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Gilbert Andrew’s (The Dead Inside) Edge Of Extinction is a dull piece of post-apocalyptic filmmaking from the UK, which as a more suiting name is The Brink. Admittedly, an apocalyptic scenario may not be the most appropriate thing to relax to right now. Then again, if there is no future to worry about then there’s no time like the present.
It is set 15 years after World War III and the following nuclear winter has come to an end. The UK was mostly bypassed by the fighting and nuclear strikes, but they surely did suffer from the aftereffects. The Boy (Luke Hobson, Mary Queen Of Scots) now lives in a remote part of what used to be England, The Boy avoids everyone so he comes out once in a while to scavenge for supplies. Not a great life, but it’s a life that has kept him alive.
Things change when he comes across The Girl (Georgie Smibert, Cleavers Killer Clowns), whom he does give shelter to. He, of course, gets ambushed by The Man (Chris Kaye, Mummy Reborn, The Bad Nun) who’s out to steal his valuables. Things only get worse as a band of cannibals, spearheaded by the Chief (Bryn Hodgen), arrives forcing The Boy and The Man to join forces.
Edge of Extinction’s scenes depicting rushes in stores as well as shooting in supermarket parking lots was a clear depiction of foresight. This was filmed during the weekends of 2017-18. I would not like to believe it is as accurate about how rapidly civilization completely collapses, but the past year definitely provides me with a reason to not doubt it. It actually seems optimistic that humanity will revert back to cannibalism in fifteen years.
Like Anthropocene, Edge of Extinction does not portray the end of the world with zombie hordes or monumental Road Warrior-style battles. It’s rather individual small groups and gangs that struggle against each other and the odds for survival. And, for a low-budget film, the fighting in the movie is surprisingly well staged. It also features a great deal of violence, such as throat-slitting and disembowelments, which are equally bloody.
Regrettably, not even the final battle, which occurs at the conclusion of the film, has been spared from this. The ultimate showdown of the movie has been rendered painfully dull. Leading up to this whimper of a final battle, the audience is subjected to over two and a half hours of nagging scenes and yes, talking is one of them. The fight-or-flight flashbacks incorporated in the make-shift collapse works; some scenes though, like the constant squabbling between first The Man and then The Boy, are a tad annoying, if they could be trimmed down.
The settlements around and within Bedfordshire capitalized well on the abandoned places within the area. The Edge of Extinction world certainly does not appear as if it has suffered through nuclear frost but a portion of it does look neglected and decayed. Having said that, why does the closing battle pseudo take place in a country cottage which appears like it has been somehow completely untouched?
In the last half hour of the movie, the battle is resumed The Chief and his crew attempt to the Husband (Nicholas Chambers) and The Wife (Pandamonium, The Haunting of Molly Bannister, Susan Lee Burton) and the family that owns the cottage. Though the excessive duration of Edge of Extinction seems and certainly feels agonizing, the movie never actually drags. If you happen to be free and don’t mind spending them, it’s worth a look.
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