Doomed to Consume

2009

Zombie Horror

USA

Produced by Jason Stephenson and Jon Warner

Directed by Jason Stephenson

Not For The Squeamish Productions

Distributed by New Blood Entertainment

Web: http://www.newbloodentertainment.biz

Reviewer: Bob Estreich

Not another zombie movie! Well, yes, but this one is far better than average. It doesn’t rely on buckets of blood, but features good acting, good script, and good production values. It looks a bit low budget but this is as much due to the depressed rural area of the U.S where it takes place, and overall it’s a well made film.

A zombie virus has hit the States and most of the population is infected or dead. Two young uninfected women are hiding out in a farmhouse but their time is limited as they run out of water. Three young men passing through the area run out of petrol and they all band together to get to a safer place. One by one they are picked off by the zombies. Unusually for a zombie film, these can move quite fast when chasing their prey. I could never understand why being a zombie meant that you immediately forgot how to use your legs and voice. If anything, a zombie able to run after you is more terrifying than the usual shambling disjointed stagger.

In the end, their “sanctuary” is just as dangerous as the place they left. Despite their caution we can see that some of them will not survive.

The script makes a credible attempt at injecting some personality into the characters and the story is stronger for it. The makeup and effects are excellent – somewhat understated for a change, but there should still be enough gore here to satisfy anyone. The story even finishes on a slight note of hope instead of the “everyone dies in a swamp of blood” conventional ending.

I quite liked this film. It takes a common genre and does it better than most. Its producers, Not For The Squeamish Productions, consist of Jason Stephenson and Jon Warner (this film’s producer and director). They are obviously in love with the genre. They rely pretty much on a no-money budget and they appeal for likeminded actors, crew and extras to volunteer their services. In this way, the whole film is a labour of love by enthusiasts. It shows. The film works far better than so many low-budget attempts. Give it a try for yourself.

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This review will appear in Volume 2 No.5 (2009) of the digital and print edition of Synergy Magazine.

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