There’s a good chance that you haven’t heard about The Divide. It got a limited theatrical release, and there wasn’t a whole lot of exposure for the movie. That’s a shame, because this is quite possibly one of the best post-apocalyptic films that I’ve seen in the last ten years. It’s gritty, it’s intense, and most importantly it’s a very human story.
Things start off with a bang…literally. The movie opens on a scene of nuclear disaster, with warheads falling from the sky and mushroom clouds blooming in the distance. The lead actress watches all of this from the window of an apartment building, and the expression on her face along with the carnage brewing outside makes for a truly beautiful opening scene.
The plot revolves around several survivors that manage to escape from the impending destruction by barricading themselves in the basement of the apartment building which has been converted into a bomb-shelter by the owner and landlord of the apartment building. The landlord is a rough, foul-mouthed sort of character, so already tensions start to boil from the very beginning.
Without giving too much away, I’ll say that from that point on the story starts off slow, but quickly picks up a feverish pace that leaves you sitting on the edge of your seat. The survivors are confronted with a host of problems, from mystery men in radiation suits to the onset of cabin fever and the dwindling of their supplies as they’re forced to remain in the bomb-shelter.
Hope starts to fade, and the movie becomes darker and darker. Certain survivors cling to their morals, while others lose bits and pieces of their humanity as the film moves forward. Pay close attention to Michael Eklund’s performance as Bobby, because the actor shines in this role. Bobby’s slow descent into madness was one of my favorite things about this film, because the level of emotion that went into his performance was nothing short of impressive.
I’ll be frank, this a grim movie from start to finish. Don’t expect a happy ending, because there is none to be found here. It’s disturbing and violent, but if you would consider yourself a fan of the horror genre, then I would highly recommend you give this film a chance. There’s a strange beauty to be found in the performances here, and you’ll find yourself thinking about the events depicted long after you’ve popped out the DVD.
Rating: 9.5 out of 10
