The Colony
After an ice age drives humanity underground, a rescue mission discovers that the ruins of a lost colony conceal a new and terrifying threat.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Moderate
- bleak
- foreboding
- claustrophobic
- late night genre viewing
- winter movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the film as a formulaic science-fiction thriller weakened by clichéd dialogue, cheesy effects, and underdeveloped characters, while acknowledging its convincingly cold atmosphere.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Colony 7 and other human groups live beneath the surface because a new ice age has made the world unlivable.
The frozen landscape, limited resources, and deadly exposure create sustained environmental anxiety during the colonies' journey.
Starvation, cannibalism, and the fall of Colony 5 make the breakdown of social norms central to the conflict.
The lost-colony investigation, return journey, and newly discovered enemy follow established post-apocalyptic science-fiction structures.
Films like The Colony, and why
The Road
Shared post-apocalyptic survival horror, hostile environments, resource scarcity, and isolated human communities.
Snowpiercer
Shared dystopian science fiction, survivalist tension, claustrophobic settings, and desperate human conflict.
The Descent
Shared underground survival premise, bleak future setting, creature-threat suspense, and escalating paranoia.
30 Days of Night
Shared frozen post-apocalyptic landscape, survival action, and confrontation with an organized human threat.
Movie Details
- Director
- Jeff Renfroe
- Release Date
- 2013-04-12
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 5.5 / 10 (1288)
Cast
- Kevin Zegers
- Laurence Fishburne
- Bill Paxton
- Charlotte Sullivan
- John Tench
- Atticus Mitchell
- Dru Viergever
- Romano Orzari
- Earl Pastko
- Lisa Berry
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, ALLBLK, History Vault, ALLBLK Apple TV channel, ALLBLK Amazon channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Colony about?
- After an ice age drives humanity underground, a rescue mission discovers that the ruins of a lost colony conceal a new and terrifying threat.
- What is The Colony like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Colony as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.
- Is The Colony violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Colony as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Colony?
- Critics broadly regarded the film as a formulaic science-fiction thriller weakened by clichéd dialogue, cheesy effects, and underdeveloped characters, while acknowledging its convincingly cold atmosphere.
- Which films are like The Colony?
- Films with a similar feel include The Road, Snowpiercer, The Descent, and 30 Days of Night.
- How long is The Colony?
- The Colony runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Colony?
- In United States, The Colony streams on Philo, ALLBLK, History Vault, ALLBLK Apple TV channel, ALLBLK Amazon channel .
