Director: Kyle Rankin
Year: 2014
Country: United States
Language: English
Studio: Cocksure
[Preface: It's not normally my thing to review silly films like this, but for some reason, I just felt like it.]
There once was a time when films about zombies or the apocalypse were considered fresh and interesting. However, about 1/9th into the 21st century, this is no longer the case. Occasionally, a film comes around and manages to pull off something creative and original, allowing filmgoers to remember why the genres were so appealing to begin with. Plot spoiler, this is not one of those films. What it is, however, is a mashup of romance, comedy, awkward situational humor, zombies, apocalypse, and temporal events -- put together nicely with some decent, underutilized actors.
Maria Thayer stars alongside Michael Cassidy in this quirky little production, with a little bit of help from one-note bit actors like Chris Marquette, who essentially reprises his role of Eli from The Girl Next Door (the Elisha Cuthbert vehicle, not the Jack Ketchum horror flick). Putting it bluntly, the first fifteen minutes of this film are absolutely painful to watch -- Thayer's titular character Deb is quite possibly the most annoying person on the planet, the dialogue is ridiculous, and it's just overall a pretty substantial pile of awkwardness. If you're one of those people who likes feeling embarrassed for the characters on screen, then you'll more than likely get a kick out of this -- but if you aren't, it's going to be the cinematic equivalent of nails on a chalkboard.
However, once you get past the painstaking set-up for the film, things start to seamlessly transition into tolerable territory. Once Deb (Maria Thayer) starts to show enough depth and humanity to match Ryan's (Michael Cassidy) character, everything from the comedic elements to the potential romantic elements begin to mesh much more organically.
There's not a whole lot to say about the plot. It's pretty much exactly what you would get if you combined Shaun of the Dead and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Whereas the former is a masterpiece of the genre, and the latter is an entertaining foray into post-30 Rock television, this film doesn't fare as well. It's not going to become a cult classic or gain any type of real following or appreciation. Instead, it's the type of film that someone will stumble across on Netflix and throw on in the background while they're doing something else.
Is it worth watching? Sure. Is it funny? Occasionally, in a Apatow-meets-Fey kind of way. The ending seems a bit thrown together and could have benefited from the input of a focus group, or even a team of screenwriters who actually put thought into how they think a story should end.
Acting: 60
Directing: 70
Writing: 65
Plot: 75
Casting: 80
Cinematography: N/A
-------------------
Total Score: 350 out of 500 or 70%
Overall Grade: C
Star Rating: *** out of possible ***** (3/5)
[Preface: It's not normally my thing to review silly films like this, but for some reason, I just felt like it.]
There once was a time when films about zombies or the apocalypse were considered fresh and interesting. However, about 1/9th into the 21st century, this is no longer the case. Occasionally, a film comes around and manages to pull off something creative and original, allowing filmgoers to remember why the genres were so appealing to begin with. Plot spoiler, this is not one of those films. What it is, however, is a mashup of romance, comedy, awkward situational humor, zombies, apocalypse, and temporal events -- put together nicely with some decent, underutilized actors.
Maria Thayer stars alongside Michael Cassidy in this quirky little production, with a little bit of help from one-note bit actors like Chris Marquette, who essentially reprises his role of Eli from The Girl Next Door (the Elisha Cuthbert vehicle, not the Jack Ketchum horror flick). Putting it bluntly, the first fifteen minutes of this film are absolutely painful to watch -- Thayer's titular character Deb is quite possibly the most annoying person on the planet, the dialogue is ridiculous, and it's just overall a pretty substantial pile of awkwardness. If you're one of those people who likes feeling embarrassed for the characters on screen, then you'll more than likely get a kick out of this -- but if you aren't, it's going to be the cinematic equivalent of nails on a chalkboard.
However, once you get past the painstaking set-up for the film, things start to seamlessly transition into tolerable territory. Once Deb (Maria Thayer) starts to show enough depth and humanity to match Ryan's (Michael Cassidy) character, everything from the comedic elements to the potential romantic elements begin to mesh much more organically.
There's not a whole lot to say about the plot. It's pretty much exactly what you would get if you combined Shaun of the Dead and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Whereas the former is a masterpiece of the genre, and the latter is an entertaining foray into post-30 Rock television, this film doesn't fare as well. It's not going to become a cult classic or gain any type of real following or appreciation. Instead, it's the type of film that someone will stumble across on Netflix and throw on in the background while they're doing something else.
Is it worth watching? Sure. Is it funny? Occasionally, in a Apatow-meets-Fey kind of way. The ending seems a bit thrown together and could have benefited from the input of a focus group, or even a team of screenwriters who actually put thought into how they think a story should end.
Acting: 60
Directing: 70
Writing: 65
Plot: 75
Casting: 80
Cinematography: N/A
-------------------
Total Score: 350 out of 500 or 70%
Overall Grade: C
Star Rating: *** out of possible ***** (3/5)
