Young Ones tells a chillingly realistic tale of a world in a drought. Set in the future, a family struggles to live in the rural area where almost no water is present and is distributed in a way that gas is now.
Jake Paltrow, the writer and director, brings this world to the screen in three separate parts: one for each of the main male characters.
Ernest Holm (Michael Shannon) and Katherine Holm (Aimee Mullins) have two children, Mary (Elle Fanning) and Jerome (Kodi Smit-McPhee). Katherine has bionic legs and is always hooked up to a mechanism that holds her up, so she does not live with her family. It is never explained what caused this, but Katherine alludes to it being Ernest’s fault due to intoxication.
Ernest devotes his life defending his barren farm in hopes that the soil will be rejuvenated and able to produce resources for his family. Mary’s boyfriend, Flem (Nicholas Hoult), secretly wants the land for himself and will do anything to obtain it. Mary is infatuated with Flem and doesn’t know anything about his secret desires.
The film is very eerie and almost bland, which makes it very realistic. The plot line is mostly stagnant, which accurately reflects real life. The colors are mostly browns and tans, and almost no green appears until toward the end of the movie. The color scheme truly gets the audience in the mindset of living in an environment where absolutely nothing thrives.
The cast’s costumes are also very realistic. They look dirty, and most of their faces looked sunburnt. The characters appear to have not showered in a very long time, given the lack of water. It looks as if the cast members had dirt thrown on them right before filming.
The details in the movie were thought provoking because in the distant future, this movie’s plot could become a reality. They were washing dishes with dirt, which was very interesting but made sense. There were no other resources available that could clear the plates. At one point, Jerome traveled to the city where people needed special passes to get in. It really emphasized the selfishness of the city-goers. Although they were aware that people living in rural areas were suffering, they ignored the problem because the city still had enough water.
The actors were very believable but in times some of the scenes seemed forced. It is understandable that tensions would be high if there was barely any water left in the world, but the actors were a bit too dramatic. If these people grew up in a world where extreme drought is the norm, they should be more accustomed to this lifestyle, but some characters acted as if it was the end of the world.
If you are looking for a movie to lift you spirits, don’t watch Young Ones. But, if you are looking for a truly thought-provoking film of a world that humanity could be facing in the near future, it’s worth the watch.