HELL. Surprisingly solid sci-fi post-apocalyptic horror

Films fitting into this sci-fi subgenre typically follow a certain scenario and in the German-Swiss co-production Hell, we find a precise depiction of the long-established plotline for this kind of science fiction.

The audience learns what kind of disaster has befallen Earth and its scale. Then, the audience gets to know the hero or heroes, struggling to survive in a devastated world, their actions usually aimed at finding a place that is the last bastion of life, a sort of Arcadia, a land filled with hope for rebuilding civilization or at least ensuring survival. However, the main characters are often confronted by others who hold vastly different values from the protagonist filled with humanism, often seeking to kill, rob, rape, or simply eat encountered wanderers. The heroes must find within themselves reserves of humanity to not let these values fade in a corrupt world. To a greater or lesser extent, these elements appear in most post-apocalyptic works, and those that deviate from this pattern (e.g., Soylent Green, Planet of the Apes) owe their uniqueness to the fusion with other forms of speculative fiction.

In 2016, the Sun turned Earth into a lifeless desert where water became a scarce commodity. Thus, one could say that Helll utilizes one of the “hotter” contemporary ecological themes, namely, global climate change. The main characters head towards the mountains in hopes of finding better living conditions. However, they encounter those who, to put it mildly, try to survive in this scorched world in a slightly different way; they kidnap the younger sister of the main character, and she won’t rest until she gets her back.

The events unfold in a predictable manner – the plot of Hell doesn’t offer anything beyond what we already know well. However, some may pick up on another detail that casts an unfavorable light on the initial idea. It’s easy to notice a certain discordance with scientific accuracy. When solar rays dry out the Earth’s surface, raising the temperature, it’s natural that sooner or later the heated earth must begin to evaporate, which should eventually result in numerous precipitations. So here we have a slight advantage of fiction over science in the representative of the genre, which, however, long ceased to be concerned with the laws of physics, creating a space for their observance only in hard sci-fi.

One could consider it a flaw that Hell remains unoriginal compared to other films in this sci-fi subgenre, as it exhibits obvious creative imitation. However, if we overlook this and acknowledge that the deja vu experienced during the screening is just a culturally safe cliché anchoring our experiences, the film’s present merits will be easier to appreciate.

Hell indeed has a very interesting technical side, which cannot be ignored. Unique shots with a characteristic backlighting effect (importantly and interestingly, the film’s title is derived from the German “brightness” rather than the English “hell”), as well as solidly executed set design, which plays a significant role in such productions, effectively build the atmosphere of a world after the catastrophe, a world perpetually scorched by the sun. Felhbaum‘s film remains a very decent, though artistically unrefined, piece.

However, what’s more important to me is that, while not groundbreaking compared to its predecessors, it never falls below a certain level of execution from the first to the last minute. Sometimes it’s better to approach post-apocalyptic themes in such a clear and distinctly uncompromising way than to strive for depth, which may be misinterpreted and accused of pretentiousness (see The Road from 2009). Thus, Hell serves as an almost textbook example of building a film on skillful replication of genre patterns, ensuring that every SF enthusiast finds themselves in it. It may not offer anything more, but it certainly doesn’t offer anything less.