The Domestics movie review is spoiler-free. A doomsday horror-thriller movie by Mike P. Nelson. A film that marks his directorial debut for a full-length feature film. While this apocalyptic premise is nothing new for some, a character-driven, action-filled horror is always a good watch in my eyes.
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The Domestics Movie Plot and Facts
In the post-apocalyptic world, gangs and groups divide the people. The story follows a husband and wife on the outs before the world dissolved into pieces, but with only each other to cling to. Could your relationship survive the end of the world?
- Genres: Horror | Thriller,
- Directed and written by Mike P. Nelson. Keep an eye out for the horned gambler. Like any good director could and should do, he sneakily placed himself in this film. Nelson has also released Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025), V/H/S/85 (2023), Wrong Turn (2021), and Titan (2026).
- The Domestics cast: Sonoya Mizuno (Ex Machina 2014), Tyler Hoechlin (Teen Wolf 2011), Kate Bosworth (Straw Dogs 2011), David Dastmalchian (The Belko Experiment 2016), and Lance Reddick (American Horror Story 2014)
- Release: USA June 2018 and UK in August 2018 \ Production Companies: Hollywood Gang Productions. Distributors: Orion Classics (United States, 2018), Vertigo Releasing (United Kingdom, 2018)
Relationships in an Apocalypse
Well, for the first time, I am going to begin with a gripe. The Domestics is good viewing, for the most part, I’m not denying that, but I just want to get something off my chest. Among a few other identifiable moments of incredibly crazy ideas is a pause for some lovemaking.
Now I know even in an apocalypse, people might get their horn on, BUT if there are literally five known gangs getting their creep on at all types of inconspicuous moments, then stop for a quickie in an open garage in a car that has windows is not the smartest move. There, I said it. I absolutely shook my head for the longest time when I saw this scene amping up.
Now, because I have begun The Domestics review somewhat in the middle, let’s go back to the start. I really loved the introduction with the radio announcer who supplies a continuous backdrop of extra information and added negativity towards the state of the world. He would absolutely make a crackin’ addition to any radio station that covers the time frame of the drive home from work. Some of my favorite moments came from his voiceover and not from the actual movie, which says a lot right there about its ability to contain the momentum with any type of accuracy.
“You think we had problems before? Death, disease, did the barista put too much F&$CKing syrup in your macchiato F&%$ing frappuccino? Do you know what I saw the other day? A guy in a deer head holding an AK-47. But you know what? That guy used to be my neighbor.”
Crazy Al from 99.5 2KILU radio station tells it like it is – Quote, The Domestics 2018
Nina Was A Rocker From Way Back
I liked that it was plotted out as a trip to Nina’s parents’ house. I also appreciated the dynamic between husband and wife, and that her dominance is hidden for quite some time by the fact that she wears headphones to listen to music in the first half of the film. There is definitely a statement being made here.
As much as I would like to see the film as a transformation of Nina from beginning to end as an emerging heroine, what I saw was that she was always a force to be reckoned with. It was just hidden from the audience and dropped casually into the conversation from time to time about why they were getting a divorce. She was the breadwinner and the person holding everything together before the end of days. I can bet easy money on her as always having been a wild child, though her husband Mark knew that. He left her a note on her favorite rock album to prove it.
But there were some clues. The headphones that initially signaled weakness were actually boundary-setting: Nina was done cleaning up Mark’s messes. The apocalypse doesn’t empower Nina; it simply makes her survival skills impossible to ignore or downplay. By the climax, both Mark and the audience must acknowledge what he’d known all along: she’s the reason they’re still alive.
I think the title of the film perfectly sums up the entire premise. What if, in the middle of a domestic with your partner, the world fell into ruin? There are some great concepts and creativity mixed in with predictable outcomes and ill-timed characters, but overall, it’s a pass.
I give The Domestics
3 Always kill them back instead of spinning the wheel out of 5.
Who Are the Factions in this Doomsday Movie?
Who are “The Sheets” and what makes them terrifying?
The Sheets wear white bedsheets over their heads like ghosts (Nelson wanted them to look like armed ghosts haunting the wasteland) Then ad some tactical gear and assault rifles and they are post apocalypic Klansmen, almost supernatural, except they’re people not spectres.
What’s unique about “The Gamblers'” methods?
The Gamblers wear animal heads (buffalo, and deer to name a few). The strap roulette wheels on their backs, making them more literal in their inspiration on whether someone is worth killing. Games of chance dictate who dies and who lives. Victims play Russian Roulette by force. In one scene, some men are imprisoned inside gloves, holding guns aimed at each other. It’s Saw, if Saw was a transportable game to play with people at wafr. A fate-based approach. The most interesting group to watch.
What defines “The Plowboys” as a faction?
The Plowboys use armored vehicles but prefer the machine that infers their label, the snowplow. Adding to their repotoir they love a but of kidnapping and sex trafficking. If a group of mechanics came together to form a group in a apocalytpic wasteland, this is what it would look like. Hot rod culture combined with torture and sex exploitation. Any road is dangerous with The Plowboys in charge of the roads and traffic authority.
How do “The Nailers” operate and what’s their signature look?
Strong, brutal and they wear their relentless nature on their face. Carring large axes and adorned with helmets made of spikes, beaten metal and blood in the shape of a face masks. Don’t forget the spikes because then they wouldn’t be The Nailers. They get up close and personal in their quest for death. Hands on a violent. If victims are able to beat them in a fight, this is the group you need to check are dead before escaping. The Nailers are ruthless and never give up on revenge.
What makes “The Cherries” different from other gangs?
Playing both predator and protector, depending on the circumstances, The Cherries prefer to kill men over women. Speaking of men, this is a womens only club who woudl rather “Kill All Men” than be in the kitchen barefoot. The Cherries will even protect people of the female variety, especially if they are being exploited or harmed in the landscape of The Domestics.
More Post Apocalyptic Relationship Movies
Films that combine post-apocalyptic settings with relationship dynamics:
- The Road (2009) – A father-son duo pushing a shopping cart toward the coast through an ash-covered wasteland. A father defending his son as they slowly travel to the sea. Does love matter when it’s the end of the world?
- Lost Horizon (2025) – Not quite the end of the world, but the end of a war, Michael saves a journalist and falls in love.
- 28 Days Later (2002) – A film with the best fast zombies, follows Jim and Selena as they navigate a Rage Virus outbreak.
- A Quiet Place (2018) – A creature-feature highlighting how marriage and parenting function under constant threat. Sound plays a big part in this must-see horror film.
- Book of Eli (2010) – A post-nuclear Western follows a lone wanderer protecting the last remaining Bible. While not conventionally romantic, it examines human connection through mentorship and faith.
- Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – With an emotional foundation built on mutual respect, Max and Furiosa develop a partnership based on competence rather than attraction.
- Zombieland (2009) – Comedy-horror that builds found-family dynamics and romance amid a zombie apocalypse.
The Domestics
Director: Mike P. Nelson
Date Created: 2018-06-29 21:01
