Review: In ‘Jack’s Apocalypse,’ the end of the world comes with a silver lining

Sometimes even apocalyptic events can have silver linings. For Jack Coleman (David Maldonado) in “Jack’s Apocalypse,” the end of the world serves as the rock bottom he needs in order to kick an out-of-control penchant for booze, hard drugs and sex.

When Jack’s U.S. Army officer brother enlists him to whisk his wife and daughter to safety at a lake house citing impending doom and contaminated water, Jack quickly has to straighten out his act (though he brings a kilo of cocaine along with his emergency supplies). The disastrous situation allows him to reconnect with old friends and reckon with old demons, and soon he’s able to escape the clutches of addiction.

But “Jack’s Apocalypse” is unable to convey any realistic stakes or authenticity in its story line. Co-writer/director Will James Moore is overly fond of audio/visual stylistic play to convey Jack’s altered mind-state, which is apparently a staticky mess. The story leaps over important details and plot points, with mundane characters that are rote and two-dimensional.

It’s eventually clear that the apocalypse Jack is experiencing is a metaphor, a learning experience for the apocalypse he has created in his own life. Perhaps if the metaphor was more detailed and carefully rendered, it would result in a more persuasive argument and compelling story.

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‘Jack’s Apocalypse’

Not rated

Running time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Playing: Arena Cinelounge, Hollywood

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