Doomsday

Set in the near future, a deadly plague known as the Reaper virus breaks out in Scotland, leaving hundreds of thousands dead. The government, in a state of panic, seals off Scotland, turning their backs on the people left there. Thirty years later the world has in turn turned its back on Britain for its ruthless past, leaving the increasingly right-wing government to try to control a now disintegrating society.

However, in the slums of central London a new outbreak of the Reaper virus is found. The only hope now is to return to Scotland to find out if survivors there have the cure. A small team led by Eden Sinclair (Rhona Mitra) is sent. However, with no help or even contact from the outside world, society north of the border has collapsed completely with cannibalism, rape and murder rife. Will Sinclair and her team survive long enough to find the cure or will the rest of Britain fall to the virus?

Doomsday is the third film by Neil Marshall. His first two films were the excellent Dog Soldiers and The Descent. While very different to these films, it manages to keep the fun of Dog Soldiers and the polished look of The Descent. Doomsday can best be described as a horror action film but it doesn’t take itself too seriously, making it a really enjoyable film to watch.

There are some great action sequences with the opening gunfight through the streets of Glasgow and Sinclair's gladiatorial duel with a towering knight dressed in full medieval armour being highlights. The Mad Max 2 style climax to the film in particular stands out and is not to be missed.

Doomsday offers something different from most other modern horror films, drawing its parallels more with films such as Mad Max and Escape from New York. Undoubtedly this is a cult classic in the making and the chance to see it on the big screen can't be missed.

George Marshall