Maurice Devereaux’s End of the Line – just released on DVD in the U.S. last week – is an effective, gory, low-budget horror flick that offers something almost unheard of these days in horror: a genuinely original premise. The story follows a group of random commuters trying to get home via the subway, only to be rudely and violently interrupted by a religious cult prophesizing an extremely imminent end of the world – as in right this minute, tonight, now. Led by medical worker Karen (Ilona Elkin) and student Mike (Nicholas Wright), the group finds itself stranded in the subway tunnels when the train stops, pursued by a members of a fanatical religious cult bearing cross shaped daggers who are intent on saving their souls – by freeing them from their bodies.
Sure, the ingredients – the ragtag group of protagonists thrown together by fate, murderous religious fanatics, a chase through a claustrophobic setting, the apocalyptic backdrop – have all been seen before. But just like almost every dessert shares the same basic group of core ingredients, it’s all in how they are put together and the small, unique additions that make it work and differentiate it from the pack. It’s difficult to elaborate on the details without giving too much away, but there are layers of meaning and plenty of surprises to be found here, and what exactly is going on is open to interpretation and necessitates repeat viewings to fully grasp.
There’s plenty of gore here, including at least one truly outrageous moment that could make or break the film for some people – I didn’t find it offensive, but many undoubtedly will. Some of the gore – okay, a lot of it – looks pretty cheap, but it still works, and there are a few kills and effects shots that are absolutely top notch. Overall the film looks good, the pacing is tight once they get into the subway and the ending satisfies without feeling the need to overexplain itself or rely on a cheap copout On the other hand, the acting ranges from adequate to moderately terrible, especially in the early going before the stabbing and terror begins. It’s never so bad as to derail the film, but it may strain the patience of some viewers.
End of the Line proves two things: that original horror can still be done despite Hollywood’s wholesale embrace of remakes, sequels and ripoffs, and that it can be done effectively on a modest budget. Oh, and as a bonus, it also proves that real-world issues – the rise of religious fundamentalism and the apocalyptic worldview, in this case -- can still be addressed pretty effectively by horror, in case you care about that sort of thing. It’s not a perfect movie, by any means, but despite its flaws, it’s a film that deserves – and likely will find – an enthusiastic cult audience on DVD.
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