In Friend of the World, a low-budget short film available to stream online, the central dynamic is a philosophical showdown between a mad military general (or at least a self-professed one) and a young, optimistic filmmaker who both find themselves in an unenviable situation amidst the annihilation of nearly all life on earth. Left in dark, dank bunkers with few resources and trying to survive, the two characters look warily at one another while revealing their personal views regarding the possible future of humanity. Unsurprisingly, the general (Nick Young) sees everything as a zero-sum game in which only the strong survive, therefore it is best for everyone that the weak are dealt with properly. The young filmmaker (Alexandra Slade) does not share this view, although I hesitate to describe exactly what she does believe. Certainly, she is fearful of the general’s perspective, but the movie gives little indication that there is anything more to her worldview than naive optimism. Is this a commentary on the lack of positive vision artists often possess or does it say that regardless of what art tries to do, power and might will overcome? Unfortunately, big ideas get muddied rather quickly in this mixed bag of genres and philosophies.

Given the basic structure of the general (war, death, fascism) versus the filmmaker (art, creativity, life-affirming), the story chugs along through five chapters that needlessly break up the dramatic flow, constituting too many fade-outs that are merely transitions but sometimes indicate a break in the action. What we are left with are various sequences of two intriguing characters in an intriguing set-up who are subjected to dialogue that is often filler and situations that seemingly occur at random. What, for example, is the purpose of the mysterious individual who appears out of the dark corners of one of the bunkers, speaks in Spanish riddles, only to apparently transform into a small, mud-covered figure who crawls on the ground, creates a makeshift bomb, puts it in his mouth and lights it? Surely writer/director Brian Patrick Butler had a specific purpose in mind, but in this case too much symbolism becomes a millstone around the neck rather than a key to the locked door.

Nevertheless, there are elements that pique the viewer’s interest. There is a tremendous sense of foreboding presence from the beginning, as if a real catastrophe took place and the biggest consequence was hope. The two leads do battle in sometimes amateurish styles, but Alexandra Slade as the protagonist creates a genuine feeling of uncertainty and danger with her body language and close-ups. Unfortunately, Nick Young as the general is too often overacting to be malicious and his gruff demeanor is frequently undercut by chuckling to himself. The special effects, while often noticeable, still do the job competently but the soundtrack is a strange blend of Ode to Joy on strings, bluegrass fiddle, New Age Gassenhauer and some synthesized sounds that felt most authentic to the movie’s tone. The movie borrows liberally from David Lynch’s signature surrealist blend of horror and absurdity, and there are few masters better to learn from. Yet, it is so difficult to replicate Lynch’s style without descending into complete chaos and bewilderment. Still, that doesn’t stop subsequent generations from trying to recreate Lynchian nightmares for our current situation.

Ultimately, the enjoyment of such a project depends largely on your interest in the combination of apocalyptic, horror and war genres with questions about who does and should make decisions for the future of humanity. Should we leave it up to those motivated by power and gauge everyone on a level of weakness versus strength, or should the artists with their positive spin on the world and all its possibilities be given primary attention? It is pretty clear what the filmmakers of this movie believe, but despite its simplicity, there are deep notions at work here. Small instances such as the stark black-and-white photography, solid acting by Slade, and lines like “conflict is life…freedom is death” indicate this story has much more potential than what is depicted. Therefore, it would be foolish to dismiss such a project out of hand. In a world of mindless superhero movies, remakes, sequels and prequels to movies trying to rewrite the classics of the past, Friend of the World attempts to incorporate movie history into a contemporary story rather than the other way around. That reason alone is enough to see this and look forward to Butler’s next project.