All the Lost Ones


All the Lost Ones is a 2024 Canadian science fiction thriller film, produced and directed by Mackenzie Donaldson. The film is a post-apocalyptic thriller centred on the aftermath of a North American civil war brought on by the effects of rampant climate change.

Plot

In Canada, a civil war is started which is brought on by the effects of climate change, and many citizens died from contaminated tap water, and environmental extremists refuse to exit the capital until a water bill is passed. A militia group, named the United Conservancy, does damage across the capital, while there is no word on the agreement of the water bill, and the shutdown of the government is initiated. Six months later, the United Conservancy occupied a large portion of the North Eastern Seaboard, while groups of civilians find themselves in hiding between two sides of the civil war.
Nia, a civilian woman, goes outside from a party, and finds a carcass laying on the water. The next day, Nia, Dawn and Ray set off on a journey, where they head to an abandoned small town. Nia enters a newspaper store, when she is confronted by a young man and his father, who strikes her. She confesses to them that she was separated three days ago. She shoots the father. The young boy flees, while Nia gives chase. As Nia goes outside, she tries to warn Ray to get back inside, but Ray is ultimately shot in the leg.
The group returns home, where they heal Ray's leg. The United Conservancy enters the family's property, where the family are forced to cooperate. The family goes outside, and confess that they formally surrender to the United Conservancy. The family shares what happened to Ray, while the United Conservancy handcuffs the family. Mikael intervenes, while Mia frees her family. As Mikael nearly shoots a member, he is ambushed by the young boy. After Mikael overhears the UC member that the family's mother was not worth the effort, Mikael kills the UC member. The family then decide to take a boat, but Ray refuses to go to the boat.
Mikael is confronted by the United Conservancy, who start attacking. The UC finds Ray's carcass, and Mikael confesses that he buried his friends. Mikael is soon shot by the young boy. Meanwhile, the family treks the woods. The United Conservancy spot the group, prompting them to split up and hide. Dawn distracts the militia, who is soon shot dead as she confesses to them, while Ethan and Nia flee. Nia finds smoke rising, and goes out to investigate, where they find a burning house. There, Nia finds a carcass of a shot woman sitting on the deck. Nia tearfully shares her crimes she committed to Ethan.
Nia and Ethan head to Jacob's stepdad's cabin, where Nia reconciles with Penny, along with the rest of the group. Jacob warns the group that his father will shoot anyone who infiltrates the cabin. Jacob sneaks into a truck at the cabin to grab gasoline and the keys to the boat, but he is shot in the shoulder by Hank. Ethan shoots Hank, while a gunfight is triggered. Jacob flees, but Hank confronts him, only for the latter to be shot by Ethan. Jacob returns to the group with the gasoline. As the group sets off to go the boat, Ethan gets his foot caught on a trap, disabling him to walk on his legs, and joins Jacob and Penny to head to the boat, while leaving Ethan behind.
The group heads to a boat site, where they sneak over the United Conservancy to get to the boat. The sarge confronts Nia, and arms a gun at her, but Nia shoots the sarge, while the group escapes on the boat. As the group surfaces on the Penny gets shoot, where Nia gets sad over the former's death. The group returns to land, while Nia feels sad over memories of Penny.

Cast

Production

Principal photography took place in North Bay, Ontario.

Release

The film premiered at the 2024 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival. The film was theatrically released in Canada on November 29, 2024, debuting in Vancouver, and had a week-long theatrical run at the Carlton Cinema at Toronto, before having a streaming release on Paramount+ on December 13. Epic Pictures released the film in the United States in select theaters on April 18, 2025, with a VOD release on April 22.

Reception

Carla Hay of Culture Mix criticized the plot holes and acting. Leslie Felperin of The Guardian wrote "The dramatic rhythms of tension/release... do grow a little metronymic over the long haul. But in terms of politics, the film is at its best when drawing out how polarisation tears apart families as well as nations: the personal is always political."