyone has the ability to understand the subtleties of a movie with minimal dialogue, little exposition, or anything where every detail isn't explained. I realize that this movie had way too little gun-play, no car chases, and even the nuclear event was way too artful and didn't rely on enough CGI for many movie-goer's tastes. But that's okay, because not every movie is intended to appeal to that 8-year old in some of us.I'm also perturbed that anyone can take events in a movie in isolation, such as the way that the lead falls head-over-heels, apparently, after "one roll in the hay." Or maybe I'm mildly disturbed that the take-away from a movie about nuclear destruction and war and the aftermath of such is... "Ewww, she had sex with her cousin."I watched the events of the Bosnian Conflict on television back in the early 90s. What struck me, and disturbed me greatly, were the images of refugees who had been displaced by the war. They looked to me just like any typical citizen of a western country. They looked just like people I know.And that's what I took away from this movie. It was the story of how everything goes to sh*t when bad things happen. It's an exposition of how a teenager with certain issues in her life can be transformed very quickly, and cling to the people she barely knows, simply because they represent "normal" to her. That various reviewers don't get this completely baffles me.But no, carry on debating the perceived plot holes, even if they do come about through your lack of knowledge or understanding. That's okay. I know that not everyone has that kind of mental capacity. I understand that some people would react similarly to Citizen Kane, or other classic movies, if only because they weren't filmed in color, or because "they look old and boring" or there isn't any CGI or "the effects are rubbish".I'll take away a beautiful and disturbing tale of young people having their lives utterly torn apart by meaningless conflict. And that's what the point of this movie was to me.