The Divide and Hoping for the Best: A Movie Review

*full disclosure: a DVD screener of this film was provided by Anchor Bay Films.

Director: Xavier Gens.

Writers: Karl Mueller and Eron Sheean.

Cast: Courtney B. Vance, Ashton Holmes, and Michael Eklund.

The Divide is a film from first time scriptwriters Karl Mueller and Eron Sheean. The visual display is handled by French filmmaker Xavier Gens (Frontier(s)). The reviews of this film have been ambivalent and after watching the movie this reviewer knows why. Recently released theatrically January 13th, The Divide is a somber film that highlights the worst of humanity's qualities: depravity, humiliation, sexual dominance and perversion. This film took the spring out of this reviewer's step and left the jaw slack as characters turn on characters in horrible fashion.

This film is not uplifting. However, at least the film's story offers some mystery early as a nuclear strike on New York City goes unexplained. Could the writers not even hint at the Mcguffin's purpose? Then, a group of tenants hide below with a paranoid superintendent (Michael Biehn). He has stockpiles of supplies to wait out the irradiated storm above. Yet, living underground with a group of misfits turns the group inward for a large murderous implosion. At least the characters are interesting.

Mickey (Biehn) is prominent early as he tries to control the group. Once he is strapped to a chair during some torture, his influence wanes. Meanwhile, Eva (Lauren German) defines the term "sexual complex." A drug using life on the streets has turned her away from sexuality and her husband (Ivan Gonzalez). She finds her release by turning on the few morally upright characters in the film as she turns into a true black widow. The ambivalence continues with Josh (Milo Ventimiglia) turning into the bully of the group. He uses those lower on the social ladder as his sex slave with Marilyn (Rosanna Arquette) learning self-respect a little too late. There is little light in the bunker and within many of these depraved characters.

And this is the main critique of this film: could it not have been more hopeful? Apocalyptic films are this reviewer's favourite genre, but destruction can be used to signal rebirth. Here, destruction foretells more and more humiliation. As well, the soundtrack comes in like a flaky friend. Sometimes he is there and usually he is not. The acting is solid while the horrors turn the film's tone towards misery. Even those who fight for what is right (respect, understanding) do not make it out of this film. Surely, there is hope for humanity, but this is not the message that The Divide delivers.

This film will be released by Anchor Bay Films on home entertainment formats shortly and this sci-fi thriller is only given a half-hearted recommend. If you do see this film, then go in with a misanthropic look at life as writers Karl Mueller and Eron Sheean spin a modern Lord of the Flies yarn. However do not stay in this head space for long nor linger on the film as finding hope in difficult situations is a much higher pursuit.

Overall: 6.5 out of 10 (the set is confining, lots of diverse characters, a hard watch, horrifying, a negative look at humanity, no message, plotlines are undeveloped or offered as red herrings).

The film's homepage with theatrical locations available:

The Divide Official Website

A second review of this film at Beyond Hollywood:

The Divide Reviewed by Todd Rigney

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Posted in: 2012,apocalypse,movie review,new york,new york city,xavier gens