Will the world end with a whimper or a bang? That may well depend on whether you're at the multiplex or the art house. While blockbusters continue to relish the visual bombastics of Armageddon (the most wanton example being "2012"), a number of smaller films are also delving into the dark dramatic potential of the end days.
"The Road" (2010) was a stark, realist look at the "Mad Max" scenario, while Lars Von Trier's forthcoming "Melancholia" is a gorgeous, miserabilist foray into Michael Bay material, with an asteroid hitting the Earth. This month, however, sees the grim Glaswegian film "Perfect Sense" appear with a new take on the viral apocalypse.
This time it's not the Rage Virus ("28 Days Later") nor the walking dead nor intelligent ape strains; it's a mystery outbreak that attacks the five senses. First to go is smell, and the question is whether taste, vision, hearing and touch will follow.