Welcome to Movie Shortens. Follow us today to a 2012 disaster film called: 40 Days and Nights.
Before we start, be aware: there are spoilers!
In the Sahara Desert on day one, some friends are driving around in their jeeps
when they see a storm coming. The girls want to go back but the guys insist on carrying on. Suddenly
a huge flood of water crashes over the mountain and engulfs them.
By day five the desert is flooded. A plane flies over the area collecting data.
The pilot decides to fly lower as he has no radar. The co-pilot spots a ship which they nearly
collide with so they pull up immediately. At the Hunley Naval Research Facility in Colorado,
John receives some data then goes out to look at a huge craft that is being built. His fiance,
Tessa approaches him and he tells her that the visor is almost complete. They go together for
a picnic on the roof of the facility. She mentions their unborn baby but suddenly they notice a storm
approaching. Tessa notes that the storm that they are expecting isn’t due for another week.
They head inside to a briefing with the Admiral. He reminds everyone that this is an extinction
level event. The size of the storm appears to be growing exponentially. They expect the planet to
be covered within five weeks. There is a lot of work to do before this ark will be ready.
Tessa is supposed to be collecting DNA samples to go onto the Ark but the specimens are still
in Denver. John realizes that the other Arks that are under construction are unlikely to be ready in
time. Everyone is horrified that those promised space on the arks are unlikely to be saved.
Lieutenant Amato arrives to inform them that the eye of the storm is less than 400 miles
from the coast - that means there is actually 3 weeks before the planet will be covered.
John asks that his new turbine plans should be sent to the other Ark facilities
to give them a chance to implement them, and the Admiral agrees to have them sent.
Across the country, areas are being engulfed by rainfall. The DNA specimens on their way to the
Ark are stuck on a train about 35 miles away. They were all frozen so they will defrost soon
if not retrieved. The Admiral instructs that Warrant Officer Masters meets him
as she is one of the best Seals that the Navy has produced - she can lead the extraction.
Tessa informs him that there are over 100,000 specimens and as they are not all essential,
whoever goes needs to know which ones to retrieve. She volunteers to go with them.
John overhears this plan and tells her to take care. She and Masters
head for the helicopter and it takes off. Meanwhile, a Scientist named Chase in the compound
makes a call to his girlfriend Kiley in Pennsylvania. He tells her to quickly
get to one of the Arks in St Louis as the storms are not normal and she needs to get out quickly.
He also tells her to tell nobody - of course she tells her friends Jennifer and Bruce
as they all leave together. They are soon stuck in traffic and decide
to take another route. They go to the Marina to take a boat instead but it is soon overwhelmed.
Tessa and Masters approach the train and get out of the helicopter. As they inspect the samples,
the pilot notices the storm approaching and radios through to the women. The helicopter is hovering
nearby and they have to jump to get back on. Tessa drops one of the canisters of samples but
they manage to escape. John explains to Captain Bridges
that the Ark can house about 50,000 passengers and explains how it works and is powered. He explains
how the turbine works and tries to demonstrate but there is a problem. It starts to smoke and John
identifies that he needs another part. He is going to have to go to a shipyard in Illinois to get it.
The Admiral puts him on another helicopter called the Seadragon to go to retrieve it.
He is warned that it is a stealth operation - no-one can know why he is there.
Tessa and Masters are on their way back. Tessa tells her that with what they have,
the human race will be able to live but they won't be able to survive.
John is arriving at the shipyard with Amato. They land and climb down into the base.
They sneak through the corridors and enter a lab. John manages to extract the piece that he needs
but then they get stuck in the room. He tries to decipher the code and they manage
to get out. They are almost caught by security but Amato knocks him out in order to escape.
They get back to the Seadragon. Kiley, Jennifer and Bruce have managed
to get off the boat and are walking through the streets of Morganstown, Pennsylvania.
Sinkholes start to open and Kiley almost falls down one. An old man asks if they are
ok and they ask for his help. They tell him about the Ark and he says he’ll help them if
his family can come along. It turns out that his family is everyone left in Morganstown and many
people join a convoy driving toward the Ark. Tessa arrives back and tells the Admiral about
their mission. She tells him that the only way to get more samples may be to collect some from
some caves near Colorado. He gives her two days to complete this mission but she argues
that deadlines can’t apply - they must collect these samples for the human race to survive.
Kiley and the rest of the group from Morganstown arrive at the facility at St
Louis and demand to be let in. The soldiers on guard radio inside but a fight erupts. Suddenly
they notice the water coming and they all rush to get inside. However, the base is breached.
Day fourteen - John and Chase are trying to repair the turbine. John is not happy that the Admiral
sent Tessa to collect the samples. Day Sixteen and Tessa and Masters are on a
plane. They identify a potential site in a flooded Orchard. They
enter a cave on foot and search for samples. Amato brings news to the Admiral from St Louis
that communications are down and the only Ark site still in contact is in Denver.
He shows a transcript of the internal communications from the Ark site and the
admiral says that this cannot go unpunished. The responsible person has been identified.
In the cave, Tessa manages to find a hive and Masters climbs up to reach it.
Suddenly there is a crack in the ceiling and the hive falls to the ground as water floods through.
Tessa and Masters escape back to the Plane but as they get on the Pilot and Co-Pilot are swept away.
Masters takes off but Tessa is despondent as although they managed to get a sample,
she feels that there is no hope. The Admiral approaches Chase and
admonishes him for his actions. He tells him about the disaster at the St Louis site and
he is thrown off the base. He has forfeited his place on the Ark. Throughout the country
scenes of devastation continue to occur. On the plane, Masters reveals that the base they
are heading for doesn’t have any runways and Tessa understands that they are going to have to jump
out of the plane. Masters reassures her that she has done it before. They approach Denver
and see the city flooded with water. The Admiral instructs John to test the
turbine with Ensign Younger. He wants to wait for Chase but he is told to carry on now. It
is successful but Younger tells him that they still need six or seven days to get it into
place. The Admiral tells her to work quicker. John asks about Tessa and the Admiral assures
him that she is in safe hands with Masters. Masters and Tessa prepare to jump from the plane.
The parachute opens and they land safely. John asks about Chase and finds that he has
been dismissed and removed from the base. John thinks it is murder but the Admiral
says that it is merciful. Younger tells John that her family were at the St Louis site.
On the ground, Tessa clutches her stomach. They are maybe 2 or 3 miles from the base. A
group of three men with guns try to stop them but they are soon saved by a larger group of people
who warn the men away. The group figure out that
they are with the military and suspect that they have a good reason for heading toward the base.
Although Masters tries to conceal their purpose, Tessa tells them all to come with them.
Day Eighteen and the Admiral inspects the Ark. Younger explains that once the turbines are in
place then the Ark will be seaworthy. Suddenly Tessa enters with the group of people. As they
are found quarters, the Admiral speaks with Tessa and Masters. They explain to him that the
timeline is off as Denver is already under water. He instructs her to get the specimens into place.
She wants to see John but he tells her that John is doing his job and under the circumstances,
she should get on with hers. Tessa vomits whilst trying to work. She
reveals to Masters that she is 10 weeks pregnant. They leave for the cooling unit in the ark.
The Admiral sounds an alarm as the water begins to crash towards the base.
Captain Bridges orders that the turbines be brought online but John argues that Tessa
is not there yet. Tessa is rushing to board calling out for John. Captain Bridges prepares
to disengage the Ark as the doors are closed. Only about 500 passengers made it on board.
The Ark crashes through the doors and leaves the base. It heads towards a mountain range and the
Captain fears that the rocks could dash them to pieces. Younger assures them that the structure
has been tested but Amato enquires if they tried slamming it against any mountains.
Tessa meets with John and they have a happy reunion.
On the Bridge, the Captain receives a damage report.
There is some hull damage at the turbines but Younger assures him that it would still be fine.
They try to restart the damaged turbines but they won’t work. Amato suggests redirecting power to
the other turbines but Younger says that they will still be running at half capacity. The Captain
insists that the repairs take place otherwise they will be at the mercy of the storm.
Day Twenty-One and Younger says that the Turbine is beyond repair but they have
redirected the power. John tells Amato to tell the Captain that the turbines are a failure
but he has another plan. The Ark is currently over Denver
and the Captain hopes that the Denver Ark was able to launch. They are unable to see the Ark below so
they are hopeful that it was able to escape. John is up on deck and has come up with a plan to
replace the broken sails with a new material. Amato and Masters agree to join him.
Final head count for passengers is 857 - the Admiral never made it on board.
Younger radios to the bridge to disengage the old broken sails. The team returns and
Masters has been injured. Amato was killed. Day Thirty One and Masters is still in a coma.
John explains to Tessa that they don’t have a lot of power but everything is under control.
Younger arrives and asks them to go to the infirmary where Masters has woken. They tell
her about Amato and everyone takes a moment to grieve. A huge wave impacts the Ark and it
crashes into a mountain. The Captain explains that they are now wedged between two peaks. They aim to
force themselves free by using some accelerant from the DNA sample cooler system. Masters and
Younger enter the flooded area of the Ark and attach the equipment. As they clear, Tessa lights
the wire and the resulting water pressure blasts the Ark free and it resumes its course.
On day Forty the seas have calmed and the sun comes out.
Everyone goes to the upper deck and they watch the sunrise. They receive communications from
the Denver Ark. Chase made it on board. There is a fleet of Arks that survived - including
one that contains Younger’s family. They set course to meet up with the fleet.
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