Just three months after its limited theatrical release, WWE Studios‘ The Day is now available on DVD and in a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. In my initial review of the film, I praised the film’s stylistic approach to a bleak post-apocalyptic landscape where nomadic packs of humans do battle for survival. But even though the film’s washed-out look and masterfully low-budget special effects are impressive, I still feel like it wanders around the topics of why these two groups of people are at each other’s throats and how humanity has found itself in such a weary state.

But mystery can be a good thing, so the fact that we never find out the specifics of the war that has left a few stragglers fighting for survival isn’t a huge problem. Though bonus features are sparse on this DVD/Blu-ray release, the commentary track featuring director Doug Aarniokoski, producer Guy Danella and writer Luke Passmore does offer some insight into the things that weren’t apparent to me the first time I watched the movie.

The premise of The Day is that the protagonists (Shannyn Sossamon, Shawn Ashmore, Dominic Monaghan, Cory Hardrict and a viciously emotional Ashley Bell) find refuge in an abandoned farmhouse that is actually a trap set by another clan led by a Mohawked Michael Eklund. What wasn’t clear the first time around was why one group of humans had set a trap for another group of humans rather than working together to restore some semblance of civility to the world. But the audio commentary explains that the world is now devoid of animals, meaning that many people have resorted to cannibalism in order to survive. So those trapped in the house are intended to be the next few meals for Eklund and his carnivorous clan. (The commentary also points out that one of the bad guys is played by Shimon Moore from the band Sick Puppies, which I otherwise would probably not have realized.)

Well, that puts everything into an entirely different perspective. Now that I know specifically what these people are fighting over, and the consequences those trapped inside the house face if they lose the fight, I’m able to be much more emotionally invested in a movie that already hooked me with its visual prowess and cinematography. And that fact that The Day features people fighting for their lives in a futuristic wasteland that doesn’t include zombies, vampires or other supernatural threats is a refreshing nuance what could otherwise have been a tired rehashing of horror clichés. Despite my initial criticisms, I enjoyed The Day the first time around. But multiple viewings definitely make for a more enriching experience.