THE DEAD TIMES

RATING:

ZOMBIE RATING:

DESCRIPTION:

A terrible infection has ripped through Australia like a plague, turning those inflicted by it's deadly touch into ravenous, crazed, unstoppable Zombies. Only a few scattered survivors remain and, following a devastating attack on their previous home, one such group has fled to an abandoned farm - a place offering relatively safety, but only while the weakening walls hold. Evie wants to wait for her missing husband but the others, knowing that their current home can't withstand a serious undead assault, revolt, leaving the farm and taking the only means of escape as they depart. When all seems lost, a stranger turns up - a stranger offering help and protection in exchange for a place to call home. Days pass; everything seems to be going well but, after a while, what Evie and her returned husband John, initially thought was a saviour turns out to be just another kind of horror.

MY VERDICT:

Plague is part The Walking Dead, having a heavy focus on human drama and group dynamics during a zombie apocalypse, part 28 Days Later with its sprinting Zombies and military vibe towards the end. With these two big influences, there isn't much room left over for originality but this 100% Australian movie does attempt to break away from the norm by devoting a large part of the story to the group splitting apart, forcing the remaining individuals to take up residence with someone who, seems initially friendly and helpful, turns out to be a total "wrong 'un". In fact, this internal conflict that tests just how long people can put up with people they really do not like but also really need is the major highlight of the movie - if you are reading developers of The Walking Dead TV series, you could definitely learn something by watching this film. The acting is fairly high quality too - not award-winning, but well above average. So I'd recommend this film to anyone growing weary of the usual all-action Zombie movies or even one-time fans of The Walking Dead TV series.