By Renee’ Collins
Rating: 5 (Out of 5 Reels)
I am not a fan of horror/ zombie flicks, but when I saw the trailer for this film, I wanted to give it a try. A zombie called R (Nicholas Hoult) rescues Julie (Teresa Palmer) from other attacking zombies and they soon develop a relationship that changes everything in a world suffering the aftermath of a zombie Apocalypse.
I enjoyed Hoult’s portrayal as Hank McCoy/Beast in the latest X-Men film, but his stature has risen in my eyes, because this film fosters a different kind of nuanced acting in its subtlety. I believe he and Palmer were perfectly cast, because they are believable in every way possible. John Malkovich is also well cast as Grigio, the overbearing father, who is head of the army that defends the city borders where the remaining non-zombie humans live.
This film pleasantly surprised me, because the writing is witty, smart funny and the minimal gore is adequate to the story This particularly pleased me because the story is less zombie film and more a love story set in a zombie world. And, to top that, the overall story is something I have never seen. I remember thinking half way through the film how eager I felt to see the ending because the unknown impressed me. On another note, the film’s marketing is brilliant, because they are able to get across the fact that this film is not just for gore for gore’s sake and that it has far more to offer. There is not an enormous amount of special computer generated effects because it only enhances the story line; which is perfection in my eyes. The makeup and costuming compel and as noted, the cast is strong. All in all, this film is simple, heartfelt and wonderful and should not be missed because it is absolutely fantastic, intelligent entertainment.