Film

The Colony

Name: The Colony
Genre: Action, Science Fiction, Thriller
Released: 2013
Cast: Kevin Zegers, Laurence Fishburne, Bill Paxton, Charlotte Sullivan, John Tench

A near-future survival thriller where humans sheltering underground from a new ice age face an unexpected enemy: other survivors. It's tense but modest in scope, asking how civilisation holds up when resources vanish and desperation takes over. For fans of claustrophobic sci-fi and moral compromise over spectacle.

TMDb rating

2.8

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy tight, claustrophobic survival thrillers where the pressure builds inside a hostile base, and a modest budget doesn't bother you.

Skip it if you want the frozen-wasteland spectacle or the big-budget polish of a studio epic, since this is cramped, grimy and often feels like a made-for-cable creature feature.

What it asks of you: Ninety-five minutes, mostly spent in dim corridors, with tension built through close quarters and talk rather than big set pieces; it rewards patience more than appetite for spectacle.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

The Road2009

Post-apocalyptic despair and moral decay in a dying world, with two leads forced into impossible choices. Laurence Fishburne's gravitas in The Colony echoes this film's weary fatalism about human nature.

But Relentlessly bleak and slow-paced. There are no moments of levity or hope, only varying shades of ash and hunger.

A Quiet Place2018

Confined survivors must outsmart an alien threat using minimal resources and maximum tension. Shares The Colony's claustrophobic dread and the idea that the real danger comes from human panic as much as the threat itself.

But Leans heavily on jump scares. If you want character depth over sustained tension, you'll feel the scaffolding.

10 Cloverfield Lane2016

Three people trapped underground while catastrophe happens above. Paranoia about who to trust is the real engine—exactly what The Colony understands about survival stories.

But Deliberately confined and slow to move. The entire film happens in one location, so if you need external action, you'll get frustrated.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Colony

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Oxygen2021

Both strip survival down to its mechanical essence: mathematics, oxygen, rationing. No speeches, just the maths of staying alive.

A woman wakes in a cryogenic pod with hours of oxygen left and no memory. Real-time survival thriller with almost no dialogue, just sound design and a woman's will to live. The Colony's scenario—scarcity and confinement—distilled to its purest form.

But Minimal plot, nearly silent for long stretches. If you need narrative progression or dialogue to hold your attention, this will feel like punishment.

Snowpiercer2013

Another ice-age dystopia where desperate humans must negotiate hierarchy and violence. Both films ask what happens when scarcity forces us to choose between survival and morality.

But The class allegory can feel heavy-handed. It's less interested in ambiguity than The Colony is, so it lectures a bit.

The Divide2012

Survivors locked in a bunker face dwindling supplies and deteriorating sanity. Watches like The Colony's meaner, angrier cousin—same structure, far more human rot.

But Ugly and relentless in its despair. Contains sexual violence and extreme body horror. It does not pull punches and makes no apologies.

Doomsday2008

Post-plague Scotland becomes a prison colony; a lone operative must infiltrate it. Over-the-top action versus understated thriller, but both understand isolation and the collapse of order.

But Wildly uneven in tone and quality. It swings between Mad Max pastiche and earnest sci-fi, often within the same scene.

Lockout2012

Rescue attempt inside a maximum-security satellite prison. The confined space and high stakes echo The Colony's pressure-cooker dynamics, though this one prioritises fun over dread.

But Treats itself as a joke. If you want serious stakes and real tension, this leans too hard into quips and one-liners.

The Platform2019

A vertical prison where survival depends on how food is distributed. Explores hierarchy, sacrifice, and collective action in a closed system. Deeply inventive where The Colony is straightforward.

But Increasingly abstract and demanding. By the end, it prioritises metaphor over narrative logic, which will frustrate those wanting clear answers.

In the Earth2021

Two people in a forest during a pandemic discover something far worse. Like The Colony, it uses isolation and threat to explore how quickly civilisation fractures and how much we really know our allies.

But Deliberately obscure and frustratingly vague about what's actually happening. Some will read it as atmospheric; others will just find it evasive.

The Quiet Earth1985

Both ask what happens when you're forced into proximity with strangers and must decide who deserves resources. Both distrust quick answers about who the real enemy is.

A man believes he's alone after a global event, then finds others—and must decide if reunion is salvation or fresh threat. Spends time with isolation before bringing its conspiracy together, treating loneliness as seriously as danger.

But Glacially slow in a way that feels deliberate but will exhaust some viewers. It's a 1985 film on a modest budget, so action is sparse and vfx minimal.

Coherence2014

Both are modest-budget thrillers where the real antagonist is information breakdown and the erosion of trust. Both understand that when the world stops making sense, humans stop being civilised.

Eight dinner guests realise they're trapped in overlapping realities as a comet passes overhead. Like The Colony, it's a chamber piece about rational people making increasingly desperate decisions under pressure. Brilliant on a shoestring budget.

But Conceptual and confusing on first watch. It rewards attention but will lose anyone expecting straightforward plot. Also shot entirely in one apartment, so don't expect visual variety.