THE DAY (2012)

Directed By: Douglas Aaroniokoski
Written By: Luke Passmore
Cinematography By: Boris Mojsovski
Editor: Andrew Coutts

Cast: Shawn Ashmore, Shannyn Sossamon, Ashley Bell, Dominic Monaghen, Michael Eklund, Cory Hardict
This film is set in the near future in a post-apocalyptic time with five survivors struggling to get through each day. They are on the move to find food and other survivors as well as a safe place to hold up for a while. They stumble across a dilapidated house in the country, so they check it out when things turn bad. The house is not as safe as they hoped, and there are other people who have morbid uses for them. Will they survive?

This film would go well as a double feature with the film STAKELAND as it mines similar territory of a post apocalyptic future only STAKELAND involves Vampires. That isn’t theonly difference STAKELAND involves action, but is more about atmosphere and setting up a world around itself. This film is more about the stakes of the characters and setting up a situation. While being action packed and brutal.

The film moves fast and sets up it’spremise and characters quickly even before you can even really get to know them. Though no details are given the film sets up it’s story and world quickly

It’s a dark film. Some scenes seem set out toshock, but thankfully they seem more natural to the story. As most of the action and violence is grizzly and excessive. --Some of the circumstances and actions become reminiscent of films.Such as ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 asthefilm is side by side with that film as a film where a group has totake a stand for survival in one location.

I found myself wishing the film was a bit longer just so you spend some time in this world.Get to know the characters and some of the past, but this film seems set out tobe not that type of film.

For me while I can’t really complain about the action. It did feel a bit too smooth, Too Planned and classy like a videogame it happens so quick and clean. At times it takes a bit to register.

The cast impresses even though some scenes and characters become a little too cliché. The minority who might not survive and is willing to sacrifice himself. The Alpha male who get injured quickly leaving the group shell shocked and scared as to what to do now. It sets up Ashley Bell as a action heroine not to be messed with.

It’s a nice sleeper film that I would love to see a sequel or continuation of, though I doubt it. Still it’s a nifty little genre film.

GRADE: C+