Science fiction, like horror, is a broad category, and big enough to encompass a veritable ocean of categories. You can go from the hard science style of film, to the space soap opera, comedy to horror. It’s a big umbrella, and there’s room for everyone.
There are a lot of science fiction films I love, but one of the ones I have always had a deep affection for is THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS, an adaptation of the brilliant John Wyndham book I fell in love with decades ago.
The story tells of a meteor shower that fills the night’s sky with an unprecedented light show. What isn’t know though, is that the shower brings with it two horrors: 1. everyone who gazes upon the shower goes blind, and 2. the shower brings with it a strange plant. In a world where everyone who gazed on the light show gone blind, these carnivorous plants, which can uproot themselves, begin hunting this now easy human prey, and the world is doomed. We follow two groups, a man and wife trapped on an island they were doing research on, and a sailor, and a young girl. All of these people are sighted and are some of the very few sighted people around.
The story is bleak, and the film reflects that. The science may not be hard, but the story is. We see planes with no sighted pilots crash, cities on fire, and the very worst humanity has to offer. There is hope, but you have to dig deep to get to it. What’s fun is that there are aspects of Triffids that are echoed in the first 28 DAYS film, themes and ideas. So often it feels like a forgotten movie, it not having been released on DVD or Blu Ray in the United States. One of many films lost to time and rights issues, it seems.
With apocalyptic themes, a story of survival, and creatures that feel much more real than something like the Blob, the film deserves to be remembered and celebrated. Sure, some of the Triffid work looks a little corny, but it never looks bad. We’re just not used to seeing something like a plant move, not realizing that SOME CAN! Nature is crazy!
There was a remake series done for teh BBC, which you can find, but doesn’t have the impact of the original film, or book.
I can’t implore you enough to try to seek the movie out, or to read the book. If you love creepy, monster vibes at the end of the world.
You will love it.
4.5 out of 5
The Spooky World of Chris Ringler 