Hostile (2018)

After the Apocalypse (2018), a Belgian-French production with an R rating, is situated on the moral and philosophical plane, exploring human degradation after a cataclysm. The narrative follows survivors in a desolate world where order collapses, revealing conflicts between animal instinct and inherent dignity. Violence dominates as a central axis: scenes of explicit mutilations, suggested cannibalism, and brutal combats with realistic gore underscore the natural law perverted by chaos, without romanticism. It does not celebrate cruelty, but shows it as a consequence of the abandonment of filiation and legitimate authority, evoking a 'house taken' by Chestertonian barbarism. Sexuality is limited to insinuations and brief nudity in contexts of vulnerability, without gratuitous eroticism. Crude language reflects desperation, with frequent but not central insults. Anthropologically sound, it defends common sense by prioritizing responsibility and heroism over victimhood; absent ideological contraband, it opts for crude realism that invites astonishment at human resilience. The theological conflict beats surreptitiously: the yearning for redemption emerges in acts of sacrifice, recalling Grace as an antidote to nihilism. Suitable for mature adults, it creates tension but does not poison the soul, promoting flourishing through reflection on roots and transcendence. Parents discern: does it strengthen the cardinal virtue of fortitude or overwhelm youthful sensitivity?