Writer/director Angelo Lopes strands us in a blasted apocalyptic hellscape in his dystopian feature Wastelander. It’s a place we’ve seen before in “a time of chaos, ruined dreams, this wasted land.” The titular character Rhyous (Brendan Guy Murphy) is an ex-soldier in search of his lost home and family. In his travels, Rhyous is recruited by cybernetic humans who convince him to lead them in their search for the legendary (and maybe apocryphal) safe haven, Eden. He meets an eclectic assortment of characters, not the least of which is a group of bandits known as The Scourge, who survive on the stolen plunder of their victims. Another wanderer named Solek (Jon Proudstar) tells him where the information he needs can be found. Rhyous wants to learn the secrets of the wasteland, and of his own history, in a fight to survive this hostile world.
So, let’s get this out of the way first: the production design, such as it is, is lifted wholesale from George Miller’s Mad Max franchise. The use of football shoulder pads as a future-apocalypse fashion statement, car chases in the desert, it’s all there, right down to a wasteland policeman in a vehicle that can only be described as a clone of Max Rockatansky’s V8 Interceptor. Miller’s films are also set in “the wasteland.”
Lopes doesn’t stop there, though. He borrows heavily from many popular films and genres. About half the characters are sporting head and face coverings that make them look like Star Wars Tusken Raiders, sometimes with air hoses attached to backpack tanks. It’s not clear what this gear does, as most people don’t have these masks, so it’s not a problem with the air. Characters take the headgear off with impunity and suffer no ill effects. That, like many other elements, occurs because it’s in the script and it looks cool. That’s fine. The overall style of Wastelander is strongly reminiscent of the Fallout game and TV series.
“…Rhyous is recruited by cybernetic humans who convince him to lead them in their search for the legendary (and maybe apocryphal) safe haven…”
There is a mix of weaponry. Rhyous carries something that looks like a Beretta semi-automatic pistol, but other guns fire blaster-like energy bolts. The finale includes a holodeck-like simulation that borrows from The Matrix, with a sentient AI called C.A.I.N (Timothy Starks). One cybernetically enhanced antagonist reveals that under his helmet, he looks an awful lot like the pale, sickly human core of Darth Vader when his damaged breath mask comes off.
Production-wise, the film is true to its low budget. The cinematography is adequate, but that’s all. The soundtrack is made up of barely-there synth chords that don’t change during action sequences. The fight scenes are ponderous and deliberate, not nearly as kinetic as viewers are accustomed to. Some of the dialogue is poorly captured and difficult to make out. The performances are flat and forced. What I’m getting at is that this is not high-art cinema.
Despite the cut-and-paste boilerplate nature of the genre tropes employed, I’m not knocking it; Wastelander is a fun romp. There’s nothing wrong with what amounts to fan fiction, just know what you’re getting into. This movie is low-effort brain candy for sci-fi fans. Indican Films, the distributor, specializes in low-budget indie, pulpy, inexpensive, thrilling stories. If this is your jam, check them out for more like it. Lopes is planning a sequel called Wasteland Cop, which promises to lean even harder into the Mad Max aesthetic.
Learn more at the official Wastelander site.
"…a fum romp."
