A harrowing, if sometimes overly hammering Lord of the Flies-type parable about humanity going suddenly blind. Perpetually washed out and at times literally blinding, the film assaults us with double images, distorted refractions, out-of-focus shots, and disorienting framing, which makes the actual experience of watching the film as difficult as it is to digest its traumatic subject matter. Yet, those who see it as a bleak, cynical portrait of base human evil are missing the fact that the film is not just about the fall of humankind, but also the rebirth from the garbage-strewn ashes. (Hollywood Jewel 16, Waco, TX)