The Domestics

The Domestics
Promotional poster
Directed by	Mike P. Nelson
Written by	Mike P. Nelson
Produced by	Shannon Gaulding Gianni Nunnari
Starring	Tyler Hoechlin Kate Bosworth Lance Reddick Sonoya Mizuno Dana Gourrier Thomas Francis Murray David Dastmalchian
Cinematography	Maxime Alexandre
Edited by	Julia Wong
Music by	Nathan Barr
Production company	Hollywood Gang Productions
Distributed by	Orion Classics
Release date	June 28, 2018 (2018-06-28) (United States)
Running time	95 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$10.6 million[1]
Box office	$59,766[2]

The Domestics is a 2018 American post-apocalyptic action horror film directed and written by Mike P. Nelson. The film stars Kate Bosworth and Tyler Hoechlin. It was released on June 28, 2018, by Orion Classics.

The US Government conducts a catastrophic chemical weapons attack on the American populace to "reset" society. The surviving population of America divides into two groups. The Gangs control territory and are named the Gamblers, the Sheets, the Plowboys, the Nailers, and the Cherries. The Domestics are those unaffiliated with the Gangs and wish to live in peace rather than give in to violence.

Domestic couple Mark and Nina West are traveling to Nina's parents in Milwaukee while discussing their decision to divorce before the attack. While scavenging for supplies they are met by Nathan Wood and his son Steven, who together escape from a small group of Nailers. Mark and Nina are invited to Nathan's home to meet his wife and daughter and join them for a meal but the visit ends in tragedy. After Nathan tells Mark that they had eaten human flesh as their meal, a surviving Nailer who followed them injures Nina, causing her and Mark to flee, leaving the Woods in the house, where the Nailer kills Nathan's wife and daughter. Nathan kills the Nailer but swears revenge and calls some of his Plowboy contacts on his CB Radio.

The Wests reach an abandoned house, unaware they've been followed by a deserter Cherry named Betsy, who escaped from captivity by the Plowboys and has developed a fascination with Nina. Mark looks for supplies but is held at gunpoint by William Cunningham, a flamboyant madman, and forced to fight against Cunningham's large slave after he discovers William has beaten and captured Nathan and Steven, who had caught up with the Wests. Nina wakes, finds a bottle of alcohol, puts on a Heavy Metal record and begins dancing, while Mark fights the slave. Mark wins the fight and kills a fleeing William. The slave is freed by Mark, sympathetic of William's earlier mistreatment of him. Nathan and Stephen depart, forgive Mark and, ending his quest for vengeance, wishes Mark and Nina good luck.

Mark reunites with Nina at the house. Nina has found an old car similar to one that Mark owned when they first began dating. The two rekindle their passion but are unaware the car belongs to Gamblers who arrive and capture them. They are forced into a game of Russian Roulette, with Mark being shot in the shoulder. Nina makes her escape after grabbing a gun from a distracted Gambler's boot and stealing a car, finally making it to her parents' house where she treats Mark's wounds.

Nina learns from neighbors that her parents had died. Mark wakes to discover her father's prized Wildey Hunter pistol has been stolen. The Gamblers have caught up to them, as has Betsy. A violent and bloody gun battle begins, with the Plowmen joining in. In the end, Nina and Mark win the fight, the Gangs retreat with their remaining members, and Betsy returns Nina's wedding ring to Mark that had been left at the abandoned house, remarking "for her" before being fatally shot. Nina kills Betsy's killer. Nina finds her father's gun at the home of a neighbor, who was a Gambler spy. It is revealed that the neighbor had been killed by another neighbor's child, who is part of a rumored gang of young killers that Nathan had mentioned earlier.

Mark and Nina take a moment to catch their breath at Nina's parents' house. They pack up and leave, turning on the radio with Crazy Al, a DJ who has been sending broadcast updates about the current state of America. He warns the Gangs not to mess with Mark and Nina.

• Tyler Hoechlin as Mark West
• Kate Bosworth as Nina Monroe West
• Lance Reddick as Nathan Wood
• Sonoya Mizuno as Betsy
• Dana Gourrier as Wanda
• Jacinte Blankenship as Theresa Wood
• Thomas Francis Murphy as Plowboy Jim
• David Dastmalchian as Willy Cunningham
• Lee Perkins as Dean the Nailer
• Kaden Washington Lewis as Steven Wood
• Mikaela Kimani Armstrong as Bella Wood

On March 24, 2016, it was announced that Mike P. Nelson would direct The Domestics from his own script for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Hollywood Gang Productions. Gianni Nunnari and Shannon Gaulding would produce it.^[3] On September 8, 2016, Kate Bosworth and Tyler Hoechlin were cast to star in it.^[4] The movie was filmed in Louisiana.

Stunt performer Deven MacNair filed an EEOC anti-discrimination lawsuit against producers of the film over an incident of "wigging", the practice of using a stunt performer who matched neither the sex or race of the actor, which is against SAG-AFTRA rules.^[5][6]

In May 2018, Orion Classics acquired distribution rights to the film and set a release date of June 28, 2018.^[7]

The film received favorable reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 100% approval rating based on six reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10.^[8] Robbie Collin of The Telegraph gave it a positive review and wrote: "It's all good grim fun, with a visceral kick."^[9]

• The Domestics at IMDb