Zygote

Short runtime brings about some plot contrivances, but, overall, this short is pretty good: the story is interesting and compelling, worth expanding, and I would love to see the two main characters more developed. The monster is just awesome: really well done and disgusting, as a monster should be. Hope Oats Studio makes features films some day.

Recently been on a spree of revisiting Tales from the crypt on Youtube. Was searching for a short horror film n when i saw the name of Neill Blomkamp, i was totally interested in checking this out. The 22 minutes was worth it. Comparison to Carpenters The Thing is inevitable but this movie really succeeded where the remake failed. It is claustrophobic, tensed, fast paced, superbly acted n directed. The film is set in the mining colony in the Arctic circle. We r told that outta 98 crew only two r remaining. One of em is wounded n blinded n the other a frightened junior female crew member. The monster/thing is made up of body parts of the dead members. There is no safe chamber or place to hide as the monster has the fingerprint ids of all the doors. The creature was terrific though.

Once again, we have the arctic, cold and claustrophobic, and two people who are miners, the last left of a huge work crew, trying to survive while an amorphous creature tries to kill them. The one guy, the boss, is blind, and the other is a woman who doesn't fit the usual protocols on this encampment. It's one bloody scene of dismemberment and slaughter after another. Never cared for this, but I am granting it a good rating on technical grounds and intensity. I wish I knew a little more about what they were up to.

Running at just over 20 minutes, then "Zygote" was initially a movie that I would have passed on, as I am not keen on short films. But I read the synopsis for it and found it to be sounding like it might actually be worth the time and effort.

And let me be the first to say wow! "Zygote" turned out to be a rather entertaining and thrilling short film. I must admit that writers Thomas Sweterlitsch, Terri Tatchell and writer/director Neill Blomkamp had put together something quite good.

Sure, this was blatantly an imitation of "The Thing", but that hardly mattered, because "Zygote" in your face from the very beginning. There wasn't any tallying about.

And with a cast that included just two people, Jose Pablo Cantillo and Dakota Fanning, then there was a certain amount of pressure riding on the two performers. It should be said that they did perform quite well and carried the movie phenomenally. It was a rather nice surprise to see Dakota Fanning in a movie such as this.

The creature was rather interesting and it definitely came off as being realistic given the impressive CGI used. So thumbs up for the CGI and special effects department on their accomplishment here.

It would be great to see "Zygote" as a full length feature film, although I can't really see what it would bring to the genre that hasn't already been done and seen in movies such as "The Thing". But still, with the entertainment level that they managed to pull off with just 20 minutes, then it would be fun to watch a full length movie with this stuff.

"Zygote" is definitely well worth the time and effort if you enjoyed "The Thing". I am rating "Zygote" 7 out of 10 stars.

Zygote is a short scifi horror film with outstanding production values and led by Dakota Fanning.

The first thing you notice is how good it all looks and sounds, this is a film with money and talent behind it and it shows.

Telling the story of two survivors of some horrific event in a base while being stalked by a gigantic creature seemingly made up of the body parts of its victims.

Though it does only stand at around 20 minutes and therefore isn't an entire story it does entertain regardless.

I would love to see a full length version of this, a sequel perhaps?!

The Good:

Monster looks incredible

Dakota Fanning is actually on decent form

Fantastic production values

The Bad:

Messy plot