[Nightmares Film Festival] ‘I’m Dreaming of a White Doomsday’

I have always been a sucker for post-apocalyptic scenarios in storytelling. Despite being someone constantly accused of being overly optimistic, I love pessimistic and nihilistic tales. There’s just something about them that deeply speaks to the cynicism and black humor that lies within me. I’m Dreaming of a White Doomsday is not one of the better films I have seen in this dark subgenre, but it is an interesting one.

The film posits a world where society as we know it ended in the early ’90s. The focus is placed on a family of three who have survived some unknowable nuclear nightmare. The world outside is safe enough to venture out into, but only with a gas mask in tow. They are hiding out in a bunker and, as expected, they are running low on supplies. The father must venture out to find more, despite whatever dangers may lie outside, leaving the mother and son to continue their existence in a dark, confined space.

This scenario plays out in a lead up to a post-apocalyptic Christmas, with Mom marking the days on a makeshift calendar and often dreaming of holidays past. She views her memories of happier times with rose-colored eyes, even though the actual scenarios we see aren’t entirely wholesome. They may offer respite from her current situation, but there’s still a tone of cynicism to them all. Part of that comes from the father’s attitude, but it’s also inherent within the way the scenes themselves are staged.

These are juxtaposed against their depressing, basement-bound existence in the present. The son spends his days and nights coloring or playing with Toxic Crusaders toys. He is occasionally sad about the fact that he can no longer go outside and play, but overall seems mostly content with his situation. Simply put, he’s still a happy child.

Mom, like most parents, is able to shield him from the majority of their world’s horrors. She herself is drowning in them, however. Their situation continues to worsen by the day and thoughts of suicide begin to creep into her fractured mind. I’m not going to go into the details of the plot beyond that, as I don’t want to spoil anything crucial about the film’s story or themes. Just know that this is a very dark work and one with a few surprises contained within.

I didn’t love I’m Dreaming of a White Doomsday, but I’m glad that I had the experience of it. The film constantly had me reflecting on my own parenting, especially around the holidays and amidst a world in turmoil. It is an incredibly bleak piece of filmmaking, but one not without reward.

I’m Dreaming of a White Doomsday is a post-apocalyptic horror thriller. It is written and directed by Mike Lombardo. The film is produced by Brian Keene, Randy Rock, Dylan Stern-Courney, Erik Myrnes, and Mike Lombardo. It stars Hope Bikle, Reeve Blazi, Damian Maffei, Holly Andrew, and Shannon Moyer.