Director: Ding Wang
Year: 2022
Country: Canada
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Zombie
Plot:
Arriving at the facility one last time, the owners of a summer camp preparing to sell it to a local businessman which is soon revealed to be harboring evil intentions towards the camp, but their loyalties are divided further when a zombie outbreak in the community spreads forcing them to get away alive.
Review:
Overall, there’s a lot to like with this one. Among the better features on display is the somewhat simple-minded storyline here that’s far more detailed and effective than what should be the case for this kind of film. Given that there’s far more going on beyond just the whole concept of cleaning up the camp but also managing to work together into several solid side-stories involving the love triangle that the majority of this one focuses on, the first half to this one comes across with a lot more heart and emotional attachment to their plight which goes directly alongside their whole quest to save the camp from the investor once his plans are revealed. It makes the series of intentional sabotage attempts once the out-of-place guests arrive feel far more earned than they should with this background in place.
This leads the films’ selling point in the rather fun and over-the-top zombie outbreak that arrives at the camp. While nothing new in the grand scheme of the genre, the outbreak scenes of the infected running wild in the camp and ripping people to pieces while forcing the survivors into an appropriate and believable state of panic and chaos. The action involved here isn’t bad and really drives this one along, especially once the incumbent military help arrives to further the idea of futility present which goes a long way to making this one likable, much like the early scenes involving the release of the virus and how it parallels the modern world. It’s a clever enough tactic that is eerily topical and relevant and added on top of the fantastic practical gore and make-up effects here really makes this stand out nicely.
That said, there are a few minor issues with the film. The main drawback is the films’ reliance in the first half on characters over action, detailing the exploits of the workers at the camp trying to ensure the new owner doesn’t overtake the facility and turn it into a hotspot for city-dwellers that the camp was set up as an escape from. While all of this effectively sets up the characters and their motivations, hardly any of these features any kind of zombie action makes it feel slightly too long to get to the creatures when they finally make their way to the area. That’s the other small issue here in that the zombies feel more like an afterthought at the expense of an indie drama about the workers at this campsite ting to prevent it from being sold since they come out of nowhere and feel at odds with the rest of the storyline previously like this was several films edited together such is the rapid shift from indie drama to genre thrills. It’s not deal-breaking but it is a factor.
Overview: ***.5/5
A more humanistic take on the genre that manages to remain highly enjoyable while only managing a few minor drawbacks to hold it down, this is a highly enjoyable indie feature with a lot to like. Those who prefer that style of genre feature or are curious about the film favoring characters over action should check this one out while those who enjoy the other kind of feature might not be as high on this one.
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