The Bad Batch (2016)
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An exiled woman must navigate a lawless desert populated by cannibals and a cult-like settlement to rescue a kidnapped child.
The story
Arlen is exiled to a desert outside Texas where the government forces 'undesirable' people to fend for themselves in a lawless territory. After being kidnapped and mutilated by a group of cannibals, she manages to escape and is taken to a bizarre settlement called Comfort. This settlement is run by a charismatic leader and features all-night raves. While living there, Arlen encounters a man searching for his kidnapped daughter. She eventually joins him on a journey back into the desert to find the child, navigating a landscape of scavengers and cult-like dynamics.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Arlen is exiled to a desert outside Texas, a lawless zone where American laws do not apply. After being kidnapped by cannibals and losing her arm and leg, she escapes and finds refuge in 'Comfort,' a settlement run by a cult-like leader named The Dream. Five months later, Arlen discovers a woman and a little girl, Honey, scavenging in a dump. She kills the woman and takes Honey to Comfort, where the child is taken in by The Dream. Miami Man, a cannibal leader and Honey's father, finds Arlen and demands she find his daughter. During their journey, Arlen and Miami Man bond as he reveals he is an illegal immigrant from Cuba. They eventually reach Comfort, where Arlen discovers The Dream's harem of pregnant women. Arlen uses a hidden pistol to rescue Honey from the mansion. The child and Miami Man reunite, and Arlen chooses to remain in the desert with him rather than stay in Comfort.
- First release year
- 2016
- Runtime (minutes)
- 118
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Ana Lily Amirpour
- Writers
- Ana Lily Amirpour · writer
- Cast and characters
- Suki Waterhouse · Arlen; Jason Momoa · Miami Man; Keanu Reeves · The Dream; Giovanni Ribisi
- Genres
- dystopian thriller; romantic thriller; horror
- Themes
- cannibalism; survival; dystopia; illegal immigration
- Tone and mood
- lavishly distressed; desultory; draggy
- Setting
- A desert outside Texas in a dystopian future.
- Premise and plot tags
- dystopian; cannibalism; amputees; desert
- Content notes
- cannibalism
- Reception
- The film received generally favorable reviews, though some critics noted it felt overlong and desultory.
- Production trivia
- The film was produced on a $6 million budget.; Diego Luna had a limited uncredited cameo in the finished product.; The film was shot in Los Angeles, Niland, and Bombay Beach, California.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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