Outbreak

With the 2024 movie "Outbreak" being a zombie movie, of course I had to watch it. I am a huge fan of all things zombie. In fact, I had never actually heard about this movie from director Jeff Wolfe prior to sitting down to watch it.

The storyline in the movie is actually good. Writers Erik Aude, Lance Ochsner and Jeff Wolfe managed to set up a narrative where the audience are thrown into the distress of Neil and Abby Morris, played by Billy Burke and Alyshia Ochse respectively, whom are mourning the loss of their son. And with the introduction of a rabid dog, you're sort of given a hint that something is amiss. But then when Neil is at the lake, the movie takes a drastic turn and director Jeff Wolfe really amps up the narrative.

The acting performances in "Outbreak" were good. Of the entire cast ensemble, then I was only familiar with leading actor Billy Burke.

I was really impressed with the zombie make-up and prosthetics, as they looked very interesting. Sure, I didn't get the black eyes and black teeth thing they had going on, but other than that, then the effects were good. For some reason, the zombies seemed more interesting in either physically jumping unto the living or dragging them away, more than they did in actually biting and eating the living. And I can't claim to be a fan of the sounds that the zombies made.

Personally, I didn't care much for the last 10 minutes or so of the movie, as it felt like a really lousy plot twist and ending. But of course, that is a matter of personal preference.

If nothing else, then "Outbreak" is a different take on a genre that tends to be rather formulaic. Yeah, I love all things zombie, but many zombie movies tend to be rather generic, formulaic and essentially being copy and paste jobs of the classics.

My rating of director Jeff Wolfe's 2024 movie "Outbreak" lands on a five out of ten stars.

Well made, sort of average movie. I did not except a whole lot from the 636475858th zombie movie out there, but it was not bad at all.

The wife was incredibly, painfully annoying throughout the entire film - yes, it was explained, in fact, twice over, and it makes sense, but still... - and the actress playing the character did not help one bit. She was a bad match for the husband in every way.

Apart from that, the movie looked good, had a coherent story, it held interest. It was far from the most original thing you'll ever see, but it filled and evening just fine. Not something I would want to watch over and over again, but I liked it more than I thought I would. To my mind it does not deserve the low rating it stands at now. It's like frozen pizza: you know you can get better, but it's all right.

I love zombie/apocalypse type of movies! Not sure why, but find them entertaining. I could not stop laughing during this one, not because it was intentionally funny, but because it was one of the worst ones I've ever watched! Just when you think it can't get any more stupid, it does! Yes, I watched the entire thing, I just couldn't look away. Nothing makes sense! The writing is ridiculous and riddled with inconsistencies!

In this case, these zombies are infected with rabies. And of course, the two sheriffs radios won't work. Why would people infected with rabies interfere with radio signals? That's just one of the utterly comical and ridiculous things that takes place. Watch it if you want a good laugh.

Not your average zombie film, with a bit of trust at the end. The acting was pretty bad and as much as I like a zombie flick as much as the next person, it didn't really do it for me.

Lots of holes in the story and a lot of unnecessary dialogue used as filler.

Basically, the main character has issues from losing his son. Then an apparent zombie outbreak happens. He drives with his wife to "get out of the town" but seems to do anything but. Driving backwards and forwards to their home, cliche can't get anyone of the walkie, no bullets, blah blah.

I won't spoil the ending as it was a bit of a twist. I will say the zombies were at least decent (what there were of them). But wouldn't watch it again.

My expectations were very limited with this generic title, bad poster, and seemingly clichéd plot of a zombie apocalypse outbreak. We follow a state park ranger who is grappling with the disappearance of his teenage son until one day he has to face a mysterious zombie outbreak. As soon as he realizes what is going on, he grabs his wife, who acts like a numb sack of potatoes the entire time, and drives off.

Even after all these countless zombie movies, I still really enjoy the subgenre. And even though my expectations were low, I was excited to see this. It doesn't take long for the first zombie to show up, and the makeup effects looked decent, which was a pleasant surprise given the 4.4-star rating the movie currently has. There are a few tense scenes, and the zombies seem to get more physically athletic throughout the film. It's the fast-zombie version with twisting limbs and unnatural body movements, similar to what some Asian entries in the genre (for example, Train to Busan) often do. Many of the interactions with zombies felt unnatural and awkward at first, which was a little distracting, but later on these moments integrated more naturally into the film.

Billy Burke as the lead was good, and there were even a few humorous lines that worked rather well. The movie was actually quite diverting, even though it felt cheap, and some of the dialogue between the lead and his wife or other characters felt unnatural and out of place. Overall, I had a decent time, which could be because of my low expectations going in, but I have certainly seen worse in the genre. The movie also introduces one element that makes it stand out a bit, even though it has been done before. Still, it gave this movie a little more character. For genre lovers, this could be a decent watch, but if you are tired of seeing zombie movies, then this one definitely won't change that. [5.9/10]