There are too many books and movies out there using the destruction of mankind as a theme. There are dozens that are good. There are only a handful that are iconic. “The Day of the Triffids” is one of the icons. It’s been adapted several times before, but always in the UK (and during times when that stuff didn’t necessarily make it over in broad strokes to our shores (like 2009)). The 1962 version is perhaps the most famous, but even it diverges from the book in a few significant ways that neuter the story’s impact.
Fortunately, it looks like (after a bidding war where Mandate came out on top) Sam Raimi is going to have a go at it. Yes, there’s a subtlety to it all that Raimi will have trouble finding while a tree rapes a woman, but overall the guy is a talented filmmaker who certainly has passion for the genre and the title itself.
So what are triffids? Three-legged sentient plants (stay with me here) that humans harvest for their oils. A massive meteor event leaves much of the world blinded, and a small group attempts to come together to create a commune of survivors out in the country. This may be a bad example, but imagine if The Happening was both a creature feature and good.
The book has an air about it that’s absolutely horrifying, and matching that tone will be the key to success here. It could be a thriller masterpiece if it gives the book its due.
What say you?
Source: CHUD
Related Topics: Books
