This movie will be remembered, mark my words. Doomsday is a messy but also highly entertaining post-apocalyptic movie you might want to check out. I know that the critics and regular moviegoers didn’t like it but I think this will change in the future. On the face of it, Doomsday is indeed cheesy and generic. It doesn’t offer anything new but once you realize it’s actually paying homage to all of those cheesy dystopian movies of the seventies and eighties, things start to look quite different. Add to this gore, nudity, and awesome stunts and you got yourself a definition of a guilty pleasure movie.
After a deadly viral outbreak, we will be following a group of soldiers as they search for a cure. A pretty standard-issue stuff when it comes to this genre. However, I would still like to add that I love this shit. Give me some deadly virus wiping out humanity and turning the survivors into frenzied killers and I’m a happy camper. Especially if the production values and practical effects are great. Which they are in the case of Doomsday. Something that’s not so surprising since the director is Neil Marshal. His previous two movies The Descent and Dog Soldiers were taking place in single locations.
So it’s to see him venturing outside into our beautiful post-apocalyptic wasteland. Neil drew inspiration from two eighties classics Escape from New York and Mad Max. Our lead character is also missing an eye, just like the iconic Snake Plissken. And I would also add 28 Days Later and Land of the Dead to that list, a movie featuring a similar story and setting. So, you should expect a lot of graphic violence, blood squirting all over the place, and gruesome kills. All of this makes me wonder why Doomsday is so underrated when it’s so good. It’s pacey, bloody, and highly entertaining. Especially for the fans of the genre.
The Reaper virus quickly spread through the population bringing death on a scale never seen before. It turned the somewhat peaceful residents of Scotland into murderous maniacs forcing the rest of the world to build a giant quarantine zone. Anyone who tries to leave this zone will be shot. It’s been years since those tragic events and now the whole of the UK is a dystopian wasteland. However, there’s a glimmer of hope as a group of soldiers attempts to locate a scientist working on a cure. The only problem is that his located in the heart of the most dangerous parts of the wasteland.
While we’re on the subject of walls in the UK I can’t help noticing the similarities between this wall and Hadrian’s Wall. Just a little historical tidbit for you to keep in mind as this theme will pop up again. I don’t want to reveal too much but just know that this movie will constantly shift gears and keep things interesting. And just when you think that the story has settled, it will offer another surprising twist. This does make it a bit disjointed and superficial but at least it’s going to keep your attention.
Apart from both beautiful and deadly Rhona Mitra, the cast of this movie also includes two British veterans Bob Hoskins and Malcolm McDowell. And we shouldn’t forget about Alexander Siddig best known as Doctor Bashir from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Finally, if you’re looking for movies like Doomsday, I suggest you check out Death Race, Resident Evil, World War Z and Dead Rising: Watchtower.
Director: Neil Marshall
Writer: Neil Marshall
Cast: Rhona Mitra, Jeremy Crutchley, Bob Hoskins, Alexander Siddig, David O’Hara, Nathalie Boltt
Fun Facts: The car they find in the hideout is a 2008 Bentley Continental GT Speed. It proved to be unbelievably sturdy because after all the stunts it just needed a bit of refitting.
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IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0483607/
