I love movies about astronauts going mad in confined spaces: Supernova, Sunshine, Solaris, Event Horizon. If there is a potential for an apocalypse, I am happy. Even though 400 Days takes place underground and is just a simulation of space, I did not let that stop me from adding the movie to the queue.
I also noticed that a lot of actors from the CW DC Universe were in it, but I watch and enjoy most of those shows. Box office poison Brandon Routh was in Arrow and The Flash and is in Legends of Tomorrow as Dr. Palmer/The Atom. Routh is handsome, but I actually think that does not help. Caity Lotz is a favorite as Sarah, aka the Black Canary, now known as the Gray, I mean White Canary, on Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow. Tom Cavanagh is gravelly-voiced, always questionable Dr. Wells on The Flash.
Initially I was pleasantly surprised to see Grant Bower, whom I haven’t seen since Ugly Betty. Bowler played Wilhelmina’s love interest. Unfortunately he plays a very small role in 400 Days.
I regret my decision to watch 400 Days. 400 Days is strong on atmosphere, but is one of those awful movies that does not focus and depict a solid story so it goes in multiple crappy directions and is not satisfying. The majority of the actual 400 days of simulated space takes place in less than the initial thirty minutes.
The first half of 400 Days feels like the plot is going in one direction like the aforementioned films, but then it abruptly does not. The second half of 400 Days goes in a completely different direction that makes you wonder if the events that follow are part of the simulation (probably not) or did a collision event apocalypse occur (probably). Because of oxygen deprivation, everyone goes a bit Deliverance and has more in common with a slasher film like Texas Chainsaw Massacre as characters disappear.
It was only after I finished watching 400 Days that I realized two things that would have stopped me from watching the film. Dane Cook plays one of the astronauts. He actually does a pretty good job, but still. Second, 400 Days will be featured on the SyFy network.
Even the DVD is obnoxious. The movie starts automatically once it is in the DVD player. If you leave it in the machine, it will keep playing the movie in a loop. Once was plenty. No one wants to see this crap repeatedly. Don’t be like me. Do not watch 400 Days.