Review: The Divide

The Divide is a thoroughly disturbing film. A post-apocalyptic thriller staged in the well-equipped basement bunker of a New York apartment building, The Divide exposes the horror of humanity pushed to the edge. This time the end of the world is man-made, with some kind of bomb destroying the city and raining down some nasty radioactive dust. A group of tenants force their way into the basement, much to the super, Mickey's, chagrin. Once inside, the group must contend with panic, uncertainty and decreasing supplies while waiting for the nuclear cloud to abate and help to come.

Michael Biehn (The Terminator) is Mickey, the surly, paranoid super who has crafted his own fallout shelter in case of an emergency. He is none too thrilled to now be sharing it with a distraught mother and child, a tense married couple, a middle-aged black guy, two brothers and their sociopathic friend. Mickey insists that the door remains sealed tight (with duct tape) and that food and water are strictly rationed. His temper increases as the tenants constantly bicker and complain about their situation and the tension quickly escalates. What appears to be a rescue mission is not what it seems and further tragedy splits the group.

The Divide is a well-crafted, atmospheric thriller that pits one person against the next. Instead of banding together the group disintegrates, establishing new power groups and staggering levels of depravity. While there is some dodgy dialogue and cringe-worthy acting, each scenario brings a heightened sense of horror until you can almost take no more. Lauren German is Eva, one half of a strained marriage, and the heroine of the film. No stranger to horror (with roles in Hostel 2 and Texas Chainsaw Massacre), German perfects the doe-eyed intensity of her quiet but strong character. The film also stars Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes), Rosanna Arquette (Pulp Fiction), Courtney B Vance (Flash Forward), Michael Eklund and Ashton Holmes.

Ventimiglia and Eklund are toxic as best friends Josh and Bobby who wrest control from Mickey, only to slip into a violent, sickening mania. The actors showed great commitment to their roles, with Eklund shedding the most weight for his realistic portrayal of a crazy man. The film piles on horror after gruesome horror, following acts of necessary gore with the inevitable devastation of guilt. Soon violence becomes more of a pleasure for the men and Eva is forced to take unthinkable measures.

The cinematography and set design were excellent and the film presents some stylish imagery. All of the action outside the bunker is beautifully rendered and the costume design for the haz-mat suits was brilliant. I also thought the sound design was effective in enhancing the suspense and desolation of nuclear war. As the group succumb to starvation and radiation poisoning, it is each other that they must fear the most - it seems there is no humanity at the end of the world.