'Rise of the Zombie', not to be confused with the 2012 film, 'Rise of the Zombies' starring Danny Trejo, is a film that zombie fans, as well as independent film lovers don't want to miss out on. I like it, maybe I love it.
Director Luke Kenny plays Neil Parker, a wildlife photographer who, after deciding to spend a few days in the wilderness to clear his head after a fight with his girlfriend, is bitten or stung while taking photos of insects, small animals, and breathtaking landscape. Over the next few days his world slowly spins out of control; a dark and violent journey into what will soon be the incident that gives birth to the apocalyptic spreading of the zombie virus as we know it.
Devaki Singh, writer and also co-director, tells a beautiful, terrifying, and believable story while Luke Kenny, co-director and lead actor sells his role brilliantly. 'Rise of the Zombie' is every bit as much a psychological thriller as it is the gory, body-parts-piling-up, flesh eating zombie horror.
'Rise of the Zombie' is not a blood and gore 'quick fix'. It's a film that doesn't replace quality for cheap thrills. It has a real story, real characters, real drama, and a real delivery that you have to wait for. But even with a slow start to the violent ripping of intestines and chewing-off of faces, that we have all come to expect and love from zombie movies, the wait is as much a part of the experience as the culminating horrific climax. It left me fully satisfied and wanting more.
Although India has been in the filmmaking business for just over a hundred years, 'Rise of the Zombie' is the country's first zombie film and it will easily land in my top 20 favorite zombie films list. Even without all the subtitles, it's more than worth the ride to see how the beginning of the zombie apocalypse began in the mind of Devaki Singh.
Highlights: The artistic way cinematographer, Murzy Pagdiwala uses the cameras and lighting to capture amazing landscapes, the small village traditions, as well as the violent motions during attacks not complement the story and add depth to Neil's emotional and mental decent, but it shares a piece of Hindu culture most have never experienced.
Why Not 10 Stars?: The film is not spoken in English and the subtitles freeze up on about six or seven sentences for the majority of the film. I felt that this caused me to miss some of the storyline that I needed to connect with other characters more deeply.
Don't forget: In the last few minutes the title 'Rise of the Zombie' appears on the screen. At the screening I first saw this film at, it was stopped there. After I watched it again I realized that it is not the end of the film and you may think the best part is in the three minutes following.
Director Luke Kenny plays Neil Parker, a wildlife photographer who, after deciding to spend a few days in the wilderness to clear his head after a fight with his girlfriend, is bitten or stung while taking photos of insects, small animals, and breathtaking landscape. Over the next few days his world slowly spins out of control; a dark and violent journey into what will soon be the incident that gives birth to the apocalyptic spreading of the zombie virus as we know it.
Devaki Singh, writer and also co-director, tells a beautiful, terrifying, and believable story while Luke Kenny, co-director and lead actor sells his role brilliantly. 'Rise of the Zombie' is every bit as much a psychological thriller as it is the gory, body-parts-piling-up, flesh eating zombie horror.
'Rise of the Zombie' is not a blood and gore 'quick fix'. It's a film that doesn't replace quality for cheap thrills. It has a real story, real characters, real drama, and a real delivery that you have to wait for. But even with a slow start to the violent ripping of intestines and chewing-off of faces, that we have all come to expect and love from zombie movies, the wait is as much a part of the experience as the culminating horrific climax. It left me fully satisfied and wanting more.
Although India has been in the filmmaking business for just over a hundred years, 'Rise of the Zombie' is the country's first zombie film and it will easily land in my top 20 favorite zombie films list. Even without all the subtitles, it's more than worth the ride to see how the beginning of the zombie apocalypse began in the mind of Devaki Singh.
Highlights: The artistic way cinematographer, Murzy Pagdiwala uses the cameras and lighting to capture amazing landscapes, the small village traditions, as well as the violent motions during attacks not complement the story and add depth to Neil's emotional and mental decent, but it shares a piece of Hindu culture most have never experienced.
Why Not 10 Stars?: The film is not spoken in English and the subtitles freeze up on about six or seven sentences for the majority of the film. I felt that this caused me to miss some of the storyline that I needed to connect with other characters more deeply.
Don't forget: In the last few minutes the title 'Rise of the Zombie' appears on the screen. At the screening I first saw this film at, it was stopped there. After I watched it again I realized that it is not the end of the film and you may think the best part is in the three minutes following.