Starring: Dominic Monaghan, Shawn Ashmore, Shannyn Sossamon, Ashley Bell, Michael Eklund, Cory Hardrict
Director: Douglas Aarniokoski
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: ANCHOR BAY
Release Date: November 27, 2012
Run Time: 84 minutes
Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars
I have seen a lot of post-apocalyptic movies and they never seen to get it right. “The Day” was very satisfying in that department. It packed a great cast delivering strong performances, as well as some fantastic gore. The film was obviously on a low-budget so the apocalyptic part is implied but still works well. The film has this black and white tone to it except when there is bloodshed…and their is quite a bit of that. It also reminded me of “Sin City” in that sense. WWE Studios, that’s right the wrestling company, is behind this film and like it’s recent film “Barricade”, read my review here, they are picking some great titles to stand behind!
Official Premise: A group of five survivors, armed with shotguns, axes and machetes, wander the back roads of a ravaged landscape looking for refuge in The Day, a terrifying look into a post-apocalyptic future. As war ravages humanity, destroying civilization and most of life on earth, the survivors realize they must do whatever it takes to stay alive. Lost, starving, and exhausted, they seek shelter in a seemingly safe abandoned farmhouse. However, while searching for food and resources, they unwittingly set off a trap signaling to their ruthless predators lying in wait to begin their deadly attack. With food and ammunition dwindling, the group must make a desperate final stand—over a 24 hour period—battling for their ultimate survival.
Even though this is a low-budget film it still has a fantastic young cast including Shawn Ashmore known best for Bobby Drake / Iceman in “X-Men Trilogy”, Ashley Bell from “The Last Exorcism”, Cory Hardrict from “Battle Los Angeles”, Shannyn Sossamon from “One Missed Call” and “40 Days and 40 Nights” and lastly, Dominic Monaghan from “Lost” and “The Lord of the Rings Trilogy” pops in but let’s just say he doesn’t last long.
“The Day” is being released as a combo pack including both Blu-ray and DVD discs. The 1080p transfer works well with the color and shading, as described above. The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track is also very impressive, which adds great atmosphere into the film. The only special features though is an audio commentary with executive producer/director Doug Aarniokoski, producer Guy A. Danella and writer Luke Passmore. It is good if you are a fan of the film, since there is a lot of technical talk. I would have loved to seen more production aspect featurettes and maybe even a cast commentary track.