The only character I cared about was....
Laura (Gaby Hoffman) aka the one who slept with the senator.
I felt she was the only one that was adjusted to the real world (where we come from), not someone gallivanting as a social crusader, living in a idealistic semi-high state or a part idiot-savant, part genius hacker, part urban outfitters model.
She is the only one trying to deal with real life issues (trying to get a job and straighten out her life), and transition into a better phase of it. She is the only one still trying to define herself as a person, before the whole "apocalypse". And is the only one using her professional work skills, as a personal aide to govt official, to actual use in this scenario. Her only guffaw as a character is that full on kiss with Lev. The others, I don't even know what they do for a living, they just seem for some reason, lumped together to create a flimsy soap-opera plot.
James & Lily:
Obviously have issues, but one is too realistic and the other too idealistic. They are complete mirrors for each other, and switch between these two states. For someone as realistic as James to prep as a survivalist, he also somehow idealistically believes he doesn't need to protect it. The house has zero defence. Lily, even though knows that James' love for her is waning, instead of trying to rekindle it, just tries to get high and naked all the time. She is a realist when she wants to be, especially in the realm of relationships/dynamics, she has astounding clarity. But yet, what she does with that clarity is just disgusting and silly.
Nick & Becky:
I don't even understand these two. Nick obviously is someone who has money, either in the family or through his own ventures. But is still pining and whining about everything. Can you say, poor little rich boy? Becky is the uptight Christian, pro-animal rights, pro-volunteering goody two shoes, but secretly is an all out b*tch. I guess for Becky, she did learn to drop her masquerade, but then that immediately meant she hooked up with another guy? Like, what happened to years of bible study and God? So your husband strayed, therefore that gives you permission to just hop on the next guy's bike???
Benji & Ariel:
Obviously Benji is the character that is furthest from reality. Who gets out of prison and then immediately has a steady gig giving talks to colleges? I didn't realise they let convicts substitute as teachers. And throughout the film, he also does not have any other defining feature other than "has gone to prison". For someone who claims to know it all, and then questions Nick for still not knowing what he wants out of Life, he sleeps with the first skankiest girl who threw herself at him. AND THEN, brings her back to the shack that he does not even own. Ariel is just a kid pandering to the adult through sex, and basically gives it out to anyone who will show her a bit of affection. While incredibly unlikely to ever find someone like this in a group of yuppies friends, her character itself is understandable.
Lev & Hanna:
The only reason why I lump these two together is because, they are both children. We never got to know why Lev is the way he is. Is he mildly autistic? On drugs? Even though clearly, some kind of genius, the only time he speaks it is in the character form of a child. Even when he is doing his Mcgyver tricks, he is as excited about it like a kid with a toy. And Hanna, god I've never felt the urge to slap a kid, but seriously, DAILY BUBBLE TIME and the way she demands for it, just screams bad parenting. All she does is whine for DBT and sleep. Essentially, a narcoleptic brat.
Damon The Soldier & Sidekick:
Its funny that they went from "scouting for resources and possible base camp" to illegal squatters on other people's properties. Even if they lied about being sent to the hills on their mission, how did they get up there in the first place? They only stole the horses after they got out of the city and to the hills. If they were legit soldiers who decided to go AWOL, it is so unlikely, a whole community just seem to take his orders at face value and actually let him govern them. He must have told them about their "orders" but accepted with no resistance? Maybe some of the scared ladies, but usually farm folk, men especially, they don't take orders from a stranger on their land, with or without firearms. I would think that the farm folk would be tougher than a bunch of yuppies spouting rules from the Constitution and politely asking them to leave, with snack-packs. WUT?
The Community:
Once again, I don't think these people are dumb in real life. Farming is not as simple as it sounds, and they obviously are modern people who have moved out of the cities for an alternate lifestyle, or due to financial reasons. They are not hicks and druggies, otherwise, those farms won't produce, it would just be a hick-drug shanty town. Just that in this film, they are conveniently relegated as the "growing scared mob with no intellect". WHY?