# The Domestics

The Domestics is a 2018 American post-apocalyptic action horror film directed and written by Mike P. Nelson. The film stars Kate Bosworth and Tyler Hoechlin. It was released on June 28, 2018, by Orion Classics.

## Plot

The US Government conducts a catastrophic chemical weapons attack on the American populace to "reset" society. The surviving population of America divides into two groups. The Gangs control territory and are named the Gamblers, the Sheets, the Plowboys, the Nailers, and the Cherries. The Domestics are those unaffiliated with the Gangs and wish to live in peace rather than give in to violence. The earlier parts of the story include interspersed narrations from a DJ radio host, Crazy Al, who provides updates and laments the state of society in America, and plays various tunes.
Couple Mark and Nina West are traveling to Nina's parents in Milwaukee while discussing their decision to divorce before the attack. At a home they stay in along the way, Mark kills 2 intruding members of the Nailers after the gang had been alerted about them. Later, while scavenging for supplies at a store, they are met by Nathan Wood and his son Steven, who together save them from an additional group of pursuing Nailers. Mark and Nina are invited to Nathan's home to meet his wife and daughter and join them for a meal. They accept, and encounter members of the Plowboys along the way. During the meal, Nathan tells Mark about a rumored gang of children, after another gang member was found to have stab wounds lower along their body.
The visit ends in tragedy. Just as tensions rise dramatically when Nathan tells Mark that they had eaten human flesh as their meal, a Nailer from the prior home invasion is revealed to have survived and followed them. Holding Nathan's daughter hostage, the Nailer negotiates a trade for Mark and Nina. Steven ambushes the Nailer and chaos ensues, causing Nina and Mark to flee, leaving the Woods in the house, where the Nailer kills Nathan's wife and daughter. Nathan kills the Nailer but swears revenge and calls some of his Plowboy contacts on his CB Radio. During their getaway in a car, Mark and Nina get into a heated argument, during which Nina is shot in the shoulder by a Gambler from a distance and passes out, causing Mark to turn back and retreat.
The Wests reach an abandoned house, unaware they've been followed by a deserter Cherry named Betsy, who and has developed a fascination with Nina. Cherry had earlier escaped from the captivity of Plowboys by killing them, as well as freeing several imprisoned women. Mark treats her wound and lets her rest. He then looks for supplies in another house but is held at gunpoint by William Cunningham, a flamboyant madman, after he discovers William has beaten and captured Nathan and Steven, who had caught up with the Wests. William forces Mark to fight against Cunningham's large slave. Nina wakes, removes her wedding ring and places it on a stand, and contemplates leaving before finding notes left by Mark in the house pleading her to give their relationship another chance. She then finds a box of records and a bottle of alcohol, puts on her favorite Heavy Metal record and begins dancing; the scene is interspersed with Mark fighting the slave. Mark is thrown by the slave into William during the fight, at which point he manages to overpower and kill William. The slave is freed by Mark. Nathan and Steven depart, forgive Mark and, ending his quest for vengeance, wishes Mark and Nina good luck.
Mark reunites with Nina at the house. Nina has found an old car similar to one that Mark owned when they first began dating. The two rekindle their passion but are unaware the car belongs to Gamblers who arrive and capture them and bring them to their clubhouse. They are forced into a game of Russian Roulette, with Mark being shot in the shoulder. Nina breaks free, grabs a gun and shoots the host of their torturous game. She makes her and Mark's escape, steals a car and they finally make it to her parents' house where she treats Mark's wounds. Nina learns from neighbors that her parents had died. Mark wakes to discover Nina's father's prized Wildey Hunter pistol has been stolen.
Nina grows suspicious of Phil, a family friend neighbor, after overhearing him communicate over radio. It is revealed that Phil sold out the couple to the Gamblers, as the gang have caught up with them to the neighborhood (as has Betsy). A violent and bloody gun battle occurs, with Mark and Nina being supported by another neighbor as well as Betsy. The remaining 2 Plowmen join the fight, killing Gamblers in their path of revenge on Betsy. In the end, the Plowmen and most of the Gamblers are killed. Betsy returns Nina's wedding ring to Mark that had been left at the abandoned house, remarking "for her", before being fatally shot by the remaining Gambler. Nina, in turn, shoots the Gambler dead. Entering Phil's house intending to kill him, Nina discovers bloody child-sized footprints headed in the direction of the front door. The footprints are shown to originate from Phil, who is revealed to be dead, having suffered several stab wounds to the abdomen. She finds a Gambler tattoo under his arm sleeve, confirming his secret allegiance to the gang. Nina also finds her father's stolen Wildey at the house. It is revealed that the neighbor had been killed by another neighbor's child, confirming the existence of the rumored gang of young killers that Nathan had mentioned earlier.
Mark and Nina take a moment to catch their breath at Nina's parents' house, then pack up and leave. A final radio broadcast with Crazy Al plays, who updates his listeners about a couple (referring to Mark and Nina) rumored to have eliminated Gamblers in Milwaukee. He conveys them as both a warning issued to other gangs and a sign of hope for change to the domestics.

## Cast

* Tyler Hoechlin as Mark West
* Kate Bosworth as Nina Monroe West
* Lance Reddick as Nathan Wood
* Sonoya Mizuno as Betsy
* Dana Gourrier as Wanda
* Jacinte Blankenship as Theresa Wood
* Thomas Francis Murphy as Plowboy Jim
* David Dastmalchian as Willy Cunningham
* Lee Perkins as Dean the Nailer
* Kaden Washington Lewis as Steven Wood
* Mikaela Kimani Armstrong as Bella Wood

## Production

On March 24, 2016, it was announced that Mike P. Nelson would direct The Domestics from his own script for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Hollywood Gang Productions. Gianni Nunnari and Shannon Gaulding would produce it. On September 8, 2016, Kate Bosworth and Tyler Hoechlin were cast to star in it. The movie was filmed in Louisiana.
Stunt performer Deven MacNair filed an EEOC anti-discrimination lawsuit against producers of the film over an incident of "wigging", the practice of using a stunt performer who matched neither the sex nor race of the actor, which is against SAG-AFTRA rules.

## Release

In May 2018, Orion Classics acquired distribution rights to the film and set a release date of June 28, 2018.

## Reception

The film received favorable reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 100% approval rating based on six reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10. Robbie Collin of The Telegraph gave it a positive review and wrote: "It's all good grim fun, with a visceral kick."