THE COLONY directed by Jeff Renfroe, written by Renfroe, Patrick Tarr, Pascal Trottier and Svet Rouskov, with Laurence Fishburne, Bill Paxton and Kevin Zegers. An eOne release. 93 minutes. Opens Friday (April 26). For venues and times, see listings.
The Colony explores no new territory as far as post-apocalyptic thrillers go, but the local production is a serviceable contribution to a genre dominated by Hollywood.
The action takes place after a very Canadian version of the apocalypse: it began to snow and never stopped. Humanity buried itself underground in small, self-sufficient colonies that can be wiped out by the common cold. A mysterious attack on a neighbouring colony instigates an Aliens-style recon mission that turns up some zombiesque cannibals.
Director Jeff Renfroe has obviously studied his James Cameron. He craftily sets up the dank and dreary underground settings, then steadily ratchets up the tension around every corner. Unfortunately, the film also mimics Cameron’s clunky dialogue and broad character arcs.
But even if it seems kind of familiar, you’ll enjoy a decent ride.
