After Manhattan gets nuked in this low-budget post-apocalyptic thriller, nine New York stereotypes hole up in an apartment-building basement. Tempers flare, rations run low, the threat of cannibalism lingers in the air. And that’s just the first 10 minutes after the explosion.
Who knew your neighbors could go full-on “Road Warrior” so quickly? By the time we arrive at the finger-chopping, the brutal rape and the pooping on the floor for spite (really), you may sympathize with Milo Ventimiglia’s plea to “Shoot me!” — despite the game efforts of veterans like Michael Biehn, Courtney B. Vance and Rosanna Arquette (the last sentenced to a truly degrading role).
The only possible relief from director Xavier Gens’ abusively bleak survivalist scenario is how implausible it is. My favorite part is how closely loss of humanity corresponds to loss of hair; by the end, the two worst offenders have become virtual mutants, while ingenue Lauren German still sports enviably thick hipster bangs.