This remake takes the plot line of classic horror story and elevates it above the norm for the genre with the use of tight pacing, good acting and great cinematography.
This is a tried-and-true formula movie of friends and neighbors strangely turning into murderous "zombies" due to some unknown infection and how our heroes survive despite all odds. The original was made in 1973 and, true to the era, casts the government as the bad guys - having created this infection as a biological weapon. The original movie split the point-of-view between the townspeople and the government agents so the plot was more apparent from both sides. The remake keeps the same antagonist but does not try to reveal the government's plans or voice the government's justification for the actions undertaken. The result is that the heroes and the audience are kept in the dark for a longer period and the tensions are increased accordingly.
One point of differentiation between this movie and other "zombie" movies is that the creatures do not seek to eat the flesh of the humans (thereby reducing the gore factor but there is still plenty of scene that are unsettling) and retain a sense of their actions (allowing them to seek revenge and work in teams). Yes, teams of zombies working together. Scary.
While I generally do not like horror movies, I would almost classify this more as a thriller with some sic-fi and horror elements. And the elements work quite well together.
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This is a tried-and-true formula movie of friends and neighbors strangely turning into murderous "zombies" due to some unknown infection and how our heroes survive despite all odds. The original was made in 1973 and, true to the era, casts the government as the bad guys - having created this infection as a biological weapon. The original movie split the point-of-view between the townspeople and the government agents so the plot was more apparent from both sides. The remake keeps the same antagonist but does not try to reveal the government's plans or voice the government's justification for the actions undertaken. The result is that the heroes and the audience are kept in the dark for a longer period and the tensions are increased accordingly.
One point of differentiation between this movie and other "zombie" movies is that the creatures do not seek to eat the flesh of the humans (thereby reducing the gore factor but there is still plenty of scene that are unsettling) and retain a sense of their actions (allowing them to seek revenge and work in teams). Yes, teams of zombies working together. Scary.
While I generally do not like horror movies, I would almost classify this more as a thriller with some sic-fi and horror elements. And the elements work quite well together.
For my other movie reviews, please visit:
https://nomorewastedmovienights.wordpress.com