As if enduring this endless Winter weren’t horrific enough, Writer/Director Jeff Renfroe takes us to a snow-covered, ice-filled World post-Apocalypse. Supplies are meager and the Future is uncertain without an end in sight to the Whiteout. Fear grows rampant with the presence of a deadly Virus threatening the lives of those inever-shrinking Colony 7, led by Briggs (Laurence Fishburne). Along with their Leader, Sam (Kevin Zegers) and Graydon (Atticus Dean Mitchell) volunteer to check-in on neighbouring Colony 5 after a trouble signal is sent-out and they are unreachable.
After treking out to assist their neighbours, the Trio soon learn that they are up against a much more fearful Entity than imagined. While at their Home Base, members of Colony 7 are caught in a power struggle as a vigilant Mason (Bill Paxton) is eager to take matters into his own hands, killing-off anyone he suspects of carrying the said Virus. As the Enemy circles closer to Colony 7, we fear that if not at the hands of another, they will self-destruct amidst their own internal feuding.
Shot almost entirely in North Bay and partly in Toronto at our recently-upgraded Pinewood Studios, The Colony takes post-modern ideals such as choice and ethics, putting them to test against a real-life Survivor scenario. Renfroe paints a Portrait of Man’s regression to Animal, the more his survival is challenged.
Beautifully-shot and primarily in blue and gray hues, the action-packed Thriller borders on almost Zombie-esque, really kicking into high gear late. Our v. own Zegers carries the weight of the Film on his own and we are drawn-in thanks to his nuanced, yet physically-taxing performance. Fishburne is likable in his subtlety, acting as the true Conscience of Colony 7. Toronto’s Charlotte Sullivan is a commanding presence as Sam‘s Love Interest Kai, while Paxton is a bit of a surprise, adding a dimension of anger and distrust, crucial to pushing the Story along.
Definitely one of the most polished and proud efforts to come from Canada in recent years. eOne Films releases The Colony on April 26, 2013.
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