An American girl on holiday in the English countryside with her family finds herself in hiding and fighting for her survival as the third world war breaks out.
It’s all a bit nebulous, except for its dubious notion that anxiety disorders can be cured by exposure to a good, hard, death-stuffed war.
Macdonald’s film may operate within the same genre as past releases like Tomorrow, When The War Began and Red Dawn but it’s more intelligent and a lot darker than those films.
An Arab Spring-y allegory with kissing cousins and a divine countryside setting, Kevin Macdonald’s fourth narrative film is an awkward oddity, as uncomfortable in its own skin as its protagonist.
It's not a blast.
Macdonald's film is a noble stab at bringing Meg Rosoff's YA novel to the screen, which sees Ronan in typically watchable form.
How I Live Now is impeccably crafted with some beautiful cinematography from Franz Lustig and tender direction from Kevin Macdonald.
Textured; tone-perfect; near-totally captivating.
It is beautifully directed by Macdonald, who combines flights of lyricism with scenes of utter brutality. There is also a very steely performance from Ronan as the young heroine fighting for survival.
Haunting. Like a Hunger Games with genuine back-bone.
Kevin Macdonald directs with a sure hand, and Saoirse Ronan is strong and confident in the lead.
The result is an uncertain affair, powerfully played and sporadically affecting, but lacking the singular clarity of vision that becomes Daisy's survivalist mantra.
How I Live Now: 'It's too dark for America'
Kevin MacDonald: 'We're showing the end of the world in a different way'
General release. Check local listings for show times.