The end of the world has come to pass. Two brothers, played by Frazer Alexander & Alfie Stewart, abide by a strict set of rules put in place by their absent father as a means of survival. Unfortunately the younger of two has developed some unwelcome cannibalistic tendencies. Their restricted way of life is further complicated when Molly (Jennie Eggleton) stumbles into the picture.
Tear Me Apart was shot in and around the beautiful location of Trevone Bay, Cornwall. A sneakily perfect setting for the aftermath of an apocalypse. The coast is an ideal backdrop if you need a place devoid of any civilisation, or even a specific time period. Not to mention that the young characters wandering the beaches of a ruined Earth gives off a semi Lord of the Flies (1963) meets the final moments of Planet of the Apes (1968) vibe.
Frazer makes a strong, convincing leader. And it’s always nice to see Jon Campling from Melanie Light’s award-winning short The Herd (2014), featured here as The River Man. At times Alfie’s depiction of the young cannibal could have been more reserved. The way he scowls, skulks and stalks his way around the place you’d think he drew inspiration from Wes Craven’s The Hills Have Eyes (1977). Either that, or Gollum…
It’s enough to make me wonder what exactly draws gentle Molly to him. I hear tell girls like the bad boys, but I seriously doubt that a cannibal qualifies as a bona fide babe magnet. That said, I found their scenes together to be the most intriguing and a great relief from the film’s earlier scenes.
Their father’s rules have just as much of a chokehold on the story’s development as it does on the siblings. This coupled with the passage of so many days and nights made a measly five minutes of the film feel like an hour has gone by. Still, a purpose is served.
LAST WORDS:
My only real gripe is what the heck is going on with the old man in the cave? I did not get what it had to do with the rest of the movie, and to be honest I don’t want to because it does nothing for it. Tear Me Apart may start off slow, but I wouldn’t add anything to it