How Dave Bautista’s ‘Afterburn’ channels the spirit of the Book of Eli and The Terminator – Firstpost

When it comes to post-apocalyptic cinema, audiences have been captivated by worlds as haunting as Mad Max, as intense as The Terminator, and as soulful as The Book of Eli. Now, Afterburn — presented in India by PVR INOX Pictures — storms onto the scene with a vision that combines desolate beauty, relentless action, and heart-pounding stakes.

Set in a scorched, tech-collapsed future, it’s more than a dystopian thriller — it’s a high-octane survival saga designed to be experienced on the biggest screens.
Here’s how Afterburn taps into the essence of these two dystopian classics:

A world reduced to ash and scraps
Set after a massive solar flare shatters technology and plunges humanity into chaos, Afterburn creates a world where survival is brutal and every scrap matters. The decaying cities and endless deserts aren’t just backdrops—they’re immersive environments that swallow you whole, making every frame a visual feast when seen on the big screen.

A lone warrior in a lawless land
At the center is Jake (Dave Bautista), a former soldier-turned-scavenger forced into a mission that could change humanity’s future. He’s a reluctant hero – lethal when cornered, but driven by something deeper than survival. Bautista’s raw intensity adds weight to every fight and every choice, turning him into a character you root for with every step.

Cinematic scale that tells its own story
From sweeping desert vistas to the eerie glow of tech graveyards, Afterburn uses its visuals to say what words can’t. The contrast of vast, silent wastelands and explosive, close-quarter combat scenes makes it the kind of spectacle that begs for a theatre’s scale and sound.

Gritty action rooted in survival
The action in Afterburn isn’t flashy for the sake of it- it’s gritty, visceral, and always tied to survival. Expect brutal hand-to-hand fights, high-stakes chases, and explosive confrontations where every bullet and every blow matters. On the big screen, every impact lands harder, every explosion rattles the seat with the high impact performances from Dave Bautista, Olga Kurylenko, Samuel L Jackson & Kristofer Hivju.

Hope, hidden in the ashes
For all its grit, Afterburn carries a thread of hope. Amid the chaos, there’s the promise of rebirth, of something worth saving. This emotional core elevates it beyond pure action, delivering the kind of story that lingers long after the credits roll. Afterburn as a movie, not only entertains but also brings forth cinema of a different kind.

This is a world you’ll want to get lost in—experience the intensity, the scale, and the heart of Afterburn only in theatres. Catch it nationwide from August 22nd, presented by PVR INOX Pictures!