Blackout (2014)

You know you're in trouble when the movie has a bible quote before the credits.  Four college students go hiking in the woods, a couple arrives in a small town and a survivalist is prepared when a blackout hits. You'd think people in a small town would look out for each other, but they do not.

Within five days, the town becomes feral. Everyone is angry and in a panic. The general store is almost out of food. People are threatening each other because someone else bought the last can of whatever they wanted. When two cons kill the sheriff and steal the last of the food, some of the townsfolk join them. What the hell, people? Why are you willing to go off with murderers and thieves? As is expected, the cons are not humanitarians and those who team up with them are treated poorly.

The biggest questions you’ll have is how the hell did this small town fall into chaos so quickly, and over what time period does this take place?  Other than one point where then mention it's been five days, there is no clue whether this is two weeks or two months.

The scenes involving the college students are especially confusing. I thought they went for a weekend hike, but I could be mistaken. When they come back, their car is gone. They hike back to town where they find a burned out car still smoking, bullet casings, and blood. Surprisingly they are not very concerned. 

They start knocking on doors to get help. When no one answers, they break in because they're starving.  How long have they been without food? Is this the same day they walked into town? Why are they so hungry?

They find food, water, and canned goods in the first home they enter.  They stuff their faces and continue walking.  Then they approach another house and argue about whether to break in. One guy angrily exclaims he's starving, and needs food and water. This makes no sense based on the previous scene. Didn’t they just eat and load canned goods into their packs? You're left wondering if there is something in the air or a virus causing people to go insane.  But ultimately it seems the film is just lousy about providing  any basis for determining how long these people have been outdoors fending for themselves.

And if there are smoking cars, dead people, and someone shooting at you, don't stop in the makeshift tent city just because no one is there when you wander in.  Use your heads, people.