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This isn't a zombie movie. This is a beautiful masterpiece about parenting, survival, and what it means to be human. I found the strong message to be that we are all family. We are all in this together. The only way to survive is to with each other, together. No one gets out alive, but together we can survive as a species; the human race, which is more important than you or I as individuals. It was really quite powerful. Fantastic filmography -the landscape was it's own character.

As much as I usually enjoy horror movies, the zombie sub-genre has never been one I'm particularly fond of. Except for classic films such as "Night of the Living Dead" and Raimi's "Evil Dead" movies, or modern entries into the genre such as "Shaun of the Dead" or "Train to Busan", I have never seen any outstanding zombie films which stood out from the crowd. However, this year's "Cargo", an Australian indie based on a 2013 short film and starring Martin Freeman, succeeded in its attempt to do just that: stand out from the crowd.

With a tense atmosphere, a well-written plot and breathtaking cinematography, "Cargo" is better than the average thriller in the way it focuses on its main character and creates sympathy with him to allow the viewer to actually become interested in the film's eventual outcome. The premise, featuring zombies in a post-apocalyptic Australia, is as important as the development of Martin Freeman's character, and the combination of both aspects ultimately allowed this film to turn into something surprisingly original in a genre which I thought had nothing original left anymore.

Some sloppy editing now and then might be my only criticism about the film. Freeman was a great choice for the leading actor; the film was visually gorgeous to watch; the plot was filled with interesting and unpredictable twists (even if you've seen the short film) - in short, I loved the experience I had while watching it. I don't think everybody will; "Cargo" surely is restricted by the limitations of its genre and will leave some viewers disappointed, and that's completely fine - I only hope its Netflix release will allow "Cargo" to see the wide audience it absolutely deserves.

I am a little surprised by all the accolades, and the excellent reviews this film received, it isn't bad, it's just slow, and it pains me to say it, but just another zombie story, albeit one that is incredibly well made, and superbly acted.

I always look for something unique, and a little different in such a highly regarded film, sadly I couldn't see anything, it's watchable, but I found it too slow.

Martin Freeman is terrific, and the best thing about it. It's a decent watch, but there are many better films in this genre. 6/10

Cargo is generally enjoyable, but it does manage to drag in small parts. The short film it was based on gets straight to the point and hits at what the heart of this story is. Sometimes, that aspect is lost when you stretch it to a feature-length film, which is what I feel occurred here. There are a few moments in this film that feel like they are there simply to extend the runtime. This happens at times in road trip stories where not every stop along the way feels natural or meaningful. Cargo still earns the Decent Watch rating, and will certainly be better than some of the more hyped Netflix Originals.

I was expecting just another lame zombie movie. But i loved it and i cried . Finaly something different

I read some of the negative reviews of this film before watching it. I almost avoided it for that reason but I'm so glad I didn't. It's a great film, well written and acted, perfectly staged in various locations of the Australian outback to complement the characters and situations they find themselves in. I felt it conveyed realistic human dilemmas and heart, and brought something new to the genre. Forget the naysayers, do yourself a favour and experience this film.

Now that Netflix has become a major supplier of films and shows its worth it to check many of their offerings as some might come as a surprise. One of these is Cargo.

Land down under as a beautiful backdrop, subdued , shamanic and tempered acting yet the movie still manages to warm our hearts and allows us to sympathize a bit with the anti hero as it shows just how it is, the ugly side of humans when it comes to survival.

Martin Freeman in many of his roles has a natural comic side to HIM. Here he managed to deliver what is required of a father who will do anything for family. Determined but not over the top.

In the midst of a viral outbreak, Andy Rose, his wife Kay and their daughter Rosie have found temporary sanctuary on a houseboat in rural Australia. Misfortune befalls Kay after she ventures out to an abandoned yacht for supplies, forcing the family to leave the safety of the river in search of help. On land, things decline rapidly, and all hell breaks loose. With the help of an Aboriginal girl named Thoomi, Andy traverses the outback looking for assistance; though his time is quickly running out.

Written and directed by Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke, and based on their 2013 short film of the same name, 'Cargo' is a beautifully shot, well-acted and unfortunately predictable zombie film less 'Dawn of the Dead' and more 'Yawn of the Dead'. Unlike other modern zombie films- like the great 'Train to Busan,' which also dealt with a father trying to save his daughter- 'Cargo' lacks originality or excitement. From the start, the film is a dour slog with a formulaic narrative, while its characters act illogically and inconsistently.

Initially, Andy is shown to be quite resourceful, though his self-sufficiency and intelligence diminishes the more the film goes on. For instance, he's well aware that no-one should really be trusted in this new world, then spends the rest of the film trying to pass his daughter off on people he hasn't yet gotten to know, or trust. Though he's in a desperate situation against the clock, it isn't good writing- or parenting.

Ramke's poor characterisation isn't limited to him, though. Kay is nothing more than a plot device, Thoomi, with all her plucky ingenuity, is completely unbelievable, while the Aboriginals are treated with such deference it seems disingenuous. Moreover, Ramke associates them with familiar cliches of mystical wisdom and cultural appropriation that seems old-fashioned at best, and a little wrong-headed at worst. This is not even to mention the villain of the piece, Vic, whose character is whatever the writers want him to be at any given moment: evil one minute, sympathetic the next.

Although narratively 'Cargo' doesn't impress, Geoffrey Simpson's epic cinematography is striking and atmospheric. His wide-shots capture the vastness of the outback effectively, while his dynamic hand-held camera movements add tension and drama to proceedings. Additionally, Dany Cooper and Sean Lahiff's editing is astute, giving the film a good pace from the start, while the score from Michael Hohnen, Daniel Rankine, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu and Johnathon Mangarri Yunupingu is evocative and stirring.

Furthermore, Martin Freeman's lead performance as Andy is engaging from start to finish. Demonstrating the quiet confidence that has endeared him to so many over the years, Freeman handles the emotional turmoil of the role in a subtle way, sharing a great chemistry with the two sets of twins who portray Rosie. Simone Landers, in her acting debut as Thoomi, impresses; though her inexperience is evident through her rather wooden line delivery. In addition, Anthony Hayes is terrifically menacing as Vic; making the most of Ramke's uneven, scant secondary characterisation.

In conclusion, despite a strong lead performance from Martin Freeman, a stirring score and stunning cinematography from Geoffrey Simpson, 'Cargo' is an underwhelming effort. Lacking the excitement of most zombie films, it is overly dour and dull. Yolanda Ramke's screenplay suffers from a dearth of nuanced or believable characterisation, and her dialogue isn't much to write home about either. For those looking for an original, exciting zombie film about family, go watch 'Train to Busan,' or even 'Shaun of the Dead;' because 'Cargo' just doesn't deliver.

I'd heard very mixed things about Cargo, the one consistent thing said was that the film was sad.

Martin Freeman puts in arguably a career best performance in a zombie movie of all things! Telling the story of one mans quest to find a new home for his baby daughter before it's too late.

Now I'm a zombie movie lover but when it comes to "Alternative" zombie films I tend to be very disappointed in them. For example The Girl With All The Gifts (2016) and Maggie (2015) which were films I was really looking forward to but I felt let down by.

Cargo comes under the same category yet despite some glaring flaws it manages to overcome, is a truly enjoyable movie and an emotional rollercoaster of a ride.

An Australian Netflix movie it looks wonderful, goes for the realistic approach to a common (If overplayed) horror sub genre and tells a tour-de-force tale that Freeman knocks out of the park.

It has an odd number of flaws, head scratching moments and questionable pacing decisions that prevent it from truly being something special. But these things cannot take away from the fact that Cargo is a great film.

The Good:

Excellent performance by Freeman

Looks great

Original concept

The Bad:

Some frustrating writing decisions

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

I'm not crying you're crying

When a movie makes me care about a kid, it's performed a miracle and deserves praise!

I wasn't sure what to make of this film when infirst sat down, I've seen so many "zombie" films now I wasn't sure I could cope with another. However...you quickly come to realise this isn't really a zombie film, I was on the edge of my seat most of the time and the acting was great, particularly by Martin Freeman and even the actors playing (the adorable)baby Rosie did well. Great film, definitely worth a watch!

It is weirdly not the type of Zombie movies that gets scary or so .. it's quite the opposite ... with a bit of thrilling scenes it's just heartwarming story,, with strong plot.

On the other hand, The script didn't look that strong, but still managed to draw my attention and kept me on edge with that 48 hours countdown.

The cast choice was good,, I like Dr. Watson :D "Martin Freeman" he did a good job in here so did all the others.

I wouldn't say it's a family movie even though it kinda looked so sometimes ,, but watch it , you won't regret :)

Outstanding performance by Martin Freeman and his young co-star. Suspenseful, different and heartfelt story told against a background of an apocalypse as a father fights to save his baby daughter from certain death.

A netflix zombie movie? How good could it really be?

Well, Cargo ended up exceeding my expectations.

This film uses the zombies more as a worldly risk more than a film that uses them as the focus to drive the story. We instead focus more on Andy as he goes on an emotional journey to find a new home for his baby.

The storytelling is very checkpoint-like, but it's never bothersome because the story itself feels like a video game, meeting new people, going from location to location always felt fresh and something new happened each time to drive Andy to his goal.

I always also pleasantly surprised by some nice cinematography and a great lead performance from Martin Freeman as Andy, which ended up being a nice cherry on top of an already great story.

There are some minor plot holes, and some subplots just never get mentioned again, but it was never anything jarring or kept me asking questions as the film went on.

Cargo is definitely one of the better zombie flicks that i've seen. It's overall very solid!

Also, I heard about this from TikTok from all places.

Greetings from Lithuania.

"Cargo" (2017) won't blow you away in terms of post apocalyptic genre by its size, scope or budget. This is a low key indie movie with a small budget but made with idea and passion, and you can see it during its whole runtime 1 h 40 min. Its well acted, directed and written story set in a very beautiful landscape.

Overall, "Cargo" was a surprisingly good movie. Its small, but its made so well that you won't mind spending 1 h 40 min with it. Very well movie overall.

New take on zombie genre and both heartbreaking and uplifting. In terms of content, there were several moments that felt quite underwhelming, such as the one dumb decision after another, Nevertheless, it's definetely worth a watch, if u like zombie films and want to see something innovative. One fine movie.

Some of the reviews here are extremely harsh on this movie. This movie is an adaptation of a 7 minute short film, was produced by netflix, didn't have a huge budget, and they still managed to create a fansastic film with incredible acting and a heartwarming, if tragic, storyline. This is not an oscar worthy film and wasnt created under the same standers as some of these comments seem to believe, but it was definitely worth the watch. If you want an exciting, emotional story about a parent's devotion to his child amidst the end of the world, give this movie a shot!

Tried this even though I'm not a fan of this genre. Some good acting from the leads, but the zombies were like every other zombie I've seen. Quite liked then ending, it had a few good twists, so it wasn't a total waste of an afternoon

I watched this movie because of its good IMDB rating. The positive reviews can only be being posted by production associates! Its really boring, predictable, the zombies are ridiculous and inoffensive, the survivors are weak and stupid. I watched until the end just to see ig it could get better, but it didnt. Dont waste your time!

I found this thoroughly enjoyable. Great cast, good dialogue and not any over the top this is just silly I can't even watch it plot holes. Even if you're not into the zombie apocalyptic genre I'd definitely give this a watch. It's not an entirely Australian production but most certainly does prove what the Australian film industry is capable of pulling off some bloody great watching. Well done.