BadlandZ

This show has so many great things, but fails. The documentary style of the production is great. The productions themselves have good acting, directing, action, editing, color, style. And shockingly good cinematography at times in the shorts.

But it proves that having everything right, and missing one key part, can make EVERYTHING fall apart. And that is, the writing. The stories just fall apart on the floor.

Without a good story for the short, it's laughable when everything else is perfect. And without a good story for the short, it's sad to watch the documentary on how much work and talent went into making something that resulted in a laughable story.

If anyone ever needed proof there was a case for sourcing scripts, and NOT letting producers and directors rewrite them just for good visuals, this is proof.

Hulu, as much as I love the service, didn't learn from their tragic failure "Resident Advisors." They don't get that they can't become Netflix or Amazon with original content UNTIL they spend money on writers before they dump a ton of cash into production.

No spoilers here, just basics.

The acting was fair to OK. The story/script was fair/OK (interesting, but maybe a little to detailed and over-thought, which COULD be OK or great).

But the direction and production of this just blew any "watchability" elements apart. What was reoccurring themes got lost in the convoluted mishmash of the director over emphasizing things that didn't matter, and letting things that do matter just slip right past. Then throwing in totally unneeded special effects that added nothing, and actually detracted from the ability to get into the story. On and on and on, ever 10 minutes part of me went "ok, I get why the actor played it that way, but why did they shoot the scene like that, and edit it that way, it might has well of been a live play on stage..."

If you can see past the horrible production of this movie, there is some decent acting and an interesting story underneath. But, to be honest, it's SO difficult to see because of the horrible production, I couldn't recommend ANYONE try to watch this movie (unless you are only doing so to get horror movie story ideas and see if the actors in it are any good).

I don't like to dis a movie that so many people obviously worked so hard on. The script, story, cinematography, aren't amateur hour, this movie was something that was worked on in excess, obviously.

But, somehow, the story had this happen and that happened, to the point that the writers over wrote the subplots (which weren't very good) to the point that the main plot was so secondary and anti-climactic that it was boring.

Acting wasn't bad, but they had nothing to work with, where were the characters going, what was their struggle, what was their victory? EMPTY.

It made me feel like it was never going to end, and never going anywhere. I just watched the time pass going REALLY? It's still only part way through?

The best I can say, is if you are a Walking Dead fan, and desperate for a halfway tolerable fix of killing undead like things and surviving, it might be something to pass the time. And, OMG, does it waste a couple hours.