Day of the Triffids

(Steve Sekeley/1962/UK)

A rather dated adaptation of John Wyndham’s excellent book, this film focuses too much on character relationships and not enough on the drama and tension of an oncoming, sentient plant induced apocalypse. The Triffids themselves are impressive but the plot is a bit plodding and strays too far from the original so we get less of the societal collapse portrayed in the book and more of a survivalist story. The scene with the convicts, which lamely mirrors the party for the new, armed and despotic leaders in the book, resembles a stereotyped beatnik debacle than evidence of the world falling apart. The very best adaptation of Day of the Triffids is the BBC’s 1981 three part TV series but I would say just read the book as it’s a classic.

(2/5)