That’s the entrancing opening sequence in this apocalyptic thriller from director Francis Lawrence.
In an almost single-handed role, Will Smith plays Robert Neville, a former scientist and one of the last surviving humans three years after a virus obliterates the world.
Via flashbacks, you soon learn that the virus was initially intended as a cure for cancer but had horrific consequences. Ninety per cent of the population were killed, nine per cent have regressed into ferocious mutants and just a vulnerable one per cent were immune.
Now seemingly the last resident of New York, Robert’s only companion is his dog Sam and his fragile sanity is only maintained by watching old videos, keeping to a routine and trying to find a cure as his battle for survival rages on against the mutants.
Smith plays the flawed character well and in a variety of humourous yet tragic scenes he interacts with mannequins, just longing for human contact.
It’s also interesting to see the character forcibly lodged back into the food chain. With creatures roaming and food scarce, this Darwinian principle is best demonstated when Robert hunts a deer only to be beaten to the kill by a lioness.
This is the third adaptation of Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel following The Last Man on Earth (1964) and The Omega Man (1971).
And once again, it is a very interesting and horrifying take on what would happen if things all went wrong for humankind.
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