Let’s be real: when you look up The Colony cast movie, you’re probably expecting a star-studded blockbuster. Or maybe you're confused because there are like five different things called "The Colony." You’ve got the 2021 Tides movie (often called The Colony overseas), the Josh Holloway TV show from 2016, and the 2013 Canadian icy apocalypse flick. We’re talking about the 2013 one. The one with Laurence Fishburne looking cold and Morpheus-level intense.
It’s an odd movie. It’s got this gritty, low-budget feel despite having some heavy hitters in the credits. Honestly, the cast is the only reason this movie still pops up in people’s "What should I watch on a Tuesday night?" feeds. It’s a claustrophobic story about humanity living in underground bunkers because the world turned into a giant snowball.
The Heavy Hitters: Laurence Fishburne and Bill Paxton
Laurence Fishburne plays Briggs. If you’ve seen The Matrix or John Wick, you know exactly what he brings to the table. He's the leader. He’s got that authoritative bass voice that makes you feel like everything is under control, even when cannibals are literally banging on the door. Briggs is the heart of the colony—Colony 7, specifically—and Fishburne plays him with a weary kind of dignity. He isn't just a soldier; he’s a guy trying to keep a dying spark of civilization from flickering out.
Then you have the late, great Bill Paxton.
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He plays Mason. Now, if you want a masterclass in playing a guy who is slowly losing his mind and becoming a massive jerk because of survival stress, Paxton is your man. Remember him in Aliens? "Game over, man!" In The Colony, he’s much more cynical. He’s the antagonist from within. While Briggs wants to help people, Mason wants to "cull the herd." It’s a classic foil setup. Paxton was always incredible at playing characters you love to hate, or at least characters whose desperation feels uncomfortably real.
Kevin Zegers: The Lead You Might Recognize
Kevin Zegers plays Sam. You might know him from Gossip Girl or Transamerica. He’s the younger lead who accompanies Fishburne’s character on a mission to check out a distress signal from Colony 5.
Zegers does a decent job of being the "everyman" lens through which we see the horror. He’s the moral compass. While Fishburne is the legend and Paxton is the chaos, Zegers is the one we’re supposed to actually root for. His performance is understated. It has to be. In a world where you're rationing food and heat, nobody is doing big, theatrical monologues.
The Supporting Players Who Round Out Colony 7
It wasn't just a three-man show. The movie needed a sense of community to make the stakes feel real.
- Charlotte Sullivan as Kai: She’s Sam’s love interest and a key figure back at the base. Sullivan has been in plenty of Canadian productions like Rookie Blue. She brings a much-needed softness to a movie that is otherwise dominated by grey concrete and white snow.
- John Tench as Manson: Not to be confused with Paxton’s Mason. Tench is one of those veteran character actors who pops up in everything from Watch Dogs (the game) to Shooter.
- Dru Viergever as the Feral Leader: This guy. He doesn't have lines. He just snarls and looks absolutely terrifying. He represents the "devolved" state of humanity. Viergever is a massive dude, and his physical presence is what makes the second half of the movie transition from a survival drama into a full-blown slasher-horror flick.
The chemistry between the The Colony cast movie members is what keeps the first act moving. When they're walking across the frozen wasteland, you actually believe these guys are freezing. Fun fact: they actually filmed parts of this in a decommissioned NORAD base in North Bay, Ontario. That’s why the sets look so real. They were real. The cast wasn't just standing in front of a green screen the whole time; they were in a literal underground bunker.
Why the Cast Matters for the Story's Impact
Budget-wise, The Colony wasn't a Marvel movie. It cost about $16 million. In Hollywood terms, that’s lunch money.
Because they didn't have $200 million for CGI, the movie relies heavily on the faces of its actors. When Laurence Fishburne looks worried, you feel worried. The film explores themes of "Can we stay human when the world ends?" Without a cast that can act with their eyes while shivering in parkas, the movie would have fallen flat.
The tension between Fishburne and Paxton is the highlight. It’s a debate about ethics. Is it better to be safe and cold-hearted, or to take a risk and stay empathetic? Most people remember the "feral cannibals" part of the movie, but the scenes where the The Colony cast movie leads just argue about how to run the bunker are arguably more interesting.
A Note on the "Other" Colony Casts
Look, if you came here looking for the movie where people are stuck on a spaceship or a tropical island, you might be thinking of something else.
- Colony (TV Series): Stars Josh Holloway and Sarah Wayne Callies. Aliens have invaded LA. Very different.
- The Colony (2021): Also known as Tides. Stars Nora Arnezeder and Iain Glen (Jorah from Game of Thrones). This one is about a global flood rather than an ice age.
- The Colony (Documentary): There are several, usually about social experiments.
If you’re watching a movie and you see Morpheus, you’re in the right place.
The Production Reality
Director Jeff Renfroe had a tough task. Making a movie about "white snow and grey halls" look visually engaging is hard. The cast had to carry a lot of that visual weight.
Critics weren't exactly kind to the film when it dropped in 2013. It holds a pretty low score on Rotten Tomatoes. But here’s the thing: genre fans love it. It’s become a bit of a cult favorite on streaming services. Why? Because the The Colony cast movie ensemble treats the B-movie script like it’s Shakespeare. They don’t "wink" at the camera. They play it straight.
Bill Paxton, in particular, seemed to enjoy playing someone so abrasive. It’s one of his more underrated "mean guy" roles. If you’re a completionist for his filmography, this is a must-watch just to see him chew the scenery in a parka.
Is It Worth a Rewatch?
Honestly, yeah. Especially if you like "winter horror" like The Thing or 30 Days of Night.
The movie is short—about 90 minutes. It doesn't overstay its welcome. You get the setup, the mission, the discovery of the "ferals," and a chaotic finale. The practical effects on the cannibal makeup are actually pretty gross in a good way.
The ending of the movie leaves things a bit open. We won't spoil it, but it shifts from a story about hiding to a story about searching. It makes you wonder what a sequel would have looked like with the surviving members of the The Colony cast movie. Unfortunately, because it didn't set the box office on fire, we’re probably never getting a Colony 2.
What to Watch Next if You Liked the Cast
If you enjoyed the performances here, you should check out these specific projects from the main stars:
- For Fishburne: Check out Event Horizon. It’s another "crew goes to a scary place" movie, but in space. It’s way scarier and has that same "leader under pressure" vibe.
- For Paxton: You have to see Frailty. He directed it and starred in it. It shows his range way better than The Colony does.
- For Kevin Zegers: Watch Frozen (No, not the Disney one). It’s about three people stuck on a ski lift. It’s basically the same "trapped in the cold" tension but on a smaller scale.
Putting It All Together
The 2013 film The Colony is a weird snapshot of early 2010s sci-fi. It was caught between the era of "everything must be a gritty reboot" and the rise of streaming-first movies.
While the script might be predictable, the The Colony cast movie elevates the material. Fishburne and Paxton are professionals who know how to sell a high-concept premise. They make the stakes feel personal. If you’re looking for a claustrophobic thriller to watch while you’re bundled up on the couch, you could do a lot worse than this chilly Canadian export.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
If you want to dive deeper into this specific corner of sci-fi, here is how to get the most out of your viewing:
- Check the Streaming Platforms: Currently, The Colony often cycles through Freevee, Tubi, or the "free with ads" section of Amazon. Don't pay $20 for a digital 4K rip unless you're a die-hard Paxton fan.
- Watch the "Making Of" Featurettes: If you can find the DVD or Blu-ray extras, look for the segments on the NORAD base. Seeing how they turned a real nuclear bunker into a movie set is actually more fascinating than some of the movie's plot points.
- Compare and Contrast: Watch this back-to-back with the 2021 movie Tides (The Colony). It’s a fascinating look at how two different directors approached the exact same title and "dying earth" theme with totally different visual styles.
- Look for the Cameos: Keep an eye out for Julian Richings. He has a small role, but he’s a legendary character actor (Death from Supernatural) who always adds a layer of creepiness to any scene he's in.
Ultimately, The Colony is a solid Sunday afternoon movie. It won't change your life, but seeing Bill Paxton and Laurence Fishburne go head-to-head in a frozen wasteland is worth the price of admission—or at least the time it takes to stream it.