There's just a lot that's inherently spooky about subway tunnels, isn't there? Writer / producer / director Maurice Devereaux certainly realizes this, in this above average modern horror film that gets a lot of mileage out of its very atmospheric settings. In this day and age, any horror film that can creep out a longtime fan of the genre like this viewer is definitely doing its job. Intended by Devereaux as a criticism of religious fanaticism, he actually leaves just enough things in his production ambiguous, and they should get people talking. He scatters some clues about that give one an indication of his own perception of the events that unfold, and leaves such things as the ending open to interpretation.

His story gathers together a group of strangers who begin to be preyed upon by a religious group dubbed the Voices of Hope. It seems as if the apocalypse is under way, and now these good folk are determined to "save" other people - by murdering them. The scenario becomes a grim struggle for survival, even as things look more and more bleak as the tale progresses. Among this small group is Karen (Ilona Elkin), a nurse whose bad day is going to turn into a worse night.

Devereaux never completely turns his antagonists into cartoon villains, instead treating them as basically human. (There *are* some doubters in the group, after all.) One notable exception is the salacious Patrick, played for maximum disgusting creepiness by Robin Wilcock. You eagerly anticipate the comeuppance of this character. It's true enough that we never get to know our protagonists all that well, but they still come across as likable enough that we don't look forward to seeing them come to bad ends. The pretty Elkin is particularly appealing in the lead. In fact, a lot of the acting in "End of the Line" is better than one might expect to see in this sort of low budget effort.

Financed by Devereaux himself (estimated budget at about $200,000 Canadian), this boasts a sufficient amount of splatter to be able to satisfy the gore lovers in the horror film audience. Other visual effects are quite well done, with a lot of the digital stuff done subtly. We do get to see some pretty disturbing visuals and some rather hideous demons. The budget prevents Devereaux from realizing very much of a true apocalyptic vision, but we are shown enough to get the point. He throws in homages to everything from J-horror to Italian horror to "The Shining".

This is the kind of thing I'd recommend to horror lovers who are distrustful of most films in the genre being made these days.

Eight out of 10.

Karen is a nurse at a psychiatric hospital whose been having nightmares of jump scares recently(and yeah, those do make a lot of appearances in this... but it does build a proper atmosphere, and is a very tense ride). On her way home, the subway train she's on stops suddenly, and she and a group of other regular people find themselves chased by a cult(who are genuinely and effectively creepy, throughout; they make this, in part, a zombie flick) out for blood, who claim that judgment day is coming(and that death is the better fate). Is this just a band of mad believers, or could they actually be right? This keeps it vague enough that you continue to ask yourself that question throughout, right up until the great ending. It goes into themes about faith(without it saying that it's completely good or bad), religious fanaticism(how far will they go?), hypocrisy, status and the like. This is somewhat exploitative(with some truly brutal gore, and extremely disturbing sequences, if these are moderate in amount), and it gets quite cheesy(the killers all use crosses that function as knives, and one of them, a middle-aged guy no less, wields a friggin' sword). It doesn't overstay its welcome, and keeps to a solid pace, and it gets going quickly whilst at the same time developing the characters, all of whom are sufficiently likable and credible(no one is really obnoxious, albeit one member of the murdering lot is truly despicable... but we love to hate him, and it really works). The FX vary, however most are excellent(a couple of designs and choices are questionable). This is at its best in the first 20 minutes or so, and if you find yourself not happy with the change after about that period of time, you might not like the rest of this. It does feel like the two portions of it don't completely fit together. The hour and a half do pass like nothing, and it has positive surprises along the way. Dialog tends to be fine, if there are a handful of lines that are... strange. Acting is so-so. There's a reason those on this cast aren't "names". There is some sexuality and a little strong language in this. I recommend this to fans of dark Gothic horror. 7/10

Prior to "End of the Line," the only thing I'd seen by writer-director Maurice Devereaux was a satirical short on PMS, done in the style of a '50s educational film (look it up on YouTube). Needless to say, this guy is a versatile talent worth keeping an eye on. Like many low-budget, independent horror films, "Line" begins fairly awkward, with wobbly performances, questionable makeup effects, and bizarre camera choreography. But after a deliberate buildup followed by an incredibly chilling segue into cold-blooded violence, "End of the Line" goes off and running to its own rhythm and tune, with near-total disregard for political correctness and moral scrutiny. The plot wouldn't seem so intensely button-pushing if we hadn't been inundated (especially in the wake of 9/11) with a rash of films that failingly attempt to rationalize and justify contemptible actions (on both sides) in the midst of warfare and natural disaster; Devereaux's 'monsters' are members of an expansive (and apparently global) religious sect, led by a Jim Jones type foretelling the impending apocalypse. Armed with crucifix daggers, strong belief, and Sunday Smiles, these zealots are the stuff of nightmares (proving once again what George Romero established in "Night of the Living Dead"--what a zombie does to a person is nothing compared to what the human survivors do to themselves). Beginning on a stopped subway car (where the PA crackles with cryptic, incoherent messages) and progressing through the subterranean tunnels below, a disparate group of survivors attempt to find their way to safety while being stalked by the murderous sect. The location is one of "Line"'s key strengths: the dimly-lit, desolate tunnels provide a thick, claustrophobic sense of desperation and isolation that only ratchets up the terror of the situation. Similarly, the performances by a cast of Stateside unknowns improves considerably as the film progresses, to the point where the viewer aligns his own survival instinct with that of the characters, and the desire to see them make it out alive. But like Romero, Devereaux isn't content with Happy Endings, and leaves us on an admirably ambiguous note that would do Dante Aligheri proud. "End of the Line" is a triumph for the genre.