Herd (III) (2023) User Reviews

Personal drama.

[Patient444 · 5/10 · 15 October 2023]

A zombie movie with no zombies.

An outbreak horror with very little outbreak.

A dangerous trip without a road.

I don't know if this movie is misleading, but it sure is different than whatever one might expect.

I can't say I had any fun with it, especially because I was expecting a horror. Not necessarily gore, blood, torture and bad make-up and effects, but certainly more than this.

Herd is all about a couple's personal drama that just happens to coincide with an outbreak, one that we learn more from the TV inside the movie, than the plot itself.

Anyway, for a soap opera episode, Herd could do alright. But for a zombie movie, really not.

It's bland, plain and annoyingly slow and boring.

One of those movies that make you question why did you press Play.

Cheers!

Almost 7*? Don't think so

[pedronunesnomundo · 3/10 · 15 October 2023]

I'm sorry to disappoint you, but there's nothing relevant to mention about this movie (to deserve such a rating)!

As you read in the description nothing in this script is new. As nothing else really. Each character, each situation, each line is so dramatically déjà vu that someone should warn horror movie lovers about this lost-of-precious-time-trap. At least that's what I'm trying to do future IMDBers who com to take a peak at the comments.

There's so many(/better) options out there that only as a masochist move you'd chose to spend your time like this!

I'm happy and at the same time sad I'm one of the first to tell you to stay off, because I won't be able to get this time back myself.

Just to the same for your fellow man!! :D.

An overall disappointing effort with only a few positives

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 5/10 · 18 October 2023]

Hoping to rebuild their fractured relationship, a woman and her girlfriend head off into the countryside for a weekend retreat, but when they come into contact with a zombie virus that affects one of them must turn to an equally-dangerous militia group for safety against the hordes of undead.

Overall, this was somewhat disappointing if still decent enough effort. The main thing with this one is the rather focused use of the zombies here which is what generates nearly all of the positives here. The backstory for why they're out and about is fine enough for this kind of feature, and when given the behavioral adjustments where they seem fine and not that harmful to others unless they're provoked generates the kind of effective creature here even before getting to their impressive design. The overall look of the creatures with their snarling faces and growing pustules makes for a fun time so that the main attack scenes here are highly effective and enjoyable swarming scenes that are full of solid stunt work where they come after others and generate some grisly effects in the interim. While this is all heavily featured in the first half and last third of the film, that's pretty much the majority of the positives to be had here. There are some issues here that lower this one overall. One of the main drawbacks here is the film's seemingly overwhelming amount of stupidity exhibited by the leads which keep this going along. The whole thing offering of the trip as a means of keeping their relationship intact serves as an excuse to keep the secret about the rapidly-spreading infection from her girlfriend away from others due to some narrow-minded commitment to the relationship instead of thinking about the safety of the group around her for no real reason. This is exacerbated by the wholly uninvolved series of bits beforehand where they seem perfectly aware of everything at the start but their strange fascination with the relationship instead puts them into the fray so that they become infected when around others. This causes a wholly unlikable situation to occur here with the leads being very unlikable and not at all that fun to follow throughout here. The other issue here is the film's wholly reliant ability to utilize some of the most egregious and overdone tropes in the genre as a means of trying to tell a story that isn't all that impressive. The characters being part of the gay community is really the only interesting fact of the film, but it's all wiped away by the increasingly unnatural use of the characters going more for a fear-of-man situation that gets played out quite quickly since it's a feature of every zombie effort. Using the idea of man as the more fearsome enemy in the face of zombies invading is tired, cliched, and really grinds the film to a halt with the use of these features which have very little zombie action in favor of draining dialogue scenes reinforcing these factors. That ends up causing the film to be quite disappointingly absent of zombie features at the expense of irritating characters and genre tropes, so it's got some big factors holding it back.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.

This is not a Zombie film!!

[castephens-46773 · 2/10 · 14 October 2023]

If you are expecting a Zombie film, you will be sadly mistaken. Why this film is called the "Herd" is beyond me and I truly do not understand why this film is rated so high by IMDb. Some of you will be fooled into watching this film by the trailer or other bias reviews. However, I want to repeat "THIS IS NOT A ZOMBIE FILM"!!!!!!!. I hoped that this film would improve, as I watched it, but it just got worse and was so boring that I just wanted the film to end (so much dialogue that led nowhere and did not enhance the story in anyway).

So, to recap: No Zombies, very little action, the main female character was so annoying that I wanted her to die, no frights, no shocks, absolutely no 'gore', hardly any blood, no scary scenes and NO ZOMBIES!! Waste your money if you want but be prepared to kick yourself for watching such a truly awful film. The title is so misleading, as there is no "HERD"!!!!!

Was this a weekend shoot?

[onceoffaddress · 1/10 · 16 October 2023]

You know when you watch something like Debbie Does Dallas and you can clearly see the so-called actors were plucked out of strip clubs and street corners just by their sheer ineptitude to perform the simple, and I mean simple task of acting convincingly... where you look at some of the directing decisions and thing "Surely I could have done better and I 'm not even a movie director!" ?- well, this movie gets you in that gear right off the bat!

Not only does this movie. Scream low-budget, it also screams "low-talent". The line delivery is high school drama-level. The drama between the two D. I. E characters is so forced and stilted while the chemistry is turned to 0 you just can't help asking "Didn't the director, or caster not see this?".

The thing that happens to one of them on the river is so lame you think, "Dude, you even zoomed-in on the area in question and it is clear that no one could get THAT hurt from that situation".

The whole militia plot I equate to something the director's 10 year old suggested, wrote and co-directed... with veto power on the final product.

I watched this "movie" with my wife and I can absolutely guarantee that any positive review of this trd is very likely paid for or by a member of the cast! Don't waste a fraction of your very valuable time sitting down to watch this. Utter garbage.

herd THIS?

[imizrahi2002 · 1/10 · 16 October 2023]

EYE have. WAY too many times before...'This movie deserves a ten because...a FRIEND of mine is associated with the movie...i'm the producer's husband/wife/nephew/aunt/uncle/grandmother...and they're just OH so nice and have invested ALL of their money into this...so i am going to lie and say this is a GREAT movie...the BEST i have EVER seen...none BETter... AND i am going to mislead you, saying it's a zombie movie...or an LGBTQXYZ film...or WOW! I GET it...the herd doesn't refer to the ZOMbies(which there are almost none of in the actual MOVIE), it refers to PEOPLE...isn't that MINDblowing...? Oh. And btw...this is the ONly review i've ever done. Now go and pay some money to see it so that they can eat. No. Not the zombies.

TERD

[korkysyard · 3/10 · 21 October 2023]

Ahhhh again I got my hopes up,hoping this zombie film would add some much needed life into the genre. Sadly it fell flat.

It's a tale of a couples ups and downs that has the occasional really bad zombie thrown in. A lot like an episode of The Walking Dead but nowhere near as good.

It's just a really bad plot with really bad characters and some really bad acting.

They really could have done something with it all,but decided to play safe and carry on with the script which is just predictable and boring. . I ended up hating it and waiting for it to finish so I could go onto my next film.

Sadly the genre is looking worse by the day if this is what people are going to push out.

I bit of a snooze-fest, but not wretched

[bigfatmouth-23883 · 5/10 · 27 November 2023]

As other as said, this isn't your "typical zombie film". By that, they mean there are hardly any zombies (better described as "infected") in it.

DEI is so often shoved in our faces, that there's often a Pavlovian eyeroll. I didn't really mind it in this movie. Meh.

Anyway, the acting was so-so. I didn't consider it to be completely amateurish. There really wasn't much in the way of special effects, as there were only a few scenes with the infected.

There was an interesting twist near the end, but I found it odd that the movie didn't bother really delving into it any deeper.

I don't think this deserves a 1, but I kept bouncing between a 4 and a 5. I think it's really a 4.5. I didn't have to pay to watch it, but I'm also not complaining about spending 90 minutes of my time on it, either.

BORING.

[andrewchristianjr · 5/10 · 22 October 2023]

Herd is one movie where you should definitely pay very close attention to the title. Here, the virus is never seen as the real threat, we are.

Synopsis: When Jamie Miller and her wife, Alex Kanai, try to save their failing marriage by going on a canoe trip in rural Missouri, they find themselves stranded after an accident. Alex breaks her leg during a canoe flip and they must slowly make their way to the nearest small town for help. Upon arriving they find it has been overrun by virus-infected "Heps" and extreme right wing local militias who are battling them. The leader of one of the groups, "Big John Gruber", shuttles them to safety at his bunker where they are welcomed by a seemingly friendly group of locals, but after witnessing personal and gruesome horrors, the women know they must escape. Jamie and Alex now find themselves on the run, caught between the group that saved them, a competing militia, and the growing infected Hep threat.

Acute deja vu

[dweston-38669 · 16 October 2023]

The problem with ' The Walking Dead'( certainly the earlier and better ) seasons was that it inspired so many other 'Zombie' films some better than others that by the time COVID came around it felt the genre has become tired and cliched.

Herd feels so much like the W. D and several films that I was ticking boxes off in my head when the inevitable events happen.

Herd also contains some really bad acting from practically everyone on screen (although Ellen Adair is good - though she does remind me of the physiotherapist Amy Eade, I used to work with, it's not Ms Adair's' fault!) everyone appears to be saying their lines to an embarrassing effect. It's strangely jarring.

It also contains several really amateurish shoot out scenes that look cheap and televisual especially the scene where the character ' Sterling' breaks into the compound. Not helped that 'Sterling' is made into a cartoonish villain with funny closeups and silly over the top music.

Plus I couldn't warm to the character of ' Alex' who deliberately put her and 'Jamie' in danger in the first place , by tipping over the canoe and breaking her leg. Her recovery at the end felt too contrived and neatly tied up.

It had potential

[thehorroritis · 3/10 · 23 October 2023]

Everyone is concerned about the shortage of zombies in this movie. I'm concerned about the shortage of likeable characters. It seemed like everyone went out of their way to make stupid choices and just be generally crappy.

Of course, anyone from the country is portrayed as a close minded, gun toting cult-like psychopath.

The only likeable character was Jeremy Holm's character, and he got screwed over in the end.

There's a message in this movie, unfortunately it seems to be a message of division. If they had taken the time to make better characters and less time inserting their biases, this would have been a solid movie even with the minimal zombies.

Good flick. Basement dwelling keyboard warriors back at it.

[msnaomischey · 8/10 · 19 October 2023]

Yes. This movie's main characters are a lesbian couple and THAT is literally what a bunch of these reviews are about; not the content itself. This is a solid movie that speaks on current topics and truthfully isn't a "zombie" movie per se, but the title itself is fitting. Without revealing too much, this is a well scripted and well shot lower budget movie that focuses on biases, relationships, and yes, surviving "zombies". Leans more towards drama than horror, so don't expect a bunch of jump scares or anything like that. Consider looking up reviews from reputable places that don't just allow mouth breathers to down vote movies because they're convinced there's an agenda, or it hurts their fragile feelings. Be best.

Something different to your normal zombie film

[fevercrumb · 7/10 · 17 October 2023]

This movie is divisive because it takes some pretty big risks that make it unique in the genre. I went into it blind and ended up really enjoying the film because the characters are engaging and the drama they have is compelling. It's all about how people react to an outbreak.

The big twist, and it's kind of obvious to viewers, is that it isn't *really* a zombie movie. There are zombies in it, there are gun battles and a few bloody deaths, but these aren't the focus and for most of the movie we don't get much out and out horror.

The trope is largely turned on its head, because the people who are usually considered 'stupid' in a zombie movie e.g those who have compassion for the infected and those who trust the Government to fix it, actually aren't so dumb.

If you've watched endless zombie movies and want something slightly different to normal, I'd give it a shot.

Someone got to call it Terd on the reviews before me, so il just cal it S##TE!

[kerenhumphreys · 1/10 · 2 April 2024]

I wish that I could go back in time, so that I didn't have to endure this garbage. If you like women reminiscing, wining and over acting then this movie is for you. If you like characters that are spouting out drivel then this movie is for you. If you like, you get the picture. It felt like it was written by school children, and primary school children at that. My five year old niece could write a better script. No spoilers here, so please don't bother wasting an hour or so of your life watching it. Just believe me, umpteen other reviewers and many more non reviewer movie watchers who want to give this movie zero stars.

A Seemingly Pointless Endeavour.

[meddlecore · 2/10 · 3 February 2024]

You can tell that this is a high concept film that was pitched as a lesbian oriented version of Deliverance meets The Walking Dead.

However, it's less of a thriller...and more of a drama.

Focusing on the main couple, as they are brought into a commune that developed after the outbreak of a zombie apocalypse.

Who find themselves pitted against another, more violent, militarized group.

Sure...there are some zombies present in the film.

But their appearances are few and far between.

And never amount to anything even remotely close to being a herd.

So you can't help but be confounded by the title of the film.

There's also a problem with the onset of the viral outbreak that led to the zombie apocalypse, itself.

As it's never adequately developed or explained.

It's just, all of a sudden...sort of there.

And you never really understand how any of it came to be.

Which you can't help but blame on poor writing.

You plod through it, expecting there is going to be an explosive climax.

But this never really comes to fruition.

At least in the sense of any sort of zombie herd.

So you are left confused about what it was ever supposed to be about.

With an ending that is so stupid...it doesn't help the cause much.

The only thing you can do- in order to make any sense of it- is to assume it's all just a dream.

But it doesn't even play out like that.

Before it's over as inexplicably as it began.

Leaving you to walk away, mostly, unfulfilled.

Confounded about what it was ever supposed to be about in the first place.

In short...it's just not a very good film.

So do yourself a favour and just pass this one by.

2 out of 10.

Slow paced, bland and forgettable...

[paul_haakonsen · 3/10 · 18 November 2023]

With the 2023 movie "Herd" being a zombie movie, of course I needed no persuasion to sit down and watch it. Had I heard about it prior to watching it? No, not even remotely. But with it being a zombie movie, then I am all game, as I have a knack for anything even remotely zombiesque.

The storyline in "Herd", as written by James Allerdyce and Steven Pierce, was rather slow paced and mundane. It wasn't a particularly thrilling or entertaining foray into the zombie genre. The narrative was rather generic and there wasn't really a whole lot happening throughout the course of the 97 minutes that the movie ran for. And that made sitting through "Herd" somewhat of a struggle and an ordeal.

The acting performances in "Herd" were okay, but nothing outstanding, mind you. There were a couple of familiar faces on the cast list, such as Timothy V. Murphy and Corbin Bernsen.

Visually then "Herd" was okay. Again, nothing outstanding, so you're not in for a grand spectacle of zombie effects, blood, guts and mayhem.

"Herd" came and went without leaving a lasting impression. And it is actually not a movie that I would recommend fans of the zombie genre to rush out and get to watch. It is more of a drama than an actual zombie movie, because the zombie outbreak felt like something that only rummaged around in the background, and there were hardly any zombies in the movie.

My rating of director Steven Pierce's 2023 movie "Herd" lands on a generous three out of ten stars.

Ready for Sleep?

[arfdawg-1 · 2/10 · 22 March 2024]

Starts off like an action movie with Corbin Benson running away from a lone zombie. Then it quickly devolves into the most boring talkie garbage about some woman and a cat.

It's quite simply HORRIBLE. I haven't watched a movie this slow in a long time. And for that I'm happy.

But really I do not know how I sat through this molasses. It's also not original. The writers steal scenes from Night of the Living Dead nearly outright.

Also, it does this thing that I have notices is being usd in quite a lot of movies and tv series have been doing of late -- flashbacks. I hate them. Flashbacks are used when the writing is so poor its the only way they can tell a story. It's annoying. Did Ibsen ever use flashbacks?

HERD breaks the mold - definitely worth watching!

[larry-93648 · 8/10 · 18 October 2023]

HERD is an unusual love story with lots of creative twists. Including heroism, zombies, political window dressing, bad parenting, contagion, treachery, autocratic leadership and much more. It surprises in many ways. The acting and film work are first rate. It is great to see such a significant film emerge in a genre that has become too predictable in recent years. If you are looking for a typical zombie film this may not be for you. If you want to see a fresh and entertaining new approach inside the horror genre this is the film to watch. You will likely be thinking about if for days after you watch the film. Likely causing you to want to watch it again.

Thought provoking.

[changeling-65762 · 7/10 · 22 October 2023]

A pretty intriguing story about a woman's internal struggles and managing relationships, all while trying to stay alive during a zombie outbreak. The pace of the film was a little slow, but I enjoyed the flashbacks and figuring out how they tied into her current situation. Parts of the foreshadowing didn't turn out how I expected. There were a lot of small details that I really appreciated, like gunshots in the distance, shapes and shadows, picking up on diolague cues, ect.

Technically it is a zombie film, but there are times you forget about that because you are so wrapped up in the tensions created between the main characters. I think maybe it could have used a few more jump scares.

Don't listen to the haters

[jamesengh · 8/10 · 19 October 2023]

Different, is probably why people didn't like this movie. Which is exactly why this movie was good. Original story line. The reviews of this movie is a great example of art reflecting art. The haters are the dipshits in this movie motivated out of fear of anything different that their preconceived notions of what a Zombie movie is supposed to be. It was realt weird though having Master Shake as a doctor. It took me awhile to put it together. And now I'm just talking cause I guess I have to have 100 more characters to make a review so if your still reading stop. Jesus why do they no much words?

Nicely Done👏🏻

[olivermarks · 7/10 · 24 October 2023]

Herd...A very unconventional horror film which breaks the generic Zombie film tropes whilst still remaining, ultimately, a Zombie film.

Not only does Herd present the Zombie horror in a seemingly un-generic way, it also interestingly explores societal prejudice within the LGBTQ+ community, particularly in the Southern states of America.

I felt the film dealt with the social acceptance of LGBTQ+, particularly gay relationships in the southern America in a way that made the narrative more impacting and ultimately more emotional.

Bernie (played by Brandon James Ellis) and Tater's (played by Jeremy Lawson) characters are examples of unprogressive societal people; they're stuck in their 'keep with old times' attitudes rather than see progression which Big John (played by Jeremy Holm) seemed to strive for.

The film boasts strong performances from leading characters Jamie (played by Ellen Adair) & Alex (played by Mitzi Akaha). Their strong and emotional performances, which remain prominent throughout the film, had a long lasting impact upon me which kept me even more engaged. I felt their emotion was raw and impactful on a consistent level.

The films cinematography was also noteworthy, I felt that it was excellent and it caught all the right angles which helped propel the film forward successfully.

When I saw the name 'High Fliers' as the distribution I initially didn't think much of Herd...but actually, this was a nice surprise & did beat my expectations nicely.

I feel this film would get overlooked but in my honest opinion, it does deserve much more praise and the spotlight. A perfect entry into the annual spooky season bucket list.

It secretly is a 9 star movie wrapped in a 5 star movie.

[puppyzwolle · 9/10 · 30 October 2023]

I wanted to write something about this movie. Not this piece. But about how it seems like a bad movie with badly written flat characters. I mean a caricature of a redneck would be more fleshed out than this ladies man we get to meet. And then it hit me. It is intentional. This director made a movie within a movie. Like the main characters stumbled across a diner theater group with live ammo acting out a zombie story.

And my initial 5 star review (while watching this movie) became a 9 star. Ingenious movie with a most gut-wrenching twist I have seen in a very, very long time.

And I surely will get responses like "What is he on about?" but this is one of those cult classics in the making. And if anything it sure isn't boring.

Not your typical horror/zombie movie

[Bewarethem00n · 10/10 · 18 October 2023]

If you are only looking for blood and guts and not meaningful characters then this movie might not be for you. This isn't your typical zombie movie or even your typical horror movie. This is a complex indie drama wrapped up in a cool, gritty, rural horror movie. The characters are what you would get in a really cool drama but the world is really textured in a horror way. I came to this movie after reading some of the reviews like the Rue Morgue one that is a long running horror outlet that has been around for a long time and knows their stuff. They highly recommended it and so would I. Again, it isn't all blood and guts and camp. It is not that type of movie. If that is what you are looking for, it might not be for you. But honestly, there is a lot of great action and tension scenes and some pretty cool practical zombie effects. I believe horror isn't just ONE thing and this movie really is a great example of showing how it can be different and still be a great horror film.

Amazing!!!

[rthornton-66811 · 10/10 · 22 October 2023]

The storyline was touching and scary at the same time, and I was impressed with the editing of the movie, as well as the acting! Even though I had a minor part and my silhouette showed up, it was fun to be a zombie in this movie! The actors and actresses were friendly and engaging, too! There was a part in the movie that touched my heart because I could relate to it. It's been a fantastic night at the movie premiere! Even got autographs from the actors, producer, and director after the movie! Usually I don't like horror movies a lot, and some zombie movies are okay, but this was unique and had it's own version of a zombie apocalypse. I would recommend it for sure.

Herd mentality...

[mnm1979 · 10/10 · 16 October 2023]

Ah. Herd mentality. Love it. I really enjoyed this movie and I can understand why it's so polarizing. It's not a typical zombie movie. Great cast, great script, shot beautifully. Will watch again to catch some things now that I know the twist. The people leaving negative reviews are obviously missing the point of the movie and most of the incredible nuance that the film explores. Not surprising. Haters gonna hate. If you're looking for a great new horror film that is both entertaining and meaningful this is the film for you. I'm still thinking about it days later. It's too bad other people aren't getting this one but I'm happy to see that so many actual film reviews online love this film.