A straightforward, low budget action thriller with a post apocalypse setting. The cheapness of this production is hidden by some slick greyed-out photography, which makes the setting look bleak and washed-out, as is the intention. I'm not a huge fan of this predictable washed-out look but it's done to such a degree here that THE DAY appears to be a black and white movie.

Otherwise it's business as usual, with a straightforward storyline and some interesting characters to recommend it. There's a certain air of unpredictability to the unfolding events which makes it more than watchable, and the action, when it hits, is well handled. Certainly the cannibalistic bad guys are generic and could have been replaced by vampires or zombies with the same effect, but then the focus isn't on the exterior villains.

Instead this is almost a reprise of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, with much of the tension coming from within the group. Shawn Ashmore is a solidly reliable prop, as he was in FROZEN, but it's THE LAST EXORCISM's Brianna Barnes who really shines as Nikki, the outsider in the group who has her own hidden secrets. Barnes gives a compelling turn as the unlikeable character who grows on you, before ending up the most interesting thing in the whole thing. There's also a good turn from Dominic Monaghan, much better than he was in I SELL THE DEAD. I think it's fair to say that THE DAY is no classic but it's much more interesting than I expected.

In a completely destroyed world inhabited by cannibal mutants, the human Rick (Dominic Monaghan) leads a group formed by his school friends Adam (Shawn Ashmore) and Henson (Cory Hardrict) and the women Shannon (Shannyn Sossamon) and Mary (Ashley Bell) expecting to find a safe place to settle down and Rick brings seeds with him.

When they reach a dilapidated farmhouse, they decide to stay for a while since Henson is very sick. However they activate a trap in the basement with an alarm system and soon they are under siege of a horde of mutants. Further, they discover that Mary is also a mutant. However, she tells the story of her life and she stays with the survivors to fight against the mutants in a doomed battle.

"The Day" is a dramatic horror movie developed in very slow pace with an unoriginal storyline and unpleasant characters. In basically half of the boring story nothing happens but Rick's group walking and staying in a farmhouse. The action begins with a despicable torture that ruins the movie. The conclusion after a conventional battle between humans and mutants is also nasty, with betrayal. My vote is three.

Title (Brazil): "24 Horas para Sobreviver" ("24 Hours to Survive")

The story takes place in post-apocalyptic England(?)unless they were talking about Winchester, Canada, about a decade after the disaster/war killed off most of the population. It is filmed in black and white with a brief flashback in color. People have resorted to clans and cannibalism for survival. Our traveling group of 5 consists of three men and two women. The three guys have been together since childhood and know their roles. Rick (Dominic Monaghan) is the leader due to his experience in "Lost" Adam (Shawn Ashmore) is his disagreeing friend. Henson (Cory Hardrict) is the third man and he is ill which slows the group down in their travels.

Shannon (Shannyn Sossamon) has been with the group for 12 years and is cold toward Mary (Ashley Bell) a quiet lone wolf who has recently joined the group. Then if you read the back of the DVD it informs you that they set off a trap and must fight for their lives against another group. And that's pretty much the movie except...

The film has a slight twist which make it watchable. It doesn't bring anything new to the table and is one of the more boring post-apocalyptic films out there. No zombies. No Thunderdome. No weird vehicles. No colorful cans of Dole Pineapple. In fact they got 41 bullets between them. The film partially builds upon the relationship of the characters, which I found to be hit or miss as it doesn't give you much background so you have to draw something from their mostly robotic movement. It isn't until things go awry do our characters come to life. There are certainly better films out there and in color too.

A rental at best.

Parental Guide: f-bomb, brief shower nudity (Shannyn Sossamon),no sex.