Trailer Park: “Resistance” Shines While Taking Place In A Drab Alternate World

Since the end of World War II, fantasy stories featuring alternate realities where the Germans defeated the Allies to win the war have virtually flooded the market. Novels like Fatherland, The Proteus Operation, and, most notably, Phillip K. Dick’s The Man In The High Castle have all covered this material ad nauseum in the most depressing ways possible. Now, Metrodome Distribution is releasing a film based on Owen Sheers' novel of the same concept, Resistance.

Taking place in a world where D-Day was a complete failure, and a counter-invasion led to the German capture of Britain, Resistance deals with a Welsh village that's home only to women after their husbands join a resistance to defeat the Nazis. Soon, one of the women, Sarah, begins to fall for a German Captain after his troops occupy the village in order to complete a mission.

Starring Michael Sheen, Kimberly Nixon, Iwan Rheon, Tom Wlaschiha, and Andrea Riseborough, Resistance seems to be in capable hands on the acting side, but its rookie director, Amit Gupta, can either make or break the whole project. The trailer does give us a good glimpse at the overall feel and tone, which Gupta seems to nail perfectly with a morose coating of washed-out greys and browns.

But despite the high-production values of the trailer, there isn’t enough shown of the romantic dynamic between Sarah and the German Captain. Everything else in the trailer looks pretty intriguing, but Resistance could struggle if that emotional core isn’t depicted properly.

We're reserving hope that this flick can be a sleeper hit. Resistance will be released in the U.K on November 25, with a U.S. release most likely coming afterwards if the film proves to be a success.