A Feral World

The other significant issue is a glaring plot hole that is confusing and hard to ignore. A Feral World is told in chapters, and near the end of Chapter 3, Emma and Sonny get into a fight with a person wishing to harm them. While this bad person has their back turned, Sonny grabs a nearby axe and throws it. Sonny misses, but Emma intervenes, so this villain focuses on her and not the 13-year-old boy. Here’s the rub- Sonny does not make any attempts to go for that axe again, despite the adults being far enough across the room that he could reasonably get to it before anyone else notices. Or, if that particular axe was too embedded into the wall, he could have gone for one of two different axes hanging on a door a short ways away. He does not.

This lack of effort, even if it were to prove futile in the end, is hard to ignore for several reasons. Sonny’s character has been built up as an action-oriented person, who has no problem getting his hands dirty to save those he cares for. Remember that bandits at the campfire sequence? The other thing is that other person in the scene not directly involved in the fight is just standing around doing very little. This mutes the chaos of this fight, and the audience begins to wonder how certain people survived so long if this is how they react to conflict.

“…costumes are equally as fantastic, with all of them being grimy, dirty, and dusty…”

But A Feral World has a lot going for it as well. Jessica McGaugh’s cinematography vibrantly captures a beautiful but crumbling world. The movie is gorgeous from start to finish and exists in a believable post-apocalyptic world. The score by Leslie Gaston and Josh Kern is stellar and adds a sweeping scope to the movie. The costumes are equally as fantastic, with all of them being grimy, dirty, and dusty, which makes the world feel that much more lived in. David Liban also has a great sense of pacing, as no scene lasts too long or abruptly ends.

But what truly carries A Feral World above its flaws is the cast. Perhaps putting Caleb Liban into the lead role of Sonny was a case of nepotism. But, he is phenomenal in the part. He is equally funny, intense, and sassy and makes it all work. As the desperate but hopeful mother, Prall is terrific. Her calm and collected demeanor mixes well with the brash young boy. McCracken is a capable bad guy, oozing slime and creepiness, as well as charisma. The rest of the cast is also quite excellent, no matter how small the role.

A Feral World’s sports too-on-the-nose dialogue that does not sound natural; nor does it trust the audience to put two and two together. Plus, there is a plot hole that is impossible to look past, as it makes two of the main characters appear useless. But, an incredible cast, beautiful cinematography, and immersive visual design, as well as stunning costumes, help craft a fully realized world. This world is an exciting place to experience for two hours.