The Returned

This is not a horror movie, but a thriller/suspense that addresses survival both at an individual and societal level. The plot is very well written, clever, rich in events and details, and no more predictable than strictly needed. It is entertaining, and at the same time intellectually and emotionally satisfying. Every single character is relevant, understandable, and put to good use.

All the necessary ingredients are there to deliver the story: a perfect cast, well balanced paces, impacting music, etc. The only thing I didn't like was the introductory titles, with their visually sickening spastic effects, but that's a detail really; it doesn't change my global opinion.

It's enjoyable to feel for the characters and to feel involved in a story once in a while. The Returned is a treat.

The Returned (2013)

I'm sure every screenwriter is straining to find a way to tap into the zombie movie craze while it's hot. So here's the latest twist—an antidote exists for zombie-ness. Those who are now safely taking their medication are no longer zombies and are dubbed "the Returned."

Of course, these are prejudiced against, and of course there is a constant search for enough medicine to go around—but I'm getting ahead of myself. The main point is that now we can have the threat of zombies without quite having zombies. So maybe this isn't a zombie movie after all!

Except it is, and cleverly so. The leading woman is a doctor who is aware the shortage of medicine—and someone she loves (unnamed here) is one of the Returned, so it matters very much. Tension builds nicely in a couple of different ways, and the general mood (mostly avoiding the usual grotesqueness) is steadily intense. It's good stuff, and a nice surprise. I'm not sure why the overall rating is so low.

This is a Spanish production with a mostly North American cast, so it's basically a low budget fringe film. It doesn't feel like it, however, so expect something solid. Canadian Emily Hampshire is the leading actor, and she gives it all credibility. If there is a weakness here it might be a lack of adventure—the plot follows its logical line closely and the small turns of events are not surprising, quite.

Still, it's well enough done I say, watch it if you are inclined to this kind of movie at all. Or to a quieter kind of zombie plot.

Well-made story of the politics of controlling a plague. This is a thinking man's horror movie: An allegory for HIV/AIDS and similar viral outbreaks, this virus makes its victims into zombies: They're crazed, they spread the virus through biting, and to kill them requires shooting them in the head. But zombies and their gore are rare in this movie. Rather, the focus is on potential zombies, infected people who are kept normal though daily injections. The virus isn't curable, but it is manageable, but only if society supports the victims with expensive drugs, and only as long as each victim is responsible about taking their daily dosage. These factors make the infected a time bomb, a hypothetical that becomes a more urgent reality with rumors that the drug is running out. The story is personalized by Alex and Kate, who show the battle to control the disease, the consequences of not doing so, and the societal impact on their personal lives. Unlike most zombie movies, this one does not focus on the standard action scenes of zombies swarming, eating people, and getting slaughtered with ever more creative head wounds. Nor is this a dystopian future depicting the breakdown of society from a planet overrun by the infected with a few living humans struggling to survive. Rather this horror is psychological: controlling a plague, caring for loved ones, balancing the good of the few with the needs of the many, and the desperate acts this necessitates. Well written and well acted, this is a gem in the horror genre.

After a zombie outbreak, the infected people survive due to a vaccine made of the the spinal fluid of dead zombies and they are called "Returned". Dr. Kate (Emily Hampshire) works in a hospital and is responsible for the wing of Returned". There is a rumor that the vaccine is running out and Kate secretly buys vaccines from Eve (Melina Matthews), who is the responsible for the storeroom. Kate's beloved husband, the musician Alex (Kris Holden-Ried), was infected and only Kate and Alex's brother Jacob (Shawn Doyle) and his wife Amber (Claudia Bassols) knows. When the vaccine runs out, the government brings the infected people to quarantine centers while research a synthetic vaccine. However, Alex and Kate flee to Jacob's house in the countryside expecting that Alex survives until the synthetic vaccine becomes reality. But when Alex's wallet is stolen, Kate's last hope is to get some vaccines from the director of the hospital where she works. Will she succeed?

"The Returned" is among the best zombie movies with a dramatic and credible story and outstanding direction and performances. The behavior of the human beings feeling despair for the situation with beloved ones is impressive and realistic. The dark conclusion is predictable but also perfect. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Retornados" ("Returned")

Note: On 21 Aug 2020, I saw this film again.

The world has survived a zombie virus. A cure has been developed using the zombies. If one dose of the cure is missed, the infected called "The Returned" gets turned. In Toronto, Kate (Emily Hampshire) is a doctor working on a synthetic cure. His boyfriend Alex (Kris Holden-Ried) is one of the Returned and there are rumors of a shortage. Alex comes out to their friends Jacob (Shawn Doyle) and his wife Amber (Claudia Bassols). Eve is a nurse stealing dosages and selling them to Kate who is stockpiling the cure.

This is a different take on the zombie genre. It's almost everything except the zombies. It's an intriguing idea. It takes a little too long to get going and to get the clarifying expositions. The idea is almost more important than the thrills. It's admirable to subvert the genre but it has to bring something else in its place. I give full marks for the idea but not so much for the movie.