Director Ben Smallbone gets some compelling material to work with in “Homestead”, a post-apocalyptic drama that has all the makings of an immersive big screen experience. The film takes its inspiration from the popular 2018 novel Black Autumn by Jeff Kirkham and Jason Ross. The book was the first in a 10-volume series which is now being adapted into an eight-episode streaming series by Angel Studios.

That last bit speaks to a hurdle “Homestead” has a tough time clearing. The movie does some solid tablesetting from building up the story’s complex world to introducing the characters who inhabit it. But just as the story reaches its dramatic crescendo, the film comes to a sudden halt. That’s because it’s all working towards the streaming series. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that. But it shortchanges those hoping for a more complete big screen experience.

Written for the screen by Phillip Abraham, Leah Bateman and Jason Ross, the movie opens with a jolt as a nuclear bomb is detonated near Los Angeles. Soon after, the nation’s power grid is hacked and communications are cut off. These early signs of a crumbling society plunge the entire country into chaos. Fear leads to panic which leads to violence as desperate people scramble for supplies. Meanwhile information remains scarce, leaving the population spiraling into oblivion.

Amid the turmoil we’re introduced to Jeff Eriksson (Bailey Chase), a combat hardened former Special Forces operator whose had a tough time setting aside his military persona since retiring. Despite his best efforts and the encouragement of his wife Tara (Kearran Giovanni), Jeff has struggled to connect with his kids, especially with his oldest son, Abe (Tyler Lofton). After the bomb is detonated, Jeff’s soldier side kicks into full gear. He gathers his family and heads to a place called Homestead.

Nestled on a sprawling property in the Rocky Mountains, Homestead is a massive fortified estate owned by a wealthy landowner named Ian Ross (Neal McDonough). Ian and his God-fearing wife Jenna (Dawn Olivieri) have been preparing for this day by building his own solar power system, indoor gardens for growing food, a warehouse stocked with rations, and an arsenal full of weapons. He even took the precaution of hiring Jeff and former members from his unit to lead his security force if something were to ever go down.

Early on, “Homestead” leads you to believe it’s some doomsday survivalist tale heralding the virtue of those with the foresight to be ready for the inevitable apocalypse. But as it turns out, the movie is smarter than that. It fairly quickly introduces a number of legitimate moral quandaries that none of their military background or end-of-the-world readiness prepared them for.

Much of the film’s conflict is between Ian and Jeff – two men who see their situation through dramatically different lenses. Ian is determined to protect Jenna and their daughter Claire (Olivia Sanabia) at all costs. But he has genuine empathy for those unprepared and optimism that the government will eventually come to their aid. Jeff is a rock-hard realist who struggles to maintain a grasp on his humanity. His tactics are well-meaning but cold and forceful to the point that he’s unable to see beyond “the mission” at hand.

Things ratchet up more as refugees begin arriving at Homestead’s gates. The human dilemma becomes a significant plot point and adds an element to their situation that Ian never considered. His decisions get even tougher when more hostile threats arrive. The story takes a few unfortunate diversions including a schmaltzy teen romance that clashes with the rest of the movie. But overall Smallbone does a good job developing the drama and building tension.

Yet there’s still the nagging issue of the film playing like a big screen pilot episode with so much left unfinished. There are several story threads that are left dangling because they’re clearly intended for the series (take Jeff’s daughter and her prophetic visions). In fairness, the filmmakers never hide their intent and this isn’t the first film meant to frame what’s to follow. But “Homestead” needs a more solidifying third act and a payoff that does more than direct us to a streaming platform. Still, the movie succeeds in several ways, and it’s hard not to be absorbed in the dramatically rich setup we’re given.

VERDICT – 3 STARS