'The Day' DVD Review

A fast-paced, uncompromising siege tale.

Some undetermined time in the future, a group of five gun-toting 20-somethings -- Rick, Adam, Henson, Shannon and Mary -- trek across a barren landscape scarred by an undetermined apocalyptic event in search of food. When they happen across an abandoned farmhouse, they decide to take shelter, in part because Henson is sick as a dog. After a few hours, Adam is eager to move on, but de facto leader Rick wants to stay put until Henson feels a bit better. That turns out to be a mistake with a capital OOPS, because the house isn't abandoned by chance. It's one big trap set by a roving band of cannibals who soon surround the building. The fivesome must thus put aside their differences -- most notably the distrust of newcomer Mary -- in order to make it through the siege.

The Day feels like it's set in the same universe as The Road, but with pretty much no backstory on either the main characters or on what brought about the post-apocalyptic state. This vagueness is cause for some frustration, but it doesn't take away from the brutally violent action sequences that highlight the simple siege plot -- think The Road by way of Assault on Precinct 13.

If it's possible, the film is almost too brutal, leaving little room for hope or compassion -- a dreariness reflected in the desaturated, nearly black-and-white color palette. But hey, that's the post-apocalypse for you, I guess. It's admirable that the villains in The Day aren't portrayed as subhuman maniacs -- they're just trying to survive -- but that characterization is a balancing act that renders them dull an unintimidating -- especially considering the fact that they are an army that somehow doesn't have a single gun.

The DVD

Special features include commentary.

Movie: C+
DVD: D+

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