A rather unspectacular, yet for the most engaging and satisfactory variation on the post-apocalyptic action and suspense genre. Indebted in large part to Mad Max, Night of the Living Dead, and The Road, the film focuses on a group of survivors of an unexplained catastrophe. Exhausted and ailing, and believing no one else is in the area, they decide to stay for a while at a secluded house they come upon, a decision which proves fatal.

Shot in a derelict rural home and a dense forest, and with its every image tinted a shade of grey, The Day understands and maintains an atmosphere of isolation and menace. Other than a few unconvincing computer-generated images, the film is a worthy technical achievement.

With one notable exception, the human element is not as credible, with characters too often shifting gears: lighthearted one moment, brutal and dead serious the next. The aforementioned exception is The Last Exorcism's Ashley Bell, who is fierce and fascinating as the group's most quiet, nuanced, and violent member. It might not be intended as such, but the film registers as the start of a Resident Evil style franchise centered on her continuing adventure in this scorched-earth wasteland rather than a standalone ensemble piece. She towers over her co-stars.

B-