‘Homestead’: Survival in the Rockies After Nuclear Attack

Jeff Erikssons (Bailey Chase, L) is hired by Ian Ross (Neal McDonough) to provide security, in “Homestead.” Angel Studios

PG-13 | 1h 50m | Drama, Action, Mystery, Thriller | 2024

Based on one in a series of “Black Autumn” books by Jeff Kirkham and Jason Ross, “Homestead” is the final theatrical Angel Studios release of 2024. This finds the upstart distributor further expanding beyond its bread-and-butter, faith and family comfort zone.

Set in the unspecified near future, the movie opens with a nuclear attack in Los Angeles. It could have been via a missile, a planet bomb, or even a fishing boat off of the coast near Calabasas. It’s never made clear, but it really doesn’t matter in the great scheme of things. It happened, and that’s all that counts.

Ian Ross (Neal McDonough) and his wife Jenna (Dawn Olivieri), in “Homestead.” Angel Studios

Ex-Military Security

One of the first profiled families in the aftermath is the Erikssons: Jeff (Bailey Chase), his wife Tara (Kearran Giovanni), and their three children. An ex-military guy, Jeff has already been hired by Ian Ross (Neal McDonough) to provide security in the anticipation of a devastating event. Ian is what some might label (both pro and con) as a “prepper,” someone securing ample provisions and defense weaponry while preparing for a future apocalyptic catastrophe.

Ian lives on a sprawling gated estate near the fictional town of Oakwood in the Colorado Rockies with his wife, Jenna, (Dawn Olivieri) and their teen daughter, Claire (Olivia Sanabia), and he’s seen to every last detail. His mansion and surrounding grounds can house dozens, if not hundreds, of other families. There are acres of fruit and vegetable gardens, along with livestock, poultry, and wheat fields.

The only detail Ian hasn’t seen to in advance are his neighbors. After his first few conversations with Jeff (whom he had previously never met), it’s clear that Ian has the firepower to protect his property but nary a clue on how to properly train the personnel to carry out the task. Jeff recognizes this almost immediately. He tells Ian that he not only needs more ex-military professionals but also has to determine which members of the burgeoning populace of the compound have the ability (and will) to perform as protective soldiers.

Director Ben Smallbone and his three screenwriters are more than adept at setting up the premise of the story. They’re far less adept at fleshing out the Bigger Picture narrative, and they often focus the attention on flimsy, TV movie-of-the-week level subplots.

Puppy Love

For instance, far too much time is dedicated to a blossoming “puppy-love” romance developing between Jeff’s eldest son Abe (Tyler Lofton) and Claire. Given the close-quarters living situation, this choice makes some degree of sense, but to put so much emphasis on something so lightweight during an end-of-the-world disaster movie seems ill-advised.

Abe Ericksson (Tyler Lofton) and Claire Ross (Olivia Sanabia), in "Homestead." Angel Studios

Another subplot doesn’t quite work, although it makes complete sense in our current sociological climate. This is the inclusion of Oakwood civic leader Blake Masterson (Currie Graham). A male “Karen” by any definition of that term, Masterson has a face-off with Ian. He demands Ian provide a complete inventory of all of his food reserves, arms, and ammunition, supposedly to aid others in the area.

Regardless of one’s particular political leanings, insinuating that someone must share their provisions, possessions, and legal First Amendment firearms is (for now, at least) blatantly un-American and, if I’m not mistaken, illegal. This first meeting between Ian and Masterson is followed by another that goes terribly wrong on multiple levels.

Semi-Closure Ending

“Homestead” ends in a manner akin to that of an overlong pilot episode, which makes complete sense. There is semi-closure inasmuch as it has an ending, but doesn’t get close to tying up all of the loose plot threads. This is because “Homestead” is the first installment in an eight-part miniseries, based on the first of 10 books in the series.

Jeff (Bailey Chase) and his wife, Tara (Kearran Giovanni), in "Homestead." Angel Studios

At the start of the closing credits, the text on the screen reads: “The series continues at Angel.com.” Here’s what that means.

Starting on Dec. 20, the (second and third overall) episodes will be available on Angel.com. Proof of purchase of a theatrical ticket will allow you to watch the second episode at no charge. Beyond that, the remainder of the series will require an Angel “Guild” membership, with details at Angel.com

If you think about it, this is brilliant marketing, although it might initially appear to be bait-and-switch or a cash-grab. There are different levels of membership available and the most expensive is still less expensive than seven additional theatrical tickets and you don’t have to wait months or years in between installments.

While “Homestead” isn’t my favorite Angel movie (that would be “Cabrini”), it’s not my least favorite (“Sight”), either. Quality aside, I respect Angel for taking risks by expanding its artistic reach outside of the relatively safe faith and family genre.

The film opens on Dec. 20 in theaters.

‘Homestead’ Director: Ben Smallbone Stars: Neal McDonough, Dawn Olivieri, Bailey Chase, Kearran Giovanni Running Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes MPAA Rating: PG-13 Release Date: Dec. 20, 2024 Rating: 2 1/2 stars out of 5

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