It’s hard to know who to rely on these days. Harry Baldwin (played by Ray Milland) takes his family on a vacation, and during their drive they see a sudden, bright light that makes them pull over. From where they are in the hills, it's clear that Los Angeles has been attacked with nuclear weapons, and it’s also obvious that whoever did this isn’t just limited to those who dropped the bombs. *Panic In Year Zero!* is now a film that feels old-fashioned because of how stuck we were on the possibility of nuclear war back then, but if you give it a chance and consider the time period it was made, you can appreciate its underlying anxiety. The way people behave when they’re under extreme pressure is something that will always be interesting to artists and audiences, and when a movie handles this subject matter well, it's worth appreciating—and *Panic In Year Zero!* does just that. We see the usual family: Mom, Dad, Daughter, and Son—all honest, decent people, all about to witness the worst of human behavior, both from outsiders and within themselves. A story like this can only work if the actors bring some weight to their roles, and thankfully they do, which is a relief and a reward for watching another low-budget movie dealing with a familiar topic. Ray Milland does a good job as the father, a calm and strong dad of the 1960s who quickly understands what's happening and adjusts accordingly. Jean Hagen and Mary Mitchel play mother and daughter respectively, both fitting into this family crisis well, but it’s Frankie Avalon as the son who really stands out; though not known for his acting skills, his performance here feels believable, and he doesn’t disappoint throughout the story. It's not flawless, of course, and some things are hard to overlook—for example, is it supposed that Milland and Hagen are the parents of Frankie Avalon? But these small issues don’t matter as much when you consider how smart and well-acted the movie is; it’s good, thoughtful science fiction that holds up even after multiple viewings. 7/10

Source on TMDB