Year: 2013
Runtime: 101 min
Language: English
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Seeking escape from personal struggles, an American teenager, Daisy, travels to the English countryside. There, she unexpectedly finds connection with the beautiful landscape and develops a complicated romance with Edmund. However, their newfound peace is shattered as Europe is engulfed in a devastating conflict, forcing Daisy to confront a brutal reality and fight for survival in a war-torn nation.
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A film adapted from the bestselling novel by Meg Rossoff, this story follows fifteen-year-old Elizabeth, who prefers the name Daisy. Sent by her father and stepmother to stay with her cousins—Osbert, Isaac, Edmond, and Piper—and her Aunt Penn in England, Daisy gradually forms deep connections with her relatives. Among them, she shares an especially unique bond with the semi-telepathic and bright Edmond, portrayed by George MacKay. As she immerses herself in the tranquil lifestyle of the English countryside, Daisy begins to feel a sense of belonging for the first time in her life.
However, the quietude is disrupted as whispers of impending conflict begin to surface, and Aunt Penn is dispatched to assist in the Peace Process. With her departure and eventual disappearance, the children are left without adult supervision, which allows Daisy and Edmond’s bond to evolve into something above mere cousinly affection. Their serene existence is violently interrupted by the emergence of World War III, leading to Daisy and Piper’s separation from Edmond, Isaac, and Osbert.
Now amidst hostile territories during the futuristic “occupation,” Daisy finds herself in a dire situation, desperately striving to bring her family back together amidst the chaos and destruction that threatens to tear them apart. After enduring horrific experiences and finally returning home with Piper, she discovers a traumatized Edmond, who has also come back. In her attempt to nurse him back to health, Daisy confronts the realities of their shattered lives, desperately clinging to hope in a world seemingly consumed by war.
Last Updated: November 04, 2024 at 01:41
Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.
Stories where a peaceful haven is violently disrupted by the onset of brutal conflict.Find more movies where a peaceful, idyllic setting is brutally invaded by war, forcing characters into a desperate fight for survival. If you liked the shocking transition in How I Live Now, these similar stories explore the trauma of losing paradise and the grim reality of survival.
Narratives in this thread typically follow a two-act structure: a slow, atmospheric establishment of a safe, beautiful environment and its inhabitants, followed by a dramatic, fast-paced plunge into chaos and survival after an external threat erupts. The character journey is defined by a loss of innocence and a forced adaptation to violence.
These films are grouped by their powerful emotional arc, which hinges on the devastating contrast between a peaceful beginning and a brutal reality. They share a high-intensity experience, a tense and bleak tone, and a focus on the psychological impact of having one's world violently overturned.
Young protagonists forced to mature rapidly while navigating a devastating crisis.Explore films featuring young characters whose coming of age is defined by a harrowing survival experience, similar to How I Live Now. These movies blend the personal turmoil of youth with the extreme pressures of war or apocalypse, resulting in a heavy, emotionally complex journey.
The narrative pattern follows a young, often disillusioned protagonist who is thrust into a catastrophic situation. Their arc is not about typical adolescent angst but about learning to endure, make life-or-death decisions, and find strength they never knew they had, often at a great personal cost.
These movies are united by their fusion of the coming-of-age genre with high-stakes survival scenarios. They share a heavy emotional weight, a focus on psychological endurance, and a bittersweet or bleak tone, as the characters' innocence is sacrificed for the sake of survival.
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