graypeape's review
5.0
In a post-apocalyptic world, the mall is all that's left of civilization - at least, as far as its inhabitants know. Brand-name gangs and department store hierarchies rule this world, and survival can be tentative at best. When Andre Reed is framed for the murder of a rival family's patriarch, he must face the depths of the mall to prove his innocence. What he uncovers along the way will change everything...
The story here is twisty and turny, with lots of tongue-in-cheek moments - seriously, this would make a great B-movie. The mythologies that arise in the years since the apocalyptic event are quite interesting, and the commentary about consumerism is spot-on. Kudos to Gary Dauberman for having a male/female protagonist partnership that doesn't end with a gratuitous romance! I really appreciated that! The soap opera layers of who's back-stabbing who and who's allied with who were a lot of fun, and the ending was pretty satisfying, though I could've used more explanation about the lowest level of the mall. If you go into this knowing it doesn't take itself to seriously, I'll think you'll enjoy it as much as I did.
The story here is twisty and turny, with lots of tongue-in-cheek moments - seriously, this would make a great B-movie. The mythologies that arise in the years since the apocalyptic event are quite interesting, and the commentary about consumerism is spot-on. Kudos to Gary Dauberman for having a male/female protagonist partnership that doesn't end with a gratuitous romance! I really appreciated that! The soap opera layers of who's back-stabbing who and who's allied with who were a lot of fun, and the ending was pretty satisfying, though I could've used more explanation about the lowest level of the mall. If you go into this knowing it doesn't take itself to seriously, I'll think you'll enjoy it as much as I did.
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