Blood Quantum

The first act of this movie is amazing. It had me thinking that we were in cult classic territory. And then the brakes were applied, hard... the entire second act was an exercise in boredom with some preachiness sprinkled in for seasoning.

The third act opens with a bang and I'm thinking, we're back, redemption time... alas it was not to be, like a microcosm of acts 1 and 2, the brakes are applied and we slow everything down once more and the film meanders to a nonsensical ending.

This is a shame because the potential is clearly there... but every time momentum is built the creators opted to let things simmer down. Now maybe this would have been acceptable if the writing, characters, etc... could stand on their own, but they can't. Characters and story are very poorly developed and you aren't going to end up caring about any of them.

Something that I did enjoy was that our de facto protagonist didn't adhere to the collected, calm, and cool Indian stoic stereotype. It's clear early on that the guy is a wreck and it makes him quite likeable. So kudos for that.

In the end it's worth a watch... when it's good, it's great. Just a shame that the creative team couldn't hit that note consistently.

This movie is definitely not for everyone. Here zombie fans get what they ask for. This movie ticks the boxes & doesn't mess around. It packs a punch and hits its mark. Unlike so many other movies which try to target a broader audience, by adding drama, comedy, meaningfulness and other crap, thus diluting the zombie experience, this movie stays true to the genre and is therefore intended mainly for pure zombie aficionados.

(I gave it a 7 which is a very high score - an 8 would be in Romero territory, but I think it truly deserves it because: the genre is still alive and well, and with its limited resources it achieved a lot...)

"Just like the dog. Just like the fish." The dead are coming back to life in Jeff Barnaby's socially aware zombie flick, Blood Quantum. As an impressive ode to the legacy of George A. Romero, Barnaby has given us a tale of the end of the world-where only indigenous peoples are spared as the world burns in chaos.

Six months after the apocalypse, those who have survived now reside on Mi'gMaq reserve of Red Crow, where they have regrouped and implemented new rules to live by. Along with mostly indigenous people, a small handful of non-indigenous survivors have escaped the dead for now.

Joseph (Forrest Goodluck) and Lysol-yes that was the character's name well before Covid introduced surreal anecdotes regarding disinfectants, (Kiowa Gordon) are two brothers who have arrived at fundamentally different understanding as to why the dead keep coming back to life.

The relationship between the two brothers is in constant flux as they try to grasp the fact that their father; town sheriff (Michael Greyeyes) was never around for his first born, Lysol, but was seemingly always present for Joseph, to dire consequence for the two brothers.

Just as the community of survivors comes to find practicality in their new reality a war is waged and a final battle begins, pinning the walking dead and humans alike of one belief system against people of a different view. In the third and final act the depravity of men becomes worse than what Mother Earth has unleash.

With a little tightening of the wrench, Blood Quantum could compete with the best of 'em. It is an entertaining zombie film; those of us who love the genre will especially dig it. The movie's message is spelled out clearly and it plays out well as the metaphor that all of our decisions will come back and haunt us. Had the dialog used a little fine tuning, Blood Quantum could soar.

This movie is not for everyone, so if you want to leave the theater (something you might wish you'd be able to do right now, Quarantine and all), do so and don't blame the movie if it doesn't do you, as you'd wish it'd do you. Don't get me wrong, the movie has quite a lot of flaws, but it also has some neat and interesting ideas overall.

The mixing of native americans and immunity and other stuff really elevate this to a degree. The constant uses of cliches drag it back down many times too though. The beginning though is ripe and rich with tensions and suspense. And then it does something unexpected, time wise ... which I thought a good movie. Unfortunately this new setting does not last long and the ticking time bomb goes off as expected ... Samurai swords (cool) and unnecessary sacrifices included ...

I think this little non pretentious zombie B-Movie is quite good if you're a fan of the genre. Originally main actors are most Native Americans and their acting is quite decent. Also, some great scenes with lots of gore. On the other hand the script is not original but who cares, overall the movie is quite decent for fans that love movies like Planet Terror or Resident Evil. So, if you're a, fan, enjoy this one. If you're not, do not expect The Schindler's list here.