The Kindly Ones

In the aftermath of a disaster, the devoutly religious Mann family—as seen through the eyes of the youngest son, Abel Mann—seek a new home. At the same time, another set of survivors— Fran, Rhea, Ky and a boy called Lugh—are also searching for a safe place to settle. The two groups encounter each other in a deserted village within a vast forest. In the beginning, their attempt to co-exist together in this isolated setting seems successful, and a social contract is collectively agreed and various relationships between the two communities develop over time. Fran embarks on a relationship with one of the Mann brothers, while the two teenage boys, Abel and Lugh, also become intimate as they grow older. Differences of belief between the two groups soon intensify, and as the social contract is overturned and replaced by a theocracy, the community descends into chaos. Mindful of myths and fairytales, the forest that encircles the village in The Kindly Ones is a dark and menacing environment, inhabited by unknown beasts that represent the dangers that lurk beyond the edges of civilization. The old world has broken down. In the aftermath of a global catastrophe, there are two paths that the survivors can take. Three women and a boy take shelter in a deserted village within a vast, unfathomable forest. Unknown beasts hide on the edge of the forest and in the strange manor house in the heart of this village. But Fran, Rhea, Ky and the boy called Lugh are determined to build a new society and keep the memory of civilization alive. Their refuge seems secure until the arrival of the Mann family: a pack of devout brothers and their pious mother. The new family is invited to stay and an unlikely relationship develops between Lugh and Abel, the youngest of the Mann brothers. In time, however, tensions grow as the newcomers impose their religious control over the life of the community. As secrets are exposed and the clash of values turns violent, the beast that lurks beyond the edge of civilization closes in on the village. Backs to the wall, the survivors will have to decide whether they must sacrifice their humanity to save their lives..