Conor Horgan/ Ireland/ 2009

The end of the world brings about the end of modern civilisation as we know it in Conor Horgan’s promising post-apocalyptic drama, One Hundred Mornings. Set in modern-day Ireland, this film explores just what can happen to humanity in such conditions, in an isolated village community.

The after effects of an unknown and unexplained apocalypse have left two couples stranded in a cabin the woods, which is three days walk from Dublin. But as time wears on and with the hope of rescue and their supplies vanishing daily, they soon realise that while they survived the end of the world, they have to contend with a more frightening force, the hunger and desperation of those around them.

Horgan’s unsettling tale goes beyond the events that caused the modern world to end, and instead focuses on how the everyday quality of life and relationships of normal people are destroyed by the breakdown of society. What begins as friendly relations and trust soon descends into mistrust and paranoia, as the characters soon realise that no one is going to help them, as everyone around them is only thinking of themselves. Brutal, dark and also thought-provoking, One Hundred Mornings reveals the harsh reality of a world where starvation, death and betrayal are commonplace. Horgan has managed to create a film that excels in its depiction of a dark and brutal future that realistically captures a sense of claustrophobia and boredom as the characters find themselves with little to do but defend themselves against the local villagers and corrupt Garda. Not for the faint-hearted, One Hundred Mornings is a bleak reminder of what man’s inhumanity towards man is really like.