Film Review – Aftermath

Returning to acting after his stint as the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger has endured some difficulty getting his big screen mojo back. His post-political career has fired a few blanks (including “Terminator: Genisys” and “The Last Stand”), but his acting has improved, and Schwarzenegger is finally at a place where he’s willing to take some creative chances with difficult material. In 2015, there was “Maggie,” a grim zombie saga that was more about the pains of parenthood than brain consumption. Now there’s “Aftermath,” a stark drama that examines the tunnel vision of grief and initial instincts for revenge. However, it’s not an action picture pitting Schwarzenegger against a formidable foe. Instead, director Elliot Lester (“Blitz”) and screenwriter Javier Gullon deliver a waking nightmare of guilt and confusion, cutting deep into complex emotions without the safety net of ultraviolence. It’s an engrossing study of despair. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com