Written and directed by Stephen Fingleton, the 2015 thriller The Survivalist is a compelling story that flew under the radar. The movie stars Mia Goth in one of her first major film roles. In 2013, the talented actor played Meg Weathers in Everest before signing onto The Survivalist. After that, her career really took off. Goth played the innocent and vulnerable Hannah Von Reichmerl in 2017's A Cure For Wellness, a sibling dealing with family trauma in 2017's Marrowbone, and Sara Simms in the 2018 remake of the trippy Suspiria. Of course, Mia Goth is best known for the dual role of Maxine Minx and Pearl in Ti West's 2022 horror movie X, the prequel Pearl, and the upcoming MaXXXine.
Since The Survivalist was released before Mia Goth broke out in X, it didn't get as much attention as it should have. The thriller should definitely be revisited as it tells a bleak yet gripping tale of what happens when characters find themselves in a changed world and only have themselves to rely on.
What Is The Survivalist About?
The Survivalist tells a post-apocalyptic story about a mother and daughter trying to find a place where they can live while they figure out how to survive. They meet The Survivalist (Martin McCann), who seems to be the only other person who they have come across. This presents a moral dilemma typical of the best post-apocalyptic movies. The main characters have to decide if they can trust each other and how far they are willing to go in order to protect themselves.
The Survivalist is an underrated thriller like Goth and Anya Taylor-Joy's Marrowbone. Both movies deserve more attention and they offer a perfect vehicle for Mia Goth to play a character who surprises at every turn. While she seems to be sweet and quiet at first, she reveals her true self as the movie continues, which is fascinating to see.
Who Does Mia Goth Play In The Survivalist?
Mia Goth plays Milja in The Survivalist, a character who meets The Survivalist with her mother Kathryn (Olwen Fouéré). Milja is one of Goth's most surprising characters because she changes her tune completely. At the beginning of the movie, she is someone who is just going along for the ride since she trusts her parent and hopes that they will be okay. Similar to the Cormac McCarthy movie The Road, The Survivalist shows a parent and child in a horrible situation. But as the movie continues, Milja becomes a key player in trying to beat The Survialist's villains who are called "the raiders." She finds some seeds in one of the most important and tense moments in the film.
Milja also proves that she is looking out for herself when she poisons and kills Kathryn with mushrooms. While she is supposed to kill The Survivalist, she decides to kill her own mother instead. This is one of the most shocking and visually arresting scenes in the entire movie and proves the theme of making it through no matter what. The world depicted in The Survivalist is a brutal one, which makes it one of the most interesting Mia Goth movies.
Mia Goth's characters range from the vulnerable to the manipulative. And sometimes, her characters show all of these layers all at once, which proves her unique talent. Whether playing the evil Gabi Bauer in Infinity Pool, which has a shocking ending, or the sneaky Pearl in X and Pearl, Mia Goth's characters can never be trusted. And that's definitely why they are so fun and gripping to watch.
How Does The Survivalist End?
The Survivalist ending sees the raiders killing The Survivalist. Audiences find out that the raiders are actually cannibals. While there are many terrifying horror movie cannibals, the raiders might be even worse since they hide their base instincts.
Like The Last Of Us and other post-apocalyptic TV shows, the ending of The Survivalist is sad, bleak, and yet a little bit hopeful. It seems that Milja, after losing both Kathryn and The Survivalist, might be okay. But the fact that she is about to bring a baby into a world that has been forever changed is a powerful thought. This aspect of her character makes it one of the most heartbreaking Mia Goth movies and helps it stand out from others in the genre.
After Milja finds a compound, she wonders if she has finally found a safe place that she can call home. As she waits to find out about whether she can live there, as the members have to vote on it, a guard asks what baby name Milja has in mind. She says "If it's a boy..." and the movie ends. Fans of underrated thriller movies need to check out The Survivalist and see Mia Goth in yet another memorable performance.