Goodbye World

Plot synopsis:
The film begins with James' recitation of a Henry David Thoreau quote, after which he states that he saw the oncoming societal collapse and moved his free-spirited wife Lily and young daughter Hannah off the grid. A montage shows his college friends just before the collapse: Benji, a radical activist, lectures at a college and has sex with Ariel, one of the students; Nick, James' former business partner, and his wife Becky are en route to James' house for a meeting; Laura, formerly a Senator's aide, is rejected from a job at a non-profit due to a past public scandal; and Lev, a computer hacker, prepares to commit suicide until he hears that a computer virus may be responsible for the collapse. All converge at James' remote Mendocino house, where Benji explains that violent riots have broken out across the nation.
When Laura and James ride into town, he asks if she was forewarned of the attacks. Although she initially denies it, she admits that Homeland Security contacted her about Lev, whom they suspected to be involved with the virus. In town, bikers have taken over the local store and gouge the locals. Laura flashes her breasts for supplies, and they quickly leave when they see a local man bullied mercilessly by thugs. At the house, Laura decodes a repeated message and explains that the United States is now under martial law. At the same time, old rivalries flare up, and the friends begin infighting over unresolved issues from the past. Becky, who never felt accepted by the others, argues with the others over her Libertarian political beliefs, and James and Nick argue over a business-related lawsuit.
National Guardsmen visit the house and request its use as a base of operations. Becky objects on Constitutional grounds, and James asks them to leave. The infighting intensifies, and, after Ariel and Benji break up, Lily kicks out Ariel, who has become disruptive. At the same time, Nick and Lily explore their feelings for each other, and Lily demands a divorce from James, who responds that he has more important things to worry about than his marriage. Ariel goes to live with James' neighbors, who have taken in the Guardsmen. Concerned that James is hoarding medicine, the Guardsmen return and demand James give them his supplies. When he resists, they violently grope Laura and threaten to kill Lev. James backs down, and they leave after he promises to deliver them tomorrow.
Lev reveals that he was partially responsible for the computer virus; in Libya, he constructed a cell phone virus that could overload an entire nation's grid. When he became suspicious of the motivations of his employers, he left before it was completed. As a part of his suicide attempt, he used his virus to say goodbye to the entire country; when Lily hacked into his computer, it released the virus' source code into the wild, and terrorists were able to mount an attack on the country's technological infrastructure. Later, Becky finds Benji in the woods, stuck in a bear trap. Becky, an animal lover, tells Benji how she was forced to hunt and brutally kill rabbits for food in her childhood, and he tells her about Nick and Lily. Lev and Laura talk about his involvement, and she shows indecision over whether to turn him in to the authorities.
Nick and Lily briefly leave together, but they return when Lily convinces Nick that they should be friends and not lovers. James visits his neighbors and refuses to hand over his supplies, though he offers to consider any requests. The Guardsmen cite James' failure to help the bullied local and his refusal to share his supplies as they prepare to execute him. Laura saves him by killing one of the Guardsmen, donates half of their supplies to the other camp, and promises that they will work together from now on. Nick rejoins the camp, James and Lily reconcile, Laura and Lev become a couple, and Becky leaves with Benji to help others in need.

Tags: suicidal

Review:
It's not really played out how the characters know each other, but they all end up at this one guys house to survive and out live the apocalypse.
It's as if the apocalypse isn't really happening in the movie, and these people are just having a get-together in this mans house.
It should not be expected that the rich characters would set aside relational conflicts as the world ends.
A text message, terrorism, the civilized world in the U.S.A crumbles as a group of college friends unite at the safe and secluded home of James (Adrian Grenier) and Lily (Kerry Bishé).This is a story about human nature; what types of people we decide to be.
Should we be activists, politicians...or maybe all it takes to make this world a better place is if we all try to be better people.When a strange text message sets off the collapse of the country, James and Lily are expecting Nick (Ben McKenzie) and his wife Becky (Caroline Dhavernas) to visit.
Soon enough, the house fills up with old friends.As the film plays out, the past and emotions of these characters, old friends spill out in the shadow of a broken world.The plot summary of this film on IMDb actually does it justice.
Written by Denis Hennelly (director) and Sarah Adina Smith, it comes off as a thoughtful movie; it is pleasant to watch something that actually has a point and message.This film made me think quite a bit, and that should be the point of art, to make a person question the world and perhaps even their stone beliefs.
Is a little disaster all it will take for people to turn into animals--are people worse than animals?Now, my instinct is to go into a long critical analysis of the characters representing idealistic stances: how each character echoes a way to live life; but this isn't the time for that junk.Adrian Grenier, I felt made this movie.
"This is not the apocalypse and even if it is didn't we all say this would be the perfect place to ride it out?" After a group of friends receive a text that just says goodbye world they are confused.
I heard a lot of complaints about this movie and I really think people just didn't get it.The movie start out in an apocalyptic scenario but it soon retreats in what is to be a clash of different personalities in a single house.The "reunion" is about long lost friends of the past who will be in the exact same place and time for the end of the world due to an unknown Cyb attack.The main focus on this movie is not about the end of the world or how it came to be, to be frank, the explanations are quite surreal and far-fetched, I'm a network administrator and I can corroborate that idea is just completely implausible, that this stop me from enjoying the movie?, not at all !
The acting and script is the main attraction into this movie, the relationships between friends, the slowly destruction of the moral values and how this people behave, take responsibility, choose their paths and go on with their lives.The movie is not boring, AT ALL, it moves in a right pace and works, most of all, as a drama.It has some dark moments but the ending is nearly perfect and fits with each personality at play, it doesn't feel forced at all.Excellent acting all the way, i must compliment all the actors for this wonderful job.I really don't understand the bad criticism, yes, i know that this movie is similar to It's a Disaster, what movie isn't similar to another movie these days?, even still, it isn't a fair argument to criticize it.I could sympathize with all the characters, each with their own weakness and strengths.
Even when there are dark moments in this story, the message is really positive all around.If you want to see a nice drama involving people I am sure you will like this but please, don't see this movie expecting an apocalyptic type scenario with people killing each other, madness and excessive CGI because you will be sorely disappointed.This is a solid 7 out of 10, i'm sure is not a 5, don't trust IMDb ratings as the sole truth, it isn't..
As anyone who enjoys Films / TV Shows / Books (maybe not so much books,) about the dismantling of society as we know it has surely noticed, mainstream media has taken a shift away from telling the story of every day survival, and has instead adopted a soap operaesque, cookie cutter, nitty-gritty narrative of dramatic, back stabbing, "real housewives," type story line for every production.This film is different.As this film progresses, the viewer is captivated by characters who go through profound self-realization, acceptance of how their world has and is changing, and (as many post-apocalyptic lack) a glimpse at the struggle to adjust, and thrive in their new world.No film is perfect, there are some dramatic things going on between the characters, but it doesn't stoop to the level of most, when the characters are upset at one another, it is for good reason.
The producers really kept a good balance of true content, character development, and riveting situations.I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a strong story, with actors who can back it up..
This under-rated little film is a slow build story of relationships in all their real-life complexity.The characters are (fairly) normal humans, geeky college friends who each went on their own path post-school, and are yanked back together when the world they grew into falls apart at the seams.The lack of explosive on-screen destruction and explosive emotional confrontations may dismay viewers looking for a stereotypical disaster movie with all its CG-heavy scenery and OTT reality-show emoting.But those deliberately understated elements are exactly how the tension builds and the human stories, with all their heartbreak and forced adaptation, are most strongly revealed.The disaster is only the catalyst for the confrontations: with the friends' own natures and past secrets, with their most significant others, and with the shocked and disintegrating world of modern America as seen in and from their isolated rural arena.If you're looking for a thinking person's examination of life after the internet goes down, check this one out..
I thought the story about a cyber-security apocalypse was intriguing and I liked the way it was suggested, but not detailed, as the focus was on that impact on the characters' lives.
So I consider this film a failure.Having said that, like many movies, it had redeeming qualities that kept me in the game 'til the end.
I wasn't enthusiastic at first - about a third of the way into it (I got hungry as soon as the issue of food shortages came up), we took a homemade salsa and chips intermission to discuss the characters (none of whom we could stand) and our expectations of where it was going - we were grimly prepared for the way these kinds of movies usually play out.
I think i even prefer to not know the answer :(i know why this movie is a comedy, it's for its writers and director laugh at people pay to watch this movie!this movie just teach me ONE thing: next time i notice a movie is so bad, i should never ever watch it till the end, it's a pure waste of time and money, and to watch that make you feel so stupid and in a bad moodworst movie ever, it's a shame this kind of movie exist.
I know there are some people who sit around and smoke weed all day and act like 16 year olds even though they are in there 20's early 30's but come on.
I mean the world is ending and these people are acting like its a high school reunion.
(The poster you see above is misleading.)Instead, the film scrutinizes the personal lives of a group of thirtyish college alumnae who have an informal reunion at a mountain cabin — one of their number is a plot-convenient intellectual- turned-survivalist.
But  we're then asked to view this in the context of a pretty frightening collapse of society, complete with plot elements that are interchangeable with those of AMC's "The Walking Dead." (One secondary character turns violent over the issue of resources, then charismatically justifies his violence to a crowd using a half-baked ideology that seems to channel "The Governor.")I felt like I was watching two movies at once, and not in a good way.
It looks like this movie is the final year assignment from "The Philosophers" , applied in practice."Goodbye World" is actually about a reunion of some 30'ers who grew up together but eventually went their own way over time.
They also welcome the following old friends : Benji, a radical who did some time in prison for arson and in the meantime gives spirited lectures, Ariel (a sort of groupie of Benji) accompanies him, Laura is an associate in politics and apparently had a sex scandal with some senator and Lev is an intellectual computer expert who could well be the cause of this global cyber attack.Everything starts in a relaxed and friendly way.
I could not get rid of the impression that a cyber attack will not be the cause of our world going down, but rather the terrible navel-gazing and the enlargement of personal issues of some narcissistic individuals will do it."Goodbye World" is roughly not more than a boring movie with lots of discussions and a conflict that is more situated in the restricted group than in society itself.
After everybody has arrived at the neo-hippie compound, these former acquaintances are immediately recognizable as reincarnations of the clique who gathered for 'The Big Chill' in 1983 - and the characters even include a doppelganger of Meg Tilly's college-age interloper, who once again critiques her yuppie elders for their self-obsession.Beginning with an aborted suicide in the opening sequence, 'Goodbye World' proceeds to plagiarize or rewrite many of the earlier film's scenes and plot points.
They try to weave a mystery about who caused the apocalypse but essentially they're trying to create this coming of age/reunion/Big Chill type vibe with a background set at the end of the world.
Kerry Bishe is probably the best of the girls but she spends so much time getting high and acting like a 14 year old girl that I begin to understand Grenier's constant anger at the world.
Suddenly we see what this movie should and could have been but instead we have to sit through an hour plus of this group of people sitting around wasting their lives.
Hoffman gets her best scene in the end and her character could have been actually a focus of the story.Essentially there is a good idea here buried under an extremely poor script, poor direction, poor editing and even worse character development.
I Enjoyed the premise, and I liked the reasoning behind the situation that these people were all now living in, however I only recommend this movie to people who forgive the little things, and just want a drama, that is set a bit differently, and has a nice cast with excellent production value overall, otherwise move along..
I did not care about them, and actually wanted to see harm come their way for being so cavalier about the damage they caused and their general disregard for the world outside - heck, even each other!Worse, there were too many characters, so the attention shifted from one set to another, and barely gave any screen time to the man responsible for destroying the world.
Don't text message the title of this movie or you might end the world!!.
"Goodbye World" is a movie that focuses on the personal relationships of a young group of friends and how they are tested when faced with the stresses that an Apocalypse might bring.
"Goodbye World" is not a movie for those looking for an end of the world, apocalyptic type action adventure.
As James lay helpless and pleading for his life, an unexpected savior rises from obscurity and makes a critical decision that sends shock waves through both groups and appears to put the rivalry behind them and ultimately will unite both groups.This movie comes to a sudden conclusion as everything is wrapped up nicely and given to the audience as a place to end the story.
Personally I was a little bit disappointed in the abrupt ending but with such a close focus put on so many of the characters and how they affect each other, where could this story really go?
I will state again how this movie is less about the action of the supposed apocalypse and more about how relationships are put to the test as the world ends.
I felt like the audience was forced a little too obviously to feel a certain way for some of the characters.
Interesting concept for an end of the world scenario although I'm not so sure the apocalypse could realistically be sparked by so small a thing as a mass text message.
When I first started watching the film, I was hooked by the concept of it all - the end of the world via mobile phones and people wiping out electronics and signals?
Great!But then as the film progressed, it seemed to have nothing at all to do with the end of the world really.
The storyline wasn't explained too great and for me it seems like the film ended at the halfway point.
Here you have a bunch of bright educated people trying to deal with the supposed end of the world.
Settlers in America learned this the hard way when they ventured West, especially if their crops failed to yield enough to go around.Hannah's scene with the tricycle only seemed like a nod to Stephen King's The Shining especially when she rolls up to the two soldiers.One of my favorite parts of the movie was when Laura is reciting people's rights and they all look at her like she's an idiot, one even asks, "I don't even understand what you're talking about" It's a nod to the fact that most Americans are stupid when it comes to their Bill of Rights and the Constitution where they easily give it away whenever asked or forced.
Perhaps if she had followed up with an laymen explanation...There were moments of acting that shined, but mostly was extremely frustrating to watch given the fact that you expect the group to come together, entrench, and defend but then their liberal attitude towards everything causes them to just give up because that is easiest and non-confrontational.Lev (Kid Cudi) is a shining star in this film but can't figure out how he'd end up sleeping face down on the roadway then woken up mysteriously to join the group?
I'm not sure who wrote that in the script but, bizarre.The group is clearly not prepared, not thinking things through, tied up in unnecessary drama, unwilling to defend their positions, rations, and energy efficient house, and eventually will find themselves in an extremely poor situation the moment they are attacked by outsiders, face any type of epidemic, or run out of food.
Perhaps the surviving soldier and the two machine guns will provide them some protection but bullets will become a hard commodity to find in a post-apocalyptic era.These are the people that will most likely die off first round when a bad situation like a shutdown happens.
A Post-Apocalyptic drama set in a rural part of California, and focused on a small group of close friends with troubled relationships..
It feels very rare to find a post-apocalyptic movie not set in the city, much less not focused on the years since the apocalypse started.
But perhaps that main draw, when I read about the synopsis on Wikipedia was the fact it wasn't focused on some hero trying to restart the world, or anything like that, but simply a family looking to survive the madness, while dealing with old friends, without the distraction of technology to really interrupt things.Characters & StoryOn the eve of an electronic blackout, James (Adrian Grenier) and wife Lily (Kerry Bishe) seemed to have planned for a reconciliation with old friend, and former business partner, Nick (Ben McKenzie).
Which, for me, was only a negative since I watch so many TV programs, and movies, dealing with relationship drama, that I felt their love triangle was just a tad shallow.Also, I felt the ending was sort of weak and way too optimistic.
There are tons of post-apocalyptic movies, but usually they are about people in dire straights, doing whatever it takes to survive in a world with dwindling resources.
The most unrealistic thing about this movie is its character's expectation of security/safety.
The movie centers on personality conflicts plus that end of the world thing.The drama conflict got boring.
This movie lacked these.First of all, if it was indeed the "apocalypse" (the term most in the group admitted to), then why on earth are they acting as if nothing is happening, but a college reunion?
All in all, it was a good movie and I don't regret my time watching it but I'm extremely disappointed to see something that could have been so much better was wrapped up in a rush.
I like apocalyptic movies - I like movies with human interaction/conflict - and I liked some of the things about this movie, but not much.This is the story of a pretty diverse mixture of past friends who happen to be getting together (after 8 years) in a remote cottage in Northern California - right when a nationwide attack which takes the power grid down - and civilization goes to crap.
I am a fan of post-apocalypse movies, and I thought that "Goodbye World" would be an entertaining example of the genre.