Plot
The United States accidentally set off a experimental weapon off of the east coast of Tasmania, that killed everyone on the island instantly.
Groups have been going to the island, in order to find the dead, and bury them… however some of the dead have been coming back “online”
Ava, a physical therapist from America heads there to help with the task – hopeful that she can get south of Hobart where her husband was staying. – as she is hopeful that he has come back, and there might be some of his humanity left.
Direction
Written and Directed by Zak Hilditch, his style has an Alex Garland type feel to it, with some of the colours used.
I loved the use of God’s Eye at several moments throughout the film.
Despite its Tasmanian setting, it was filmed mostly in Western Australia.
Cast
Daisy Ridley plays Ava – a woman so clearly broken by what she has been through in her past. She has some absolutely brilliant moments of acting within the film.
Brenton Thwaites plays Clay, who she befriends on the mission to find her husband.
Matt Whelan plays Mitch, who is Ava’s husband. He mostly appears in flashbacks.
Mark Coles Smith plays Riley, who lost his heavily pregnant wife in the accident, and is ‘lost’ due to it.
Breakdown
The film starts with the revelation of what occurred recently. An experimental weapon was accidentally discharged off the east coast of Tasmania, and killed everyone on the island instantly. The military have declared most of the island safe, but fires still rage on in Hobart.
American Ava, whose husband was south of Hobart on a business trip, comes to the island to help find the dead so they can be buried. The discover from those within the military that some of the dead are coming back ‘online’ and that they must be put down. Those in the recovery team discuss the possibility of those coming back might be able to make recovery?
The first third of the film has this narrative, where Ava and her ‘partner’ Clay go from house to house recovering bodies, there is a beautiful score that plays at times (it also had moments where it reminded me of Danny Elfman) – and especially during Ava’s flashbacks to her marriage, where there is beauty within the horror. As their friendship progresses, she talks Clay into helping her get south, in order to find her husband. Despite it being off limits – they go.
They happen across a military man named Riley – who puts them into a local prison. Clay “mysteriously” runs off from Riley (or did he???) – and Riley – having lost his own family in the accident takes pity on Ava and agrees to take her to her husband… but first he needs something from her… he wants her to “take his wife’s place” for a dance – which seems genuinely sweet – but as the night goes on and his obsession grows – she must try to escape him too. I actually liked this portion of the film, as it shows that the victims of the accident continue past the initial explosion. Riley was never a bad guy, he was just broken by what happened to him. That being said it didn’t help he kept his wife’s dead body, and many of the online in his shed.
Speaking of the online… I both loved the attention to detail in the sound design of the teeth crunching…. and hated the sound of the teeth crunching (but that’s just because I have a slight phobia of teeth… see also Bring Her Back and Talk to Me).
There is a heart wrenching scene before Ava gets to her location, where she finds a family deceased from the blast. She awakens (in their caravan) to find the ‘zombie dad’ digging a hole, so he can bury them – Ava assists – and once they are safely in the hole – he sits and awaits his end from Ava.
This proves to Ava, that the ‘online’ do indeed have some levels of humanity left. If this doesn’t touch you deeply… then I don’t know what to say.
The final arc, in which Ava finds Mitch (and the truth about their marriage is revealed) is a gut punch, and Ridley is phenomenal here.
Some moments after this really worked, especially finding Riley’s wife (in a zombie state) has given birth to a healthy and non zombie baby. But the Ava/Clay reunion (and partying) just didn’t work.
I also thought the screenplay was clever to never use the term “zombie” throughout too, and for a “zombie” movie, there were very few zombies.
Overall
This wasn’t your typical zombie movie – even though at times very scary – I could count on one hand the times it gets your adrenaline racing. Instead it is a story about love, loss, and life finding a way. A very strong recommend, if not for that breathtaking score, brilliant direction and phenomenal performance by Ridley.
4/5
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