The Divide begins with the end of the world. Well, at least with the end of New York. With explosions rocking the city, residents of an apartment block retreat to the basement and seal the door. Once inside, it becomes evident that they'll be there for a while, especially after some men in biohazard suits arrive to stir things up a bit. In the end, it's clear that going outside is not the safest option, so it's up to the group to survive on what little food they have left. But can they trust each other? More importantly, can they trust themselves to remain civilised?
Well, of course they can't, we don't want to see a post apocalyptic movie where everyone sita around drinking tea and deciding to mutually and gracefully run out of food. Instead, The Divide is a pretty gruesome and visceral portrayal of the deterioration of civilisation. As tempers rise and hierarchies change, violence starts to rear its ugly head and the whole place devolves into chaos, with some pretty intense and gory scenes.
Of course it can't be pulled off without some good performances. Of note especially are the character Josh and Bobby, played by Milo Ventimiglia and Michael Eklund, who really take a turn for the worse and end up menacing and crazy. Iván González does a great job at playing the spineless "clown" of the group, succumbing to the pressure put upon him by the rest.
The Divide is pretty gruesome, and very intense a lot of the time. It's somewhat reminiscent of The Mist, but much more visceral. The movie wonderfully explores the relationships between the survivors and their respective downfalls, but the side plot introduced when the men in suits turn up is soon abandoned, and left me wanting more. Still, this movie surprised me, but it's certainly not for the faint hearted.
My rating: 4/5
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