Best Friends Forever is basically a buddy road trip movie. What sets it apart from other road movies is that their is a nuclear apocalypse while they are traveling. Sort of a Thelma and Louise meets Mad Max combination except that nobody is driving around in muscle cars. Instead the two protagonists are crossing the desert in a Mercury Pacer. Brea Grant plays Harriet, a comic book artist who lives in LA with her best friend Reba (Vera Miao). Harriet is looking to make some changes in her life and has decided to move to Austin to work at a library and go back to school. She convinces Reba to come along with her on the road trip. While they are traveling, LA and several other major cities are destroyed by a nuclear attack. Since Harriet and Reba are in the middle of nowhere in the desert, they are unaware of the events that have taken place. They blissfully continue on their journey until they decide to pick up a group of hipsters who are hitchhiking. The young men end up stealing Harriet's car and all of her and Reba's belongings leaving them to fend for themselves. While they try and find their way back to civilization their friendship is tested as they try to work together to survive.

Be sure to put a packet of bamboo toothpicks in your pocket before embarking on a viewing of this "creation" - you'll be poking them under your fingernails to distract you from the pain your eyes, ears and brain are suffering.

Seriously, this movie is just like "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion" - but with none of the humour and none of the "deep and meaningful" conversations (yes, it really IS that bad).

Best Friends Forever (2013) is a movie written by Brea Grant and Vera Miao, directed by the first, and starring both of them as the main characters. The movie starts by alluding to the characters personalities and their pasts, their tensions and their shared relationship. The pacing is a bit slow and explores the apocalypse through the eyes of two women who are oblivious to it for the most part. It explores the harsh realities of a nuclear attack; the vast number of casualties, the limited resources and the heightened levels of violence and rape, as well as police corruption. If you plan on watching this movie, there are some parts which are hilarious, some parts that may be awkward and some disgusting. Overall, it requires you to get in touch with the characters and to see the intersecting approach of race and gender in times of crises.

The storyline is well thought out and does have an empowering aspect (the female is not simply being objectified) as well as trying to move past simple stereotypes. It tries to stay away from the gore, the actual explosion and focuses on survival, and how to move on. Not wanting to spoil the character's and their separate journeys, it is safe to say that the two main characters are juxtaposed at times, but it is their bond that helps them throughout the film as well as provides meaning. Both Harriet and Reba gain a sense of self by separating themselves from the other; and through this gain a sense of individuality.

The sound, lighting and pace are all decent to good, and help to set the tone for the movie. I found this movie to be extremely worth the 88 minute version (IMDB says 113, so I might have seen a different cut). I would definitely recommend it to people who want to see some character development, a well written and directed piece, and can sit through a slower paced film. The trailer does not capture the film at all, it is not as dark as it is painted, and much of the movie takes place outside time in a way (though supporting characters do have knowledge of the apocalypse and their actions are determined by that).

The ratings for this film will range from 3-7 on average, but because the film does what it seeks to do, does not try too hard, stray from their premise, I would rate it a 8/10.