Aws Al-Banna

From Ground Zero (2024) doesn’t really tiptoe around its subject matter. The film drops you right into the chaos of a world unraveling, the kind of place where hope feels like a rumor and survival’s a full-time gig. Aws Al-Banna takes the lead, carrying a battered sort of energy that makes you believe he’s actually crawled through hell’s basement. The story kicks off in a city that’s seen better days—think cracked pavement, sirens screaming, people darting between shadows. There’s this constant sense of tension, like everyone’s waiting for the next disaster to hit. Al-Banna’s character isn’t your typical hero; he’s flawed, stubborn, sometimes downright reckless. Honestly, that’s what makes him so damn compelling. He’s got scars—literal and emotional—and you see every one of them as he tries to piece together a life after the world’s gone sideways. Relationships are messy here. Friends turn to enemies and back again in a heartbeat, and trust? Forget about it. Still, there are flashes of humanity—moments where people risk everything for each other, even if it makes zero sense on paper. The film doesn’t spoon-feed you answers, either. There’s this rawness to the storytelling, like the director wants you to feel just as lost as the characters. And you will. By the end, you might not know what comes next, but you’ll remember what it felt like to stand on the edge, looking for light in a world of ash.