Angry Robot

Doomsday

It starts with scenes of a deadly viral outbreak in Scotland, then jumps ten years to when Scotland is quarantined and the UK cut off from the rest of the world, and flirting with authoritarianism. When evidence of life in the quarantine zone emerges, and the virus appears in London, Emma Cleasby and her tac team are sent in to Scotland to track down a cure. Therein they are caught between two warring clans, the cannibal tribal punks and the brutal medieval revivalists.

punk

Doomsday has its sci-fi and horror elements (namely plenty of well-executed gore) but fundamentally it is a pastiche action film, lighter on the comedy than a Raimi film, but still a hell of a lot of fun. As the hard-boiled badass, Cleasby does an attractive job, and the supporting cast includes Malcom McDowell and Bob Hoskins. The action is well-orchestrated, the dialogue serviceable. The film’s greatest strength is its sheer unpredictability. Just when you think you’ve figured out where it’s going, it takes a hard turn down WTF street.

Oh, and if you haven’t seen Marshall’s previous film The Descent, check that shit out too.

2 comments on "Doomsday"

  1. D says:

    Yeah! Pretty interesting, although of course expensive as only four can play at once. They need to roll in a flatscreen or something so at least you could do 4×4 Halo. Sad to see that no downtown Toronto theatres are involved, but there is the one at the queensway.

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