Review of The Divide, starring Lauren German, Milo Ventimilia, Michael Biehn, Michael Eklund, Rosanna Arquette and Courtney B. Vance
It's worth wondering whether we'll have any warning when the end of the world comes. These days, we're on top of most things—we know when wars will start and end, when economies will collapse, and when our taxes are due. But plenty of us grew up under the nuclear shadow, and it's that shadow that collapses in the opening moments of Xavier Gens new psychological thriller "The Divide."
Yes, the bombs are falling in an unnamed American city, and residents of one apartment building scramble to get into the basement, which is inhabited primarily by the superintendent, Mickey, a survivalist by nature played by one-time action star Michael Biehn. He's a crusty, cantankerous loner who suddenly has to share his stash of food and water with the eight survivors who made it through the door. Their numbers include a mother and daughter (Rosanna Arquette and Abbey Thickson, respectively), a cranky retiree (Courtney B. Vance), two gay brothers (Milo Ventimiglia and Michael Eklund), and one of their boyfriends (Ashton Holmes), mild-mannered lawyer Sam (Ivan Gonzalez), and Eva (Lauren German), who is the film's true protagonist. Almost the entire film takes place in the basement, where tempers quickly grow short, factions are quickly made, sanity becomes a commodity, and survival is merely questionable.
Gens has pulled together a decent cast, who are generally willing to go balls-to-the-wall-crazy as radiation seeps in, the authorities who are still in charge become enemies, and as the supplies start to dwindle. In many ways, "The Divide" is less about the end of the world and more about what happens to those people lucky enough to survive. That said, lucky is quite possibly the wrong word to use here, because their experiences are so dismal, so psychologically and sexually trying, that many of us would envy those who died in the original blast. The movie is dark and grimy and covered in blood and other bodily fluids, and each cast member—Eva aside—chews away at the limited scenery as their character goes further into the abyss of insanity.
This isn't a film that is particularly hopeful—quite the opposite, in fact. Survival is barely an option, and not one that's particularly appealing, and the ending might seem unfair to some audience members. That, however, is what Gens is going for. In all likelihood, there will be no utopian enclave when the bombs start to drop. It's going to suck. That said, in making this rated R, he's probably limiting his audience, but it also means he doesn't have to pull his punches. I appreciate, as well, that he doesn't answer all the questions. Who dropped the bombs? Who is still alive outside the basement? What's their mission? The survivors don't have the answers, and neither do we. This is a movie that makes the most of its limited budget—but it's still clear that the budget was, in fact, limited. It's not perfect, and it's often a nasty piece of work. But one thing is clear: "The Divide" is the end of the world as we know it, and nothing feels fine.