Goodbye World

Denis Hennelly’s Goodbye World (2014) starring Adrian Grenier, Gaby Hoffman, Ben McKenzie, and Kerry Bishé is about a group of old college peers reuniting under frantic circumstances. Americans everywhere have been receiving strange messages with the words: “Goodbye World”, which initiates the collapse of civilization. The ideas of what should people do when the world is “ending” is not unfamiliar due to the numerous amount of apocalyptic films such as 2012 (2009), I am Legend (2007), and World War Z (2013). Goodbye World brings nothing new nor exciting to the table with it’s predictability.

James (Adrian Grenier) and Lily (Kerry Bishé) live on peaceful, rural area with their daughter, Hannah. Their house is distant from urbanization which explains their use of antenna-dependent television. On the weekend that they were expecting their old peer and friend, Nick (Ben McKenzie) and his wife Becky (Caroline Dhavernas), a mass text message was sent to all the American cellphones.

Once it was clear that the country is undergoing a possible apocalypse, other college friends, such as Lev (Scott Mescudi), Laura (Gaby Hoffmann), and Benji (Mark Webber) show up to James and Lily’s house. The group tends to look on the brighter side of things and distract themselves from what is going on with the rest of the world as they are reuniting. Wine is constantly consumed and weed is often smoked. Besides the problem of neighbors and soldiers trying to steal and utilize what James has saved in his shed of supplies for the safety of his family, his own family is also falling apart.

Throughout the film, bits and pieces of the past are revealed as well as current secrets. The relationships among everyone in the house are insecure and questionable. Could they work out their problems and could they get through what could be, the end of the world?

The characters all have distinct personalities. James is uptight, organized, fatherly, and unapologetic. His wife, Lily, is carefree, childish, and adventurous. Nick is similar to Lily but selfish and sneaky. Nick’s wife, Becky, is conservative, feels out of place throughout the whole movie, and worries often. Laura is assertive, intelligent, and courageous. Lev is mysterious as well as emotionally unstable. Benji has an inferior past but seems to be more knowledgable and open minded due to his experiences.

I felt like the character relationships in this film did not work well. It is obvious that James and Lily’s marriage was not satisfactory, but the sudden emotion unleashed near the end of the film made it seem unnatural. In addition, Lily’s character was the bottom of the barrel compared to the others. She stayed pretty perky and optimistic until she kissed Nick and later on had a meltdown and wanted a divorce. But then again, Lily was usually intoxicated or high during her happy moods.

Plot-wise, the film was predictable. The reunion of friends in a house that had issues in the past was surely going to bring up problems. The outside world is eventually going to corner James and gain access to his supplies. This film was going to end up with everyone dying or everyone putting their differences aside so they can coexist. 

Since I said it was a predictable movie, I would say Goodbye World would not or should not even receive a “Hello” from the world.