Harold's Going Stiff (2011) Poster

(2011)

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6/10
A different British zombie movie...
paul_haakonsen11 February 2013
...and so might some of us out here watching it too!

"Harold's Going Stiff" is not your average zombie movie, but as it blatantly brandishes on the DVD cover "joins the ranks of Shaun of the Dead and 28 Days Later", well that hardly is the case.

That being said, then don't get me wrong, because "Harold's Going Stiff" is not a bad or boring movie, far from it. It was actually a rather enjoyable movie and a nice change of pace for a change to see this approach to the zombie genre.

The story in "Harold's Going Stiff" is about the elderly Harold who is stricken with a strange new neurological disease that causes stiffness in the limbs and the deterioration of the mind and body, eventually turning the afflicted into 'zombies', so to speak. Nurse Penny Rudge is sent to help Harold with his ailment and it ends up becoming the start of a beautiful friendship. But in the seemingly quiet rural countryside, vigilantes are hunting down the 'zombies'.

This story is actually quite nice and is told from a pseudo-documentary style, which just adds to its enjoyment. But most importantly is the acting performances put on here, they really helped the movie along nicely and made the movie stand out all the more. Especially the performances of Stan Rowe (playing Harold) and Sarah Spencer (playing Penny Rudge) should be noticed here.

If you enjoy zombie movies and want to see something that differs from most other zombie movies, as in the gore, mayhem and apocalyptic setting, then "Harold's Going Stiff" is definitely a good choice. It is a good story and good entertainment.
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6/10
Not your typical zombie flick that's one thing for sure
Red-Barracuda15 April 2014
Harold is the first man to suffer a new disease called O.R.D., which brings on a state of rigor mortis rendering the sufferers zombie-like. A well-meaning nurse befriends him but the onset of the disease makes him a target for a group of vigilantes who feel that killing these 'zombies' is a service to society.

This mega low budget horror comedy has to be given some credit for at least being a little bit different. Its focus is really on the relationship between Harold and his nurse, as opposed to typical gory zombie mayhem. So much so that this only just qualifies as a horror flick at all. The zombies never really threaten to any proper extent and only exist in the periphery of events. The film utilises a mockumentary format which works in its favour really, allowing for mock-seriousness which contributes to the humour quite a bit. But overall I can't say I found it very funny to be fair and would describe it as more amusing than hilarious. But perhaps the biggest surprise about this one is its surprising emotional resonance. This is certainly helped a lot by the good acting by the two leads; we really go along with their characters and feel for both of them. It's actually even all a bit depressing by the end which is hardly what you're expecting to get going into a flick called Harold's Going Stiff! But if I am honest I would have to rate this one as pretty middling overall. It has originality but it is somewhat slight at the same time, meaning it's an interesting low budget effort but a bit uneven all the same.
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7/10
Way better than it should be
BandSAboutMovies21 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Harold Gimble was the first man to be infected with Onset Rigors Disease and unliked everyone else, he hasn't become a zombie yet, unlike everyone else. He's just growing old, but inevitably, he's going to become one of the undead, unless a nurse helps him. Or the scientists trying cure after cure. Or, most probably, he's beaten to undeath by a gang of vigilante zombie killers.

This is a movie that really stands out in the zombie genre, using it to tell a story about how we treat the aging, how nationalism destroys the innocent and about the inevitability of death. The fact that it does this within a humorous zombie film is a major achievement, breathing some life into what has become a moribund collection of films.

Director, writer and editor Keith Wright hasn't made anything since this movie. Here's hoping that he's planning something else, because I ended up really enjoying this.
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this isn't just some fun zombie flick. this is fantastic movie all around.
roarshack8012 October 2012
there are two ways to make a zombie movie:

1. round up a bunch of people. cover them in oatmeal and red corn syrup. have them wear dirty clothes. . and tell them to go "UUUUUUUAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!" over and over again. oh, and one last thing: throw away the story. it'll just get in the way of making an unoriginal, mediocre zombie flick that we've all seen a million times.

or

2. set out to make an original movie with compelling story telling that just happens to also have zombies thrown in the mix.

Harold's Going Stiff falls into option #2. this is by far one of THE most unique zombie movies ever made. there's strange bit of irony with most zombie movies. i'd say about 90% of all zombie movies are pretty much the same thing. it's like people don't really care about making a good and original movie. they do the same thing over and over again. tell the same story over and over again. use the same 'zombie' effects over and over again. over and over and over again. it never stops. the filmmakers become mindless zombies making a movie about zombies. over and over and over again.

but it's worth it. it's worth enduring the monotony of non-stop mediocre zombie movies to have something like this come along. the hordes of zombie movies that are out there are a reflection of how generic something can get when milked dry, and cashed in.

it seems to me, those involved in the making of this movie aren't doing it because it's a hip and easy way to make a movie. they're doing it because they appreciate the craft that goes into storytelling and put it to good use to make a great film.

calling this a 'zombie movie' is like saying Forrest Gump is a movie about some guy who's a little slow. this movie embraces storytelling. those involved with telling this story used their brains to do it in a creative, fresh manner. to put meaningful thought behind what they're doing. and not go for the usual(often typical) milling around and doing the same ol' thing using very little brain activity. as little as, say, zombies.
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7/10
An endearing low budget movie
rumour-mill30 November 2014
This low-key film is a poignant and endearing comedy drama, with ample helpings of silliness and black humour.

It's a quirky twist on the zombie myth - in fact I'd say the zombie aspect takes a backseat as more of an analogy for dementia, or a similar degenerative disease. At times I was reminded of the recent series In The Flesh, also set in a rural Northern English town, utilising the zombie theme to deal with wider social issues.

The relationship between Penny and Harold is so natural and believable it's heartbreaking. It's what Gervais wishes he'd managed in his series Derek. The way it was handled was artful.

And the performances were, on the whole, brilliant. Sarah Spencer (Penny) and Stan Rowe (Harold) in particular were wonderful. They managed the naturalistic style of acting exceptionally well.

I'd guess a lot of the low scores are a result of people expecting some Sam Raimi spectacle with blood and guts everywhere. Providing you don't go into this expecting another Shaun Of The Dead, and instead expect a very small-scale, character-driven comedy drama on a shoe- string budget, I think you'll find something to enjoy. This is meant for the small screen!
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5/10
Interesting & original although quite slow
Thrill_KillZ19 September 2012
Yes, it's got an original theme and I'm open to any new ideas in the Zombie genre so of course I gave it a try and stuck with it to the very lackluster end. The name says it all, for what it's worth it was funny in the beginning that being the only part that got a serious laugh out of me, the rest of the film has bits of tongue in cheek comedy throughout. It wasn't exciting at all, as it had no "real" action or anything spooky or scary, also zero gore as the story leans more towards a "feel good" message. The plot is simple, a small distant village has a sudden epidemic of the town's men contracting this condition making their joints stiff & eventually making them dumb & violent(so of course they are dubbed zombies). The local police allow these "zombies" to be hunted down and murdered by anyone that feels the need(ridiculous). The bulk of the film is watching an old man & an overweight nurse spend time together forming a relationship while they cut back & forth with news of the current events & the trio of moronic "zombie" hunters bashing people in the head that they determined were in need of it. It was slow & pretty boring so I don't recommend paying to see it & I'm a die-hard zombie fan, but if you like the zom/com genre and have time to kill then I suppose it would be a decent choice. I give it a generous 5/10
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7/10
Cute and heartfelt
andysfatpants27 March 2020
While technically this was a zombie movie, as it had zombies in it, it actually felt like more of a heartfelt drama and was surprisingly sweet.

I assume the budget was low - some of the zombie lesions looked like play-doh stuck to their faces. However, everything else about this movie was pretty good! The story was clever, the acting was good, the main characters were endearing, and the landscapes were visually interesting. By the end, I actually quite cared for the main characters and cared about the outcome for them.

Not a Hollywood blockbuster, nor a typical zombie horror flick. But simple, sweet, and a good watch.
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10/10
OAZ:Old Age Zombie
morrison-dylan-fan22 October 2012
Warning: Spoilers
With recently discovering that a friend was a big fan of the Zombie Horror Comedy Shaun of the Dead,I decided that for Hallaween,I would surprise her by sorting out a "serious" Horror,and a Horror Comedy that she could watch on the Hallaween weekend.Picking the 2010/11 movie Insidious to be the "serious" title,I went searching around on the IMDb Horror board,which led to me getting rec'ed a movie from a fellow,kind IMDb'er that sounded like one of the most off-beat Horror movies you could possible find.

The plot:

Being labelled as "the first victim" of a new disease spreading in the UK called O.R.D (rigor disease) widowed pensioner Harold Gimble lives his life isolated at home,with his bones slowly stiffening as the O.R.D. starts to turn him into a Zombie.Feeling uneasy around new people due to local gangs wanting to get hold of him for spreading the disease and local doctors desperate to perform tests on him,Gimble is initially nervous when nurse Penny Rudge pays her first visit to help him with the effects of his illness.Showing Harold a good natured,sunny side up personality,Gimble begins to feel much happier than he has been for months.But,with the O.R.D. beginning to have a serious effect on his health,Harold begins to fear that he does not have much time left before he completely turns into a zombie.

View on the film:

Setting the movie against the hauntingly beautiful South Yorkshire backdrop,writer/director Keith Wright's tremendous screenplay goes in the opposite direction of past Zombie movies to create a folksy Horror tale that even people who run away from Zombies will find impossible to resit.Focusing on the relationship between Harold and Penny,Wright uses the Zombie illness in a manner to paint a touching portrait of the light that Penny brings into Harold's twilight days,whilst also never forgetting to include a good dose of warm Comedy (with Harold putting washing up liquid into everyone's cup of tea being a particular highlight.)

Watching an interview with Wright on the DVD,I was shocked to discover that the movie only took 9 days to film!.Impressivly,Wright makes sure that the limitation never get in the way of the story or the character's,with Stan Rowe and Sarah Spencer both giving heart-warming performances as Harold and Penny,and Wright also taking a delicate docudrama approach to the directing of the movie,which helps to create a real intimacy with the character's,and also leads the viewer in wanting to pay a visit to the nicest Zombie there has ever been right away again.
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7/10
The first zombie film to make me cry
Leofwine_draca15 April 2015
Yeah, I know what you're thinking, I thought the same. Yet another low budget zombie film; even worse, a comic zombie film. The last one of those I watched was the horrid DEADHEADS, so at least I knew HAROLD'S GOING STIFF couldn't be worse...or could it? That innuendo-filled title didn't promise much...

What a surprise to sit down and watch the film, then! HAROLD'S GOING STIFF sidesteps all of the usual problems faced by low budget filmmakers, and isn't actually a horror film at all. Instead it's a black comedy in which the zombie disease is likened to a terminal illness or a life-affecting condition such as dementia. The zombies here are victims, people gradually losing control of their bodies and struggling with medical tests and their condition. The whole thing is presented as a pseudo-documentary which sits nicely with the low budget.

The comedy is a mix of the subtle and the slapstick, the latter coming into the story with a group of amateur zombie hunters who come across like the Three Stooges. At the film's heart, though, is the titular character; Stan Rowe gives a warm, moving turn as the afflicted Harold, struggling to come to terms with his new life. Much of the focus is on his relationship with his carer, played by the excellent Sarah Spencer, who is the story's heart and soul. Things get darker and darker right up until the tragic climax, in which my tears were flowing freely. Who'd expect that from a low budget zombie flick?
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9/10
One of the most original zombie films out there
Corpus_Vile6 May 2011
Harold (Stan Rowe) is an old age pensioner, suffering from O.R.D. or the onset of rigor disease. He can't get out and about as much and gets forgetful. Then there's the stiffness. He can't even touch his nose. What is the ultimate effects of O.R.D.? Well, it turns you... into a zombie. And it's affecting more and more UK males. Enter Penny, (Sarah Spencer) a cheerful, dedicated but lonely nurse, as his care helper. She'll engage in therapy with him, to delay the disease's effects. However, during the onset of the disease's later stages, loss of mental faculties and violent behaviour is inevitable. Already there have been reports of attacks, which prompts a trio of baseball bat wielding vigilantes to patrol the area, taking down any errant zombie they happen to find. Meanwhile, Harold is still getting by, and starting a tentative friendship with Penny. Will a cure be found? Or will Harold have to be taken out like so many before him?

I just caught this at the Edinburgh Dead By Dawn festival, and all I can say is... wow. Harold's Going Stiff is the most original zombie film I've personally seen, and I've seen quite a few. Shot in a realistic mockumentary style and not precisely a horror per se, it's a character driven cross section of genres, from horror, to (very funny) comedy, to sad bittersweet drama. It also highlights the very real horror of growing old, lonely and with a loss of dignity, with some poignant scenes.

I have always thought that having a very very low budget is no excuse to make a bad film. Harold's Going Stiff simply confirms this opinion for me.

A highly, highly recommended film, with some great performances, laugh- out-loud scenes, as well as some astutely observed poignancy, it should be sought out by anyone.

I really hope this film gets a DVD release as it thoroughly deserves one and director Keith Wright should hold his head up proud, as this is one of the best British "horrors" in the past three years, and a very welcome return to form for the UK.

9/10, brilliant film.
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6/10
OAP's with ORD
one9eighty19 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
A low budget fun film with a decent script and a massive heart. Harold (Stan Rowe) is an OAP with ORD, a disease which affects mobility and slowly eats away at mental faculties too over time. It seems that a lot more people in the UK are slowly getting ORD and as the virus spreads with time so does the severity of the disease, going from a mild stiffness to ultimately create zombies. A group of locals decide to take matters into their own hands and wielding baseball bats and whatever they can find they seek to find any ORD zombies and lay waste to them. Penny (Sarah Spence), a local care worker assigned to Harold is a flame in the darkness as she tries to help Harold survive the disease and then anyone fighting against it - or threatening Harold. Contrasting the loneliness and isolation of growing old against a disease is a very clever and very original in the zombie film world. This film is more than a horror and like a lot of underground British low budget horror has a vast range of emotional themes from tongue in cheek humour to bitter-sweet drama. Set in the beautiful backdrop of South Yorkshire, Keith Wright's film is beautifully crafted and goes to prove that you don't need millions of millions upon millions of dollars/pounds/euros to make a great film. Don't go into watching this film thinking it's an out and out zombie film because you any be disappointed, zombies do feature but they aren't the main draw, instead just lose yourself in the story being told which happens to have zombies too. I'm a big fan of low budget and British films, if you are too this will be a good investment of 77mins.
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8/10
Believe the positive reviews on this board- this one is an absolute gem.
francishooks13 October 2012
I'm afraid I'm one of those old misery guts types who rarely feels compelled to write good reviews on this website but, when confronted with a stinker, am happy to bash out a 1-star slating!

Let me redress this for once by joining the other fans on here in recommending this film wholeheartedly - not just to horror fans but to film fans of all stripes.

What kills film after film for me is lousy writing - you can chuck all the money in the world at a film but a rotten script will sink it (yes, I'm looking at you Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter!).

Harold's Going Stuff is a terrific story made on a budget that probably wouldn't cover half a days catering on the aforementioned turkey (Yes, I know - time to let it go!).

The acting here is tremendous too- keep an eye out in particular for Sarah Spencer who has charm in spades and is a star in the making.

Highly recommended.
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10/10
The most emotional Zombie film of all time!
DarkShadows196624 October 2011
This film is not just a comedy with Zombies; this film is an emotional roller-coaster which will have you splitting your sides with laughter one minute, and soaking your hankie the next. What I liked most about the film was the social commentary; the fact that society, fulled by media panic, instantly reacts in the most extreme way and by the time they realise the damage of their actions, its too late and they have infected the most innocent in society. It also deals with old age, illness, euthanasia and care - and I felt, personally having a long-term illness, that it balanced well the need for survival through illness and the want of a speedy departure when the illness gets too far.

10/10 from me.
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9/10
Great film for a night in
Cpiercey30 September 2012
Great to watch a British film which has been filmed entirely in Yorkshire. Makes a change from the usual Zombie gore fest and actually has a bit of a touching side to it. Watched it with some great laughs and saw the serious side towards the end. Found myself laughing at the main character to start with and felt immersed into the plot quite quickly. If you want Murder, Blood, Guts and complete gore, this probably isn't the film you're looking for. If you want something a little different, you should definitely give it a try. It's appealed to my Wife as well as I've always had difficulty in managing to get her to watch more than 20 minutes of a film without getting up or talking, she managed to sit quietly for the whole film.
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9/10
Enjoyable and fun. Not taking things too seriously.
blysmth30 September 2012
I enjoyed this film. It's quirky, different and whilst it is a bit amateurish in a way; I prefer to see it as quaint.

I've watched it twice. It reminds me of "I, Zombie: The Chronicles of Pain" with a bit of a "Series 7: The Contenders" slant.

Hollywood glitz is all well and good but sometimes it's great to watch something different and appreciate it for what it is, not berate it for what it isn't.

There are a few plot holes but this clearly isn't supposed to be a "solid" narrative, the endearing characters more than make up for any inconsistencies for me.

I can't wait to see what's next from Keith and the star of the show Sarah Spencer!
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9/10
Uniquely affecting zombie film.
ABladeInTheDark16 September 2013
Harold's Going Stiff is a zombie docudrama about men suffering from ORD or Onset Rigors Disease which starts out with extreme stiffness, and eventually leads to its sufferers becoming zombies. The main subject is Harold Gimble who was the first man diagnosed with ORD, and is slightly different from other victims, as his symptoms are progressing at a much slower pace than everyone else. Can a cure be found before he too becomes one of the zombies?

I went into this movie thinking it would be far different from what it was, and that's a good thing, because I'm not sure I'd have decided to see it had I known what it was like. I prefer my zombie movies to have plenty of zombies and gore, and Harold's Going Stiff doesn't meet those criteria. It's more of a character study that centers around Harold and his nurse Penny dealing with the everyday hardships of his unfortunate affliction. Before meeting Penny, Harold is lonely and reclusive, but with Penny's help he finds himself beginning to enjoy life again. This friendship is also beneficial for Penny who is suffering from loneliness herself.

The two leads, Stan Rowe and Sarah Spencer, have great chemistry, and despite having almost no acting experience whatsoever, are very adept at creating complex characters that really make you feel for what they are going through. Some of their interactions are happy and heartwarming while others are downright heartbreaking. I'm not ashamed to say that before the movie ended, Penny and Harold's plight caused tears to well up in my eyes. 9/10, highly recommended for those that are looking for a not so average zombie flick, or a good tearjerker. Just don't expect much horror since the only thing in it related to horror is the presence of zombies.
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9/10
Don't judge books and films by their covers.. and suchlike....
InfiltratorJim30 July 2014
At first glance, this is a low budget horror/comedy/mockumentary film with a barely known cast and a cheesy title, but basically just ignore that.

No, seriously, ignore it all.

The zombies aren't the walking dead, they're just men suffering from a weird illness that causes stiffness of the limbs, reduced mental ability and eventually violence. The film focuses on the first man to suffer from it, Harold, who also has a much slower progression of the symptoms, so while there are others limping about with silly walks and making groaning noises, Harold still has most of his wits about him. He's a nice warm hearted old man who struggles to manage, and begins being cared for by a kind young nurse called Penny.

The comedy comes mostly from three daft lads who are self appointed vigilantes, inter-cut with British regional TV news reporting at it's finest.

There are 'zombies' and some slapstick-esque violence with baseball bats and ketchup blood, but that's all the horror you get. There's no battles, no action sequences, no graphic be-headings, no guns, no brain eating and no end of the world.

What there is however, is a really brilliantly told story about a lovely man and the person that cares for him, that is joyous at times and completely heartbreaking at others. Depending on where you are in your own life and how it relates to you and/or your family, it'll easily have you in tears.

Not a film for everyone's tastes or expectations, but that doesn't make it any less wonderful. Thank you.
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9/10
A refreshing new approach to an old genre.
BA_Harrison13 January 2015
As the first person to ever contract Onset Rigors Disease (ORD), a condition that ultimately turns the sufferer into a violent zombie, Harold Gimble's deterioration is much slower than others; to help him cope with the gradual stiffening of his limbs, Harold (Stan Rowe) is appointed a nurse, Penny (Sarah Spencer), who relieves his pain and brings some joy back into his life. When Harold is talked into taking part in tests for an experimental drug for ORD, he initially shows improvement, but then takes a rapid turn for the worse, a fact that delights the local community volunteers, whose job it is to bash in the heads of sufferers who 'turn', but which proves hard for poor Penny to handle.

In a world over-run by low-budget zombie movies, many of which are sorely lacking in originality, I admire any attempt to do something fresh with the genre; Harold's Going Stiff is not only incredibly innovative, tackling its zombie theme from a whole new perspective, but it's also a wonderfully made film, a real gem that benefits from touching performances from stars Rowe and Spencer, a brilliant and often very funny script, and sharp direction from Keith Wright, whose handling of the faux documentary style is nothing short of brilliant. A tragic tale with bags of heart, that touches upon sensitive issues such as old age, crippling illness, and euthanasia, this is worlds away from the movies of Romero or Fulci, and even Shaun of the Dead (which will no doubt get mentioned in many reviews), but it is certainly no less worthy for serious zombie fans.
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