Await Further Instructions (2018)

 Nick and his girlfriend Annji visit his family on Christmas Eve. Nick hasn’t been home in a few years and thinks this is a mistake, but Annji is excited about meeting his family.  His mother asks them to stay the night since the rest of the family will be there for Christmas.  When Nick hesitates, Annji says they’d love to stay.  Honestly if your partner is hesitant about visiting or staying with his family, you’d be wise not to make a commitment he’s not willing to make.

Shortly after Nicks’ sister arrives, she makes a racist remark and grandpa piles on to stoke the discomfort.  She tells Annji she wasn’t referring to her, but things get more heated so Nick and Annji head upstairs where they’ll stay in separate rooms since they’re not married.  They decide to get up early the next morning and leave before the rest of the family gets up. For the life of me, I don’t know why they didn’t just drive home. 

The next morning when they try to leave, there is something over the front door that seems like metal.  They check other exit points but the entire house seems to be locked down.  The rest of the family is woken by the commotion and on the TV it says to await further instructions.  Nick’s father starts theorizing the government has locked them in to keep them safe after some sort of attack.

When the tv starts broadcasting commands, the father says this is proof the authorities have everything under control. But the commands become more and more divisive.  They are asked to use a trial vaccine in unsterilized needles. They are told to wash their bodies in bleach to decontaminate themselves. They are told to figure out which one is infected and quarantine them.  While Nick and Annji question if these commands are valid and who is issuing them, Nick’s father has taken control and demands everyone do what is required, even if it’s by force.  As the commands keep getting crazier, you wonder if any of them will get out alive, who is really giving them commands, and what is actually going on outside.

While the set up was interesting, the resolution isn’t satisfying. It leaves you with more questions than answers.