Food has been scarce since the earth’s oil resources ran out, and everybody is left fighting for survival. A young man lives alone in a forest hut on a remote plot of land where with ever-present danger, he patrols his garden, gun in hand. His lonely existence is thrown off balance when two strangers, Kathryn and her teenage daughter Milja, arrive one day at his door. They beg for food and lodgings in exchange for sex. After reaching an understanding, the three dissimilar characters manage to live their lives together under one roof. However, in a world where even the slightest mistake may lead to death, distrust remains a constant and justifiable companion. Northern Irish filmmaker Stephen Fingleton’s debut film The Survivalist delivers a captivating end-of-the-world drama while simultaneously proving that skilful character depiction and existentialistic tension relies less on dialogue and more on an atmospheric setting and chemistry between performers.