Chrysalis

Here's the simple acid test to determine whether you have created a viable work of fiction or not. At the end have you told a story or have you mainly filmed people running around a warehouse? In the case of Chrysalis it's very much the latter.

The monsters don't look great and don't really do a lot either. There are some OK scenes if all you want is to see people running away from zombies through a warehouse. Myself, I would like a bit of story with that. Or even just some action. Also why the long scenes about a characters inability to read? It's not character development if it doesn't develop into anything. Or get referenced again throughout the whole movie. I was waiting for the scene where she was stood with a jar of penicillin and a jar of rat poison trying to read the labels or something.

All the actors involved are bad but the girl is so stilted and wooden that it gets annoying to listen to her. At the end of the movie no story has been told. This is basically what I would expect from a movie cobbled together by amateurs with kickstarter money. Don't waste your time and don't be fooled by the ridiculous fake reviews either.

UK title - The Living Dead. When my friend lent me this on dvd he did warn me that it was slow & boring. And he wasn't lying! Three survivors of a zombie style apocalypse are holed up in a large, abandoned building. Zero marks for originality. This film focuses more on the relationships & interactions of the three rather than the infected, so is as much a drama as it is horror. Your typical zombie fan will feel somewhat short changed. Acting, production values etc are OK. A short sex scene does liven it up briefly, nice hooters! Overall though, it's a bore and offers nothing new to a sub genre that's been done to death.

I really wanted this movie to redeem itself but it became increasingly worst as it went on. Here are the weak points. The plot is poor and predictable, the acting is substandard and the score is just god awful. It is probably the only one zombie movie where I found myself cheering for the zombies. I kept asking myself "how the hell did you lot survive this long?" Eventually, I realised that I was the biggest loser in all this as I had lost 100 minutes of my life that I could never regain. It may have been a very good 6th form project, but it really should never hit the big screen. My tip is to only watch this movie when you are high, at least then you can blame it on the weed.

Chrysalis is an intriguing little low budget horror that manages a different sort of twist on the traditional zombie tale...which is not such an easy feat, considering the saturation of the sub-genre these days. Discussing it, however, is essentially a spoiler- as it is only revealed in the final twist of the film.

The film basically takes place 25 years into a zombie apocalypse, which dawned on the masses in the form of a virus that was released during a string of terrorist attacks that went down simultaneously across the globe. Canned food and ammunition ran out long ago...and survivors are beginning to dwindle.

We find ourselves following a relatively young couple (which is pertinent because of how far into the aftermath we are)- Josh & Penn- who have been on their own, scavenging, for some time. They are the sole remnants of formerly larger group whom did not make it this far. They live in an old abandoned building.

Eventually another pair of people make their way into the building the young couple has been squatting. The guy get's bitten on his way in, and is forced into exile (before he turns); but they bring in the woman, and share what little food they have with her.

This woman- Ariba- tells them that she is trying to rendezvous with her group that had been forced to split up; and also recounts a story about how she was born amidst the onset of "the infection" (as they call it).

Turns out she was also bitten at one point. But her father quickly "cut out" the infected area before it spread. She still seems to be infected, though it hasn't yet turned her or made her zombie insatiable.

This is where the twist comes in...--SPOILER--...apparently she is in some way acting as a lure for the zombies- whom are drawn to her like moths to a flame. In the end, not only are they drawn to her via some sort of pheromone or something...but she also seems to be the SOURCE of the infection...or at least it's cause...as if it was divinely sanctioned for her to perish, as her survival rendered it necessary to unleash a zombie apocalypse upon the world to take her out...or something like that. Kinda hard to say, as you are left to piece together the details for yourself.

This film essentially relies on it's locations, which make perfect backdrops for 25 years into the zombie apocalypse. This allowed the whole thing to retain a polished quality on what was clearly a low budget. The acting is fair. I've seen some complaints, but I don't think they are warranted. I suppose a bit more background info on the characters could have been desired; but it was certainly not required. As the conclusion rolled around I found myself feeling quite attached to them. The gore is limited, and the action sparse, but that plays into the storyline- as they have set it up.

My only beef with this film would be that it didn't offer any explanation as to why one person's death would stave off a 25 years running zombie apocalypse. I mean, that is a bit implausible and absurd. Certainly some sort of explanation could have been tied in somehow. It would have made the ending feel less forced.

That being said, however, it's not a terrible film for what it is.

5.5 out of 10.

I really enjoyed this film, I was pleasantly surprised.

If you are after gratuitous gore, and amazing special effects, then maybe it's not for you.

The acting is fairly solid, with a few cringe worthy moments, but over all pretty convincing. It's a horror flick done right, I was heavily invested in the characters, and felt anxious when they were faced with dangers.

This is by far one of the better low budget, apocalyptic films made in recent times, beautifully shot, brooding score, and likable characters.

If you liked films like The Road, or Stake land, I think you will enjoy this.