Zombie Wasteland

This is my second IMDb review. It's also the second "zombie" movie that I've felt i should say has been under rated in its reviews. Overall, it was an entertaining movie. Yes, it was low budget, and over/under acted at points in the movie. But... If you are a true zombie genre lover, it is one of the better low budget movies I've seen in awhile. It did not try to over compensate with a huge amount of gore or cheesy CGI. It relied on the location and the actors to set the tone and drama. It could have used a little more back story on some of the characters to round out the plot, but overall a good movie. If you like Romero's first Night of the Living Dead, then, check this one out.

Loved the different take on a huge craze! The acting was excellent, they got some very talented people to be in this movie! Don't watch it if you're looking for a lot of action and gore though, it's mostly psychological, a view of life a couple years into a worldwide epidemic. Has some really great plot twists and some interesting characters, even though most of them are very short lived. I would have liked to have seen some plot points elaborated, for example, they mention that there are 'safe zones', and I wondered how that is possible. What made them safe zones? How were they kept safe? Liked that the protagonists were called 'Vultures'. Seemed pretty appropriate, and it was nice to see another set of people with a nickname the way the zombies are called everything except 'zombies' in most films from this genre these days. All in all an excellent independent film, I highly recommend giving it a watch!

The story is a somber, monotone one that relies on a lot of dialog. Most of the story is about the human experience and toll the zombie apocalypse has on one psychologically as we battle for a "cure". It is reminiscent of Romero's "Day Of The Dead" in pace and stripped down style. The acting is mediocre, with a lot of the characters feeling contrived. It is a clunky drama that does more peacocking of personalities than the material, or cast can actually account for. There are moments when the story almost becomes thrilling, and a few of the cast really get into their character. It is just not enough to save "Sick: Survive The Night" from being a bit dull.

The special effects, for the most part, keep within practical-low budget grade effects that work. I preferred the stripped down zombies that go back to the beginning of this genre. The creature effects are cool enough, however the zombies don't dominate the film with enough force or energy to really kick "Sick: Survive The Night" into thrilling gear. The soundtrack and sound effects are decent enough to give the film atmosphere, some moments do feel creepy and chilling, it just never seems consistent through the whole film.

Overall, I found myself wondering why? What was the story that this film was wanting to tell? Most of the components are redundant aspects found in zombie horror. I did appreciate the added mix of these scavenger crews roaming around raping and pillaging. However the story doesn't give enough time for that element to really take off. Most interesting things take place in flashbacks while the main meat of the tale is left to melodrama and mild zombie attacks. "Sick: Survive The Night" isn't a film that you will kick yourself if you miss it. Mostly it is just a boring movie where people talk too much.

The film is low budget and, for the most, part that aspect is used well--the Romero Night of the Living Dead type of zombie, locations sparse and simple blending well with the survivalist tone of the story. The action is simple, and they're not breaking new ground or taking the genre in a new direction. The acting is rather bad, some of the scenes meant to be emotional or characters reflecting back on the trauma they've endured, forced and uncomfortable. If you're a big zombie movie fan, this is a white noise time killer.

I thought this to be one of the best films in it's genre! Why have people given it so a low score? Great acting, good story and sadly believable. No need for high budget, it works well without.