In 2008, a lethal plague ("Reaper") has infected Scotland. As the country is walled off by the British government to quarantine the infected, a young girl, Eden, is amongst the last to be airlifted out. Her mother is left behind, but not before thrusting an envelope marked with their home address in to Eden's hands. In 2033, a fully-grown Eden (Rhona Mitra) is a Major in the Department of Domestic Security. The Reaper virus has broken out in London, and the Prime Minister (Alexander Siddig) orders an excursion into Scotland to locate medical researcher Dr Kane (Malcolm MacDowell), who was attempting to find a cure prior to the quarantine and whom the Prime Minister hopes has since been able to find a cure.
Eden is teamed with a small group comprising military personnel and two medical scientists and crosses the border in two Armoured personnel carriers. The group heads to the Glasgow hospital at which Kane was researching a cure before the quarantine was placed, but are ambushed by violent cannibalistic bandits. Eden and several others are captured and taken to the tribe's leader, Sol (Craig Conway). Eden tells him the purpose of her mission, and Sol reveals that Dr Kane had told them all that nothing remained of the world outside Scotland. The group holds a Rock concert-style show, which culminates in the killing and eating of one of the scientists who accompanied Eden into Scotland. Eden manages to escape with the help of another prisoner, Cally (MyAnna Buring), killing Sol's girlfriend in the process. Cally reveals that she is Kane's daughter and Sol is in fact her brother and knows where to find Kane. Cally and Eden meet up with the two surviving members of Eden's team and a group of rebels associated with Cally.
After being pursued by Sol's group, the rebels eventually escape Glasgow on a train from an abandoned Queen Street Station heading north to Kane's settlement in the Highlands. After disembarking from the train, they are confronted by a patrol of horsemen, who are commanded by Dr Kane. They are taken to a nearby castle, where Kane has established a neo-Feudal commune. He tells Eden that he doesn’t care about the outside world and that there is no cure for the virus. The people that are alive have survived through natural selection simply because they’re immune. Dr Kane then forces Eden to fight his best warrior in a gladiatorial style duel. Eden kills him and escapes, finding a cell phone in a cache of supplies in an old fallout shelter. Eden, Cally and one surviving member of her troop make their escape in a Bentley Continental GT also found in the shelter.
In England, when one of the infected infiltrates the Government's headquarters and is shot by Eden's former commander, Nelson (Bob Hoskins), while in close proximity to the Prime Minister, the PM is sprayed with blood. Rather than die of the plague, he commits suicide. His aide, Canaris (David O'Hara), reveals his plans to take over the country. Eden calls Nelson's cell phone, telling him she has what they're looking for. Canaris takes the cell phone and orders the call traced.
Eden is followed by Sol and his bandits and a violent car chase ensues. Sol jumps into Eden's car, and is killed by decapitation when the car drives through one of the chasing vehicles. Eden meets with Canaris, telling him that because those in Scotland are immune, Cally's blood could help to find a vaccine. Canaris admits wanting to let the plague continue spreading before planning to bring the cure to the masses. Eden stays in Scotland and is visited by Nelson at her mother's house. She doesn't find her mother but finds a picture of the two. Nelson found her through the envelope, which she gave him to look after, and she lets him keep as she now has a picture to remember her mother by. She gives him a tape recording of the conversation with Canaris in order for Nelson to use it to incriminate him.
Eden travels to Sol’s gang's hideout carrying Sol’s head. After she throws it down in front of the gang saying "If you're hungry, try a piece of your friend", they cheer, and accept her as their new leader.
Cast
- Rhona Mitra as Eden Sinclair, the leader of the elite team sent to find a cure.[2] The heroine was inspired by the character Snake Plissken.[3] Mitra worked out and trained in fighting for eleven weeks for the film. Marshall described Mitra's character as a soldier who has been rendered cold from her military indoctrination , and her journey to find the cure for the virus is one of redemption.[4]
- Bob Hoskins as Bill Nelson, Sinclair's police chief who nominates Sinclair for the mission and monitors her progress.
- Malcolm McDowell as Kane, a former scientist who now lives as a feudal lord in an abandoned castle.[5] McDowell described his character as a King Lear.[6] According to Marshall, Kane is based on Kurtz from Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. The director originally sought to bring Sean Connery out of retirement to play Kane but was unsuccessful.[5]
- MyAnna Buring as Cally, Kane's daughter
- Craig Conway as Sol, the son of Kane and the leader of the Marauders
- Alexander Siddig as John Hatcher, the British Prime Minister
- Sean Pertwee as Dr. Talbot
- Darren Morfitt as Dr. Sterling
- Adrian Lester as Sergeant Norton
- David O'Hara as Michael Canaris
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