Film Review: CONTRACTED: PHASE II (2015)

Contracted: Phase II (2015) begins where the previous film ends with Samantha England (Najarra Townsend) after her car accident and being confronted by police and she killing her mother in the streets.  The first film dealt with Samantha contracting a virus through a single sexual encounter.  That virus slowly turned Samantha into a blood thirsty zombie.  Phase II begins with Riley (Matt Mercer) whose brief encounter with Samantha has left him infected as well. 

Seeing the chaos that has erupted around Samantha with the police investigation, Riley decides to find the person that infected her in hopes of finding a cure for himself.  As he succumbs to the slow decaying nature of the virus Riley learns that Patient Zero isn’t dying like he is and that there is more to his plan than just spreading the virus from one person to the next.

Unlike the first film which has a slow decaying Samantha and her descent into the undead, this film is faster paced and less of a character film as it is built around Riley finding the truth of what is going on.  He has to maneuver between a police investigation and discovering who Patient Zero is so this film has a completely different feel than the previous one.  This could be directly the result of a new writer and director behind the film (Craig Walendziak and Josh Forbes, respectfully).  This is not exactly for the best as the personal and character aspects of the film that made the original so unique are lost and therefore this sequel comes off as a predictable yet entertaining film.

This film may not be as cleaver as the first but it’s entertaining and a decent time waster as it could have gone worse.

Film Review: CONTRACTED (2013)

Samantha (Najarra Townsend) is not having a very good day.  She and her girlfriend Nikki (Katie Stegeman) are going through a rough patch and she’s been forced to return home to live with her mother (Caroline Williams) not to mention the fact that the fate of her future career lies in whether or not she can get an audition/interview with the people that can make or break her future.  The best thing to do is have a night of fun with her best friend Alice (Alice Macdonald), who secretly has a crush on her.  This is just the start of the film Contracted (2013) written and directed by Eric England.  

 

When Samantha has a little too much to drink she accidentally has a one-night stand with a mysterious man.  The next day Samantha feels horrible but she doesn’t know if it’s because she cheated on Nikki or that she might have gotten something from the man she slept with.  As the days drag on Samantha’s situation gets worse and she thinks that her deteriorate state is due to a sexually transmitted disease when even the doctor doesn’t know what she has and her condition gets even worse.  She tries to cover it up from her girlfriend as well as her mother, who thinks she’s started using drug again.  As Samantha’s world starts to fall apart, so does her physical self.

England has crafted a polarizing film paralleling sexually transmitted disease to that of a zombie virus all the while showing a normal woman with typical problems that grow out of control.  This is a zombie film with big ideas that are anchored by an enduring performance by Townsend.  Equally, bringing her own to the film is Williams (most noted for her starring role in director Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2) who as Samantha’s mother believing that her daughter’s deteriorate state is due to drug use.  England not only does a great job incorporating drug use and sexually transmitted disease into a zombie film but he also presents several different polarizing lesbian relationships which aren’t in the background (which is too often the case in horror films) but is at the forefront of what makes Samantha who she is and contributes to her decisions and character development.  

This is one of the few zombie films recently that has something different to say and with the talented cast and excellent direction is exceeds beyond expectations.  It may start off a bit slow for those hard core horror fans but it’s a slow burn that is worth the wait and will reward the patient viewer.

Film Review: INFECTED (2013)

There is absolutely nothing original with director Glenn Ciano’s zombie film Infected (2013).  Unfortunately, it’s becoming increasing harder to come up with new ways to tell this old story and Ciano doesn’t try.  Instead, he does the next best thing which is putting together character actors Michael Madsen and William Forsythe and letting them have fun during a zombie outbreak. 

Louis and Dennehey (Madsen and Forsythe, respectfully) have decided to take their families on a little get together in the woods to their cabin in order to come closer since they’ve not seen each other in a very long time.  Unfortunately, a deadly and highly contagious disease is spreading like wild fire and Louis and Dennehey must protect their family from the horde of undead at their doorsteps.  The film eventually goes all Night of the Living Dead as everyone finds themselves trapped in the house with the undead trying to get in.  This could easily be a throwaway film except that Ciano let’s Madsen and Forsythe chew the scenery and have fun so whenever they’re on screen it’s like magic whether they’re together or with other characters.

Anyone looking for something different and new in a zombie film is not going to find it here.  Ciano knows this and plays on the fact that he has two accomplished actors in his film.  The entertainment and fun in this film is on his stars’ shoulders but the film also plays up the sex and gore so audiences just looking for an entertaining and good time won’t be so disappointed.  Infected is a highly forgettable film but if you enjoy Madsen and Forsythe and throw in some zombies then you’re good.

Film Review: THE DEAD OUTSIDE (2008)

When a neurological pandemic decimates the population Daniel (Alton Milne), a desperate man bereaving over the death of his family, finds solace at an isolated farmhouse owned by April (Sandra Louise Douglas), whose family is all dead.  This is the premise behind the infected-zombie film The Dead Outside (2008).  I love zombie and infectious disease films of which there have been a lot in the past few years.  With such a glut of product being released on a monthly basis film makers have to do something different with the material in order to set it apart from other films.  There is nothing new in this film that hasn’t been done a thousand times before. 

The film suffers from having two unlikable characters in April and Daniel.  Neither make for interesting characters as Daniel is someone who does questionable actions throughout the film whereas actress Douglas as April doesn’t have the experience to pull off the complexities to make April a complex character.  The film also suffers from uninspired direction by Kerry Anne Mullaney (who also contributed to the screenplay).   The look of the film is as best as I can describe it is “domestic” as most of the action takes place in and around the farmhouse with a lot of time spent on flat dialogue between the two main characters.  The film wants to be a smart and intelligent take on the genre but there is not enough suspense or action to place it above anything other than another trivial horror film.

The film has nothing to recommend it unless you are a fan of UK horror films.  It’s a timid mess that if made in the ‘90s probably would’ve fared better but in this day and age with the glut of zombie-infectious films out there this film should’ve probably stayed in its grave.

Film Review: ISOLATION (2011)

Single location thrillers are nothing new in the horror genre especially with indie films.  It’s rare when one of these films elevates itself above being something other than an easily forgotten waste of time.  Isolation (2011) tries its best to elevate itself above its meager setup and in some respects it does. 

The film concerns a medical student by the name of Amy Moore (Eva Amurri Martino) who wakes up in an isolated hospital room with no memory of how she got there.  All she knows is what Dr. Sloan (David Harbour) tells her which is that she may have contracted some type of unknown contagious disease and that she must stay in isolation until he is able to identify what she may have.  As time drones on and Amy’s strength begins to return to her, she becomes curious with her isolation and wonders if Dr. Sloan is any closer to discovering what is really wrong with her.  As her memory begins to return to her, she discovers that a fellow medical student and friend is in the room next to her.  She learns that Dr. Sloan may be keeping secrets from her and that there is something more nefarious to her isolation.  

Amy’s isolation at first seems necessary but then becomes a nightmare of which she may be partially responsible leading to third act where the tables will be turned on everyone.  What starts off as a simple medical thriller morphs into a psychological horror film with ample amounts of shock and awe.

Written by Chris Billett and directed by Stephen Kay Isolation does a good job of pacing and building upon a story that gives equal amounts of time to all the characters.  Despite the fact of being filmed in mostly a single location, Kay does a good job with not repeating himself.  It also helps that Martino does a great job of carrying most of the film on her own.  Harbour as Dr. Sloan may seem a bit of a one-note character but by the third act his methodology will be revealed and he holds his own.  Also, a supporting turn by character actor Gregg Henry as Amy’s father is a welcomed addition.

The film as a whole may turn off some audiences who want a little more from their indie thrillers but Isolation is a well done little film that while not being ground breaking is a sign that there is quality being turned out.