In a post-apocalyptic, plague-ravaged wasteland, a man named Chris tends to the needs of his dying wife Anna…that set-up right there tells you that Diverge is gonna have a wee bit more gravitas than the flicks I usually review ’round these parts; you know the ones that usually start with ‘Holy hell there was nudity and ten deaths before the opening credits’! Moving on…
As if Chris’ miserable existence wasn’t horrible enough, he soon finds himself the victim of a rather severe leg wound which causes him to lose consciousness. Well, things do keep coming up Chris as our hero finds himself naked and in the pre-apocalyptic past where he gets to see his wife healthy and himself not looking like ten pounds of shit in a two pound sack…but he can’t exactly stroll up and say ‘Hey, how’s it hanging?” We soon discover that Chris was kidnapped by an enigmatic stranger and offered the option to go back in time and right all that transpired which resulted in the plague that F’d the world six ways to Sunday, a path that leads him straight back to himself! Now the question will be, “How far would you go to save existence as we know it?”
Diverge is a high concept sci-fi piece filmed on a low budget that is absolutely filled with gripping storytelling, sharp aesthetics, and rock solid acting. Ivan Sandomire as Chris delivers a multi-layered, and emotionally vested performance as a man that has to face some incredibly difficult choices in order to right that which has been made wrong. Adding to the realism of the piece is the way that writer/director James Morrison handles the time travel aspects with as little sensationalism as possible; it’s presented in a matter of fact manner that the technology exists and it is presented without the usual accompanying over-the-top special effects which really grounds the conceit. also it should be mentioned that the ‘wasteland’ segments are fantastic, presenting an almost alien terrain of hard, scorched earth and distant vistas of burning cities…just really well done, and understated.
The main negative I had with Diverge is that the opening fifteen minutes or so of the film play out at a very deliberate pace. This may cause some viewers to lose interest and bail, and therefore miss a truly thought provoking, emotionally charged, and visually griping modern sci-fi classic (yeah, I’m calling Diverge a neo-classic…seriously, watch it and see if you disagree…).
I’m not going to mince words; if you love time travel yarns, post-apocalyptic pics, or just want to wrestle with some gripping moral issues you absolutely need to see Diverge; it’s an unforgettable cinematic experience and shows what can be done with a strong story regardless of money spent.
For more on Diverge from Horror Fuel, head here!
