Tag Archives: Infected

Snow Falls A Wintery Indie Horror That Can’t Quite Dig Itself Out of Its Own Limitations

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Three years have no passed since COVID-19 plunged the world into unprecedented lockdowns and isolation. While the pandemic persists, more movies are releasing that either directly work the events into their narrative or implicitly explore themes of isolation, paranoia, and infection. The latest indie horror movie to hit VOD platforms this week, Snow Falls, lands in the latter category. Actor, director, and writer Colton Tran mix the familiar (isolated cabin) with some more contemporary-themed horror revolving around infection. Whether Snow Falls fully nails its unique premise remains up in the air – few, if any, formal reviews exist at the moment.

Synopsis

Five college friends take a weekend getaway to a remote cabin for drinks and good times. Shortly after their arrival, however, a massive winter storm cuts them off from the outside world. When the power goes out, the cold slowly creeps into the cabin and the dangers of hypothermia become increasingly real. Soon the dark, cold, and isolation chips away at their sanity and the friends begin to fear that something in the snow itself is contaminating them.

Snow Falls Can’t Quite Balance Its Mix of Psychological Thriller and Horror

In spite of its relatively trim runtime of 79 minutes, Snow Falls feels much longer. Writer and director Colton Tran – along with co-writers Luke Genton and Laura M. Young – tease an interesting premise built into a story about isolation that should still resonate following the pandemic. Other horror movies, including 10 Cloverfield Lane and They Look Like People, have built stories around the ‘possibility’ of the supernatural as an integral part of their mystery. For a few reasons, however, Snow Falls never sticks the landing. That is, Tran struggles juggling the movie’s psychological thriller thread with the more overt horror elements. An immediate problem that emerges is that too little happens – even in a movie this short. Long stretches of nothing define big chunks of time. By the climax, Snow Falls has little momentum on its side.

From an early point in Snow Falls, most viewers will figure out what’s going on.

In addition, Tran never really commits to the hints of supernatural teased in his premise. From an early point in Snow Falls, most viewers will figure out what’s going on. It doesn’t help that the more explicit elements are clumsily staged or just underwhelming. In particular, one scene with a snowman outstretches its budget to the point of drastically undercutting any mood or suspense. While the horror elements don’t often work, Tran isn’t able to craft the kind of tension necessary to truly feel compelling as a psychological thriller. As compared to a movie like Frozen (not the Disney version) where the danger feels real, the isolation and cold in Snow Falls often feels forced.

Snow Falls Chilled By Weak Screenplay and Underdeveloped Characters

If the tension in Snow Falls feels forced, it’s often because much of the story relies on its characters doing stupid things. Ignore the CGI-crafted breath on the cold air – you can’t fault an indie horror for a modest budget. Rather the problem lies in the screenplay itself. Yes, college students would absolutely stock up on alcohol for a weekend getaway. But the speed at which the group goes from partying to absolute peril feels forced. No food? No emergency generator or fuel? A cabin with no firewood or ability to produce firewood? And with five people, was it necessary for everyone to immediately skip on sleep? While it’s often easy to gloss over some implausible moments for the sake of enjoyment, a movie still needs to live on some internal consistency. Unfortunately, Snow Falls relies heavily on a generous amount of suspension of disbelief.

…much of the story relies on its characters doing stupid things.

Moreover, Snow Falls never really develops its own characters in spite of the time it spends with them or its intent on focusing on psychological suspense. For example, Tran et al. spend quite a bit of time establishing the main character Eden’s (Anna Grace Barlow) personal loss, but never significantly factor into the climax. It’s a superficial treatment of the character and, by and large, Barlow’s ‘Eden’ spends much of the thriller advising her peers how to cope with hypothermia. Much of Snow Falls is comprised of expository dialogue. As for the rest of the cast, no stands out in either a good or bad way. To be fair, it’s not the fault of the cast. Rather the screenplay renders its characters as little more than two-dimensional tropes.

Snow Falls Can’t Quite Thaw Itself Out of Its Own Flaws

Maybe Snow Falls tries to be too many things but, by the time the final credits roll, it’s dissatisfying on all counts. As a psychological thriller exploring the effects of isolation and paranoia, Tran can’t quite achieve the desired tension in part because of the half-hearted teases at supernatural happenings. It doesn’t help that Tran tips his hand far too early on these horror elements. And Snow Falls’ ambitions outreach what it can put on screen. But the characters are also too underdeveloped to make the movie’s more psychological undertones work. Pacing problems only exacerbate these issues. Though it’s watchable, Snow Falls likely won’t make much of an impression.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE: C+

Virus-32 Proves There’s Still Plenty of Life in the Zombie Movie

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At face value, Shudder’s latest original release, Virus-32, may feel like a case of ‘been there, done’ that’. For over a decade, zombies were all the rage in horror. While The Walking Dead scored huge ratings, Dawn of the Dead, 28 Days Later, and the Resident Evil franchise scared up dollars at the box office. From zombies on trains to found-footage zombies, it feels like we’ve seen just about every twist on the premise imaginable. Even The Walking Dead seems to be running on fumes. But this Argentinian zombie entry squeezes out a bit more life from the subgenre.

Synopsis

In the Uruguay capital, Montevideo, a virus rapidly spreads through the populace. Infected turn into primal killers spreading waves of violence across the streets. As chaos unfolds, single mother Iris finds herself and her daughter, Tata, trapped inside a sports gym where she works as a security guard. When mother and daughter are separated, Iris desperately navigates the building’s dark halls to find Tata. Her only chance – the infected lapse into a catatonic state for 32 seconds after each attack.

Virus-32 Wastes Little Time As It Delivers Relentless Suspense

Though its premise sounds like a riff on 28 Days Later, Virus-32 shares little in common with Danny Boyle’s classic. Both movies conceptualize ‘zombies’ as rabid infected rather than ‘walking dead’. And that’s where the similarities end. By limiting its scope to the confines of the movie’s run down gym complex, Virus-32 offers a very different, stripped down approach to the material. Writer and director Gustavo Hernandez wastes little time with exposition or table-setting. That is, Virus-32 immediately opens with a quietly disturbing scene that pans away to expansive shots of the virus running amok through city streets. In a short span of time, Hernandez then introduces us to Iris and her daughter – hinting at a tragic past – before putting them in danger.

…Virus-32 immediately opens with a quietly disturbing scene …

What follows is an almost relentlessly paced roller-coaster of suspenseful cat-and-mouse punctuated by unnerving acts of violence. Not one but several scenes immediately stand out. Whether it’s Iris’ slow advance through a locker room, row by row, with infected maybe lurking around the corner or a birth gone horribly wrong, Virus-32 aptly balances traditional jump scares with drawn out suspense. Arguably, Hernandez gets the most mileage out of his ’32 second rule’ in a narrow hallway with ‘infected’ temporarily immobilized on either end.

Virus-32 Succeeds By Following Simple Rules of Horror

Another plus of Virus-32 is Hernandez’s decision to keep the story simple. Rather than burden the suspense with exposition and background, Virus-32 immediately drops you into a spreading infection. It’s a story decision that trusts the audience’s ability to pick up on little details and aligns with a tried and true horror adage – what you don’t know is often scarier than what you do know. Moreover, ambiguity around the infection’s origins and nature allows Hernandez to set up a well-earned sequel. Perhaps Iris’ discovery of the ’32-second rule’ feels a bit convoluted. But that’s a minor complaint for a movie where everything else works so well.

By the time the climax rolls around, you want to see Iris escape with Tata.

Where Virus-32 further distinguishes itself from bigger zombie movies – like last year’s Army of the Dead – is the mother-daughter relationship at the core of the story. Hernandez drops bits of background information here and there before separating Iris and Tata. But it’s enough character to drive home Iris’ desperation to save her daughter and overcome her past shortcomings. By the time the climax rolls around, you want to see Iris escape with Tata. It lends an emotional relevancy to the movie that heightens the suspense. And Paula Silva gives an absolutely heart-wrenching performance with much of the movie resting on her shoulders.

Virus-32 Isn’t Just a Great Zombie Movie, It’s a Great Horror Movie

If your initial impulse is to skip over Virus-32 because you’re worn out on the zombie genre, do yourself a favor – watch this movie. In addition to being one of the better zombie movies in recent memory, Virus-32 is one of the better horror movies of the year so far. Hernandez gets the most out of his simple premise as he delivers several white-knuckle moments alongside an emotionally-driven story. This isn’t just a good zombie movie, it’s a great horror movie.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE: A

Antisocial: Canadian Social Media Horror Not Likely to Trend

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Canadian horror movie, Antisocial, hit the film festival circuit way back in 2013. As if often the case with smaller movies, Antisocial was just one of those movies that fell under the radar. With its story of a social media site embedded with a virus that turns users into ‘rabid zombies’, Antisocial touches on themes even more relevant today. Apparently, someone was happy enough with the movie to produce a follow-up years later. So is Antisocial scary enough to make you delete your Facebook accounts? Or is it ‘fake news’ in today’s horror market?

Synopsis

After her boyfriend breaks up with her on a video chat, college student Sam same decides to join her friends at a small New Year’s Eve party. Early in the evening, news broadcasts detail seemingly random violent attacks in the city. As the night progresses, the attacks intensify and increase in number – and they’re happening across the globe. As a more information leaks out about this rapidly spreading disease Sam and her friends board themselves inside their home. But when the symptoms start to who up in the group, the danger isn’t just outside on the streets. It’s locked inside with them.

Antisocial ‘Blocks’ its Own Socially Relevant Commentary with Weak Screenplay

Somewhere in Antisocial is an interesting concept. Neither the first movie to use zombies as social allegory nor tackle the viral nature of social media, Antisocial still had a niche it could have carved for itself. And Canadian horror movies have successfully touched on similar ideas. In the 1970’s David Cronenberg’s Rabid tread on similar ground. Arguably, Bruce McDonald’s brilliantly eccentric Pontypool – where a virus embeds itself in the English language – comes a little closer. And over the last few years, several horror movies have centred social media as their source of horror. Some of these movies have been good (#FromJennnifer, Cam); others fell flat (#FollowMe, Cell). Regardless, Antisocial’s targeting of our selfie-obsessed social media culture had lots of room to deliver some ‘biting’ social commentary.

… Chad Archibald and Cody Calahan’s screenplay hits us over the head with its literal ‘viral social media makes us a mindless hoard’ with expository-laden dialogue.

Alas, Antisocial’s undercooked screenplay never really executes its own concept. The idea of a virus embedded in a social media platform – in this case, Facebook stand-in, The Social Redroom – should have been ripe for subtext. But Antisocial never really uses The Social Redroom, or our addiction to being ‘connected’, effectively to generate more resonating scares. On the one hand, Chad Archibald and Cody Calahan’s screenplay hits us over the head with its literal ‘viral social media makes us a mindless hoard’ with expository-laden dialogue. And this may be the problem. That is, Antisocial ‘tells us’ what should make it scary. Yet the movie never really embeds the viral nature of social media into its own narrative outside some heavy-handed moments.

Dull Stretches Dilute Potency of a Few Standout Scenes

By and large, Antisocial drags for chunks at a time without much of interest happening. Though writer and director Calahan crafts a few strong moments, he doesn’t create any sustained atmosphere or tension. Stuff happens now and then, and characters brood and explain things in between these scenes. Still, when Antisocial does things right, it hints at what could have been for the movie. For instance, Calahan’s opening wherein two girls’ livestream inexplicably ends in brutal violence is pretty chilling stuff. It’s also the movie’s best statement on social media. Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait for the movie’s admittedly queasy climax for anything that will stand out.

… Calahan’s opening wherein two girls’ livestream inexplicably ends in brutal violence is pretty chilling stuff.

Like the rest of the movie, Antisocial’s performances are fine, but no one is probably going to blow you away. Specifically, the cast is capable and more than up to the challenge of the movie. In particular, Michelle Mylett’s ‘Sam’ is likable, and Mylett convincingly hits all the right notes. If the movie has a strength, it’s Steph Copeland’s score. While Antisocial lacks much in the way of atmosphere and mood, Copeland’s contributions come close to breathing in more life into the movie. Certainly, she’s a bright spot of talen in what’s otherwise a largely dull movie.

Antisocial Joins a Growing List of Forgettable ‘Zombie’ Message Movies

When Antisocial debuted in 2013, zombie movies still hadn’t run out of steam. For example, it’s only been the last two to three years where we’ve witnessed declining rating The Walking Dead juggernaut. Pandemics will always be inherently frightening. And our social media obsession has only worsened since the movie’s release. That is, Antisocial was well-positioned to be one of those horror movies whose themes became only more relevant with time. Instead, Antisocial feels like just another tired ‘zombie message’ movie. Outside of a few good scenes, it’s a monotonous movie that audiences are likely to quickly forget.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE: C

The Cured: Zombies, Trauma, and Forgiveness

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At some point, you have to wonder if the zombie film is going to run out of steam. Just in time for Halloween, Netflix has added the Ellen Page zombie flick, The Cured. Though it premiered last year and saw a limited theatrical release earlier in 2018, The Cured is only now appearing on streaming platforms. Critics were divided, but does The Cured offer enough insightful zombie fun for your Halloween viewing?

Synopsis

A virus that turns infected into ‘zombies’ has ravaged much of Europe. The virus has hit Ireland particularly hard. But the government has developed a cure to the ‘Maze Virus’ to which only a quarter of infected remain ‘Resistant’. As the government warehouses the ‘Resistant’ is a secure facility, public debate rages as how to best deal with these remaining infected. In the meantime, ‘The Cured’ are being released back into society where mistrustful residents await. Senan is taken in by his sister-in-law but struggles to re-integrate, still haunted by what he did when he was infected.

The Cured is Brimming with Timely Ideas

David Freyne both wrote and directed The Cured, a zombie movie loaded with challenging ideas. Just the premise itself instantly distinguishes The Cured from the horde of zombie movies. Freyne’s decision to open the movie with ‘cured’ citizens already being released sets the story on its own path lending some novelty to a tired subgenre. That the ‘Cured’ can also remember everything they did while zombies adds an unfamiliar layer to the narrative.

To his credit, Freyne compellingly weaves all these elements into what feels like a political drama.

For the first hour or so, Freyne then takes his tpremise and pushes it in an intriguing direction. Senan’s complex relationship with another ‘Cured’, Connor, who exercises undue influence over him, lends The Cured additional tension. Later in the movie, Freyne introduces another wrinkle with the revelation that the ‘Resistant’ do not target ‘The Cured’. To his credit, Freyne compellingly weaves all these elements into what feels more like a political drama. Mass incarceration of the ‘Resistant’, divergent security measures with the ‘The Cured’, and public fear-mongering are among the politically charged subjects included. The first hour feels like a good Black Mirror episode.

The Cured Offers a Poignant Examination of Trauma

At the heart of its story, The Cured is focused on its three main characters and how each copes with trauma. Both Senan and Connor share the bond of being cured. Fear and mistrust haunt both characters. In one chilling scene, military officer Cantor, who serves as something akin to a parole officer, reminds Connor that “it’s not your world anymore.” Yet while the past haunts Senan and his struggles to find forgiveness, Connor brims with anger. Both Sam Keeley and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor fully inhabit their characters. But it’s Kelley who really stands out with an understated performance.

Both Sam Kelley and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor fully inhabit their characters. But it’s Kelley who really stands out with an understated performance.

Not surprisingly, Ellen Page delivers another compelling performance as Abbie. Like Senan and Connor, the Maze Virus has also left Abbie traumatized. Her husband is missing, dead or infected, while she cares for her young son. For much of movie, Page restrains her performance, but as the movie unfolds, she lets her grief rise to the surface.

Traditional Horror Elements Feel Out of Place

Where The Cured struggles is with its attempts to integrate more traditional horror elements. This is not to say that Freyne incapably executes his zombie moments. On the contrary, The Cured has some unsettling zombie imagery and a liberal dosage of scares. But it’s also these elements that feel most derivative of better zombie movies. Arguably, 28 Days Later is the movie that most frequently comes to mind while watching The Cured. The movie doesn’t fare quite as well with the comparison, particularly as Freyne abandons some of his more complex ideas for a standard horror climax. As a horror film, The Cured neither builds nor sustains the required tension.

The Cured Is An Interesting Movie That May Struggle to Find An Audience

Like earlier 2018 releases Cargo and Hostile, The Cured shows that the zombie remains the most socially conscious of horror’s monsters. Yet as good as The Cured is for the first half, it eventually descends into familiar territory. Where this zombie thriller may struggle to find an audience is with its divergent approach to the subgenre. Horror fans may find the introspective drama too dull. Conversely, it may turn off non-horror fans with the zombie gore and scares. Additionally, the second half may draw unfavourable comparisons to better, more focused zombie movies.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE: B

Trench 11 Struggles to Find Momentum or Scares

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The horror genre has a long, rich history of using Nazis as monsters. From Isla, She-Wolf of the SS to more recent entries like Dead Snow and Frankenstein’s Army, the Nazis have offered the genre some good villains for reasons that shouldn’t need further explanation. Later this fall, J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions is releasing its heavily-promoted Nazi-zombie film, Overlord. In the meantime, Nazi-zombie film fans can whet their appetite with Raven Banner’s Trench 11.

Synopsis

Set in the dying days of World War I, a small Allied unit is tasked with exploring an abandoned Nazi research facility. Lt. Benson, a Canadian solider and tunneller, serves as the unit’s guide despite clearly suffering the effects of his last mission. As the Allies descend a 100 feet below the ground, they discover the remnants of a horrific experiment that may not be dormant.

Trench 11 Suffers From Pacing Problems

Trench 11 is a low-budget effort, but director Leo Scherman mostly succeeds in masking this short-coming. By and large, Scherman’s World War I-zombie flick looks good on the screen. Where the film clearly suffers from budgetary constraints is pacing. With only so much money to go around for special effects, Trench 11 is a little light on the zombie action. Though a few good horror scenes are interspersed through the movie’s first 45 minutes, Trench 11 is a pretty talky film in the early going.

Aside from a lack of real scares, Trench 11 also fails to establish or escalate any tension. As a result, the movie grinds to a halt too often over its 90-minute run-time.

A lack of constant action is, in and of itself, not a problem. Unfortunately, Scherman and Matt Booi’s screenplay does not offer much else to keep you engaged. None of the characters are particularly charismatic or interesting. In fact, audiences might be excused for confusing characters or failing to remember names. Aside from a lack of real scares, Trench 11 also fails to establish or escalate any tension. As a result, the movie grinds to a halt too often over its 90-minute run-time.

A Few Good Gore Effects Offset Pacing Issues

Thankfully, Trench 11’s special effects team puts the limited budget to good use. While there are only a few zombie attacks in the film, Trench 11 does not disappoint when opportunities for gore are presented. In one scene, a character has his head blown off while another character has his nose mangled by an infected solider. Each of these moments is well served by the film’s make-up effects, never appearing cheap or laughable.

Yet there are just too few of these moments to enjoy. I found myself waiting for Trench 11 to explode into action, particularly as the story built to its climax. Even with a low budget I’m not sure why more effort could not have been put forth to make the handful of ‘infected’ look, well, infected. Scherman doesn’t even take much advantage of the movie’s claustrophobic setting. Little to no suspense is gleaned from the movie’s underground tunnels, which seems like a huge oversight.

Bland Performances and a Lack of Scares

None of the performances in Trench 11 can or should be classified as poor. To the contrary, like the rest of the movie, the cast is capable and competent. Nevertheless, there is no single performance that rises above being blandly acceptable. If there’s a weak link it’s Rossif Sutherland as the reluctant Lt. Benson. Sutherland neither looks the part nor delivers any of the requisite charisma or pathos one would expect from the role.

Ultimately, where Trench 11 really fails is that it just lacks scares and atmosphere. I would have even taken a clumsily staged jump scare here and there just to inject some life into the proceedings. If there was a music score, it made no impression in the 90 minutes or so of the movie. As the story plunged into its finale, a definite sense of frustration emerged with a story that had so much potential but just couldn’t hit any of the right notes.

Trench 11 Will Remind of You Better Movies

In spite of a promising premise and competent film-making, Trench 11 can’t escape its low budget and lackluster screenplay. While it’s certainly far from being a bad movie, it largely works as a reminder of better films that have explored similar concepts and themes. No one moment is likely to stick out five minutes or more after the film has ended. If you’re a fan of WWI or WWII horror-themed films, it looks like you’ll have to wait for Overlord to hit cineplexes in order to get your fix.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE: C+

Cargo: Netflix Zombie Film Shows The ‘Undead’ Still Have Some Life

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So even the ‘living dead‘ are vulnerable to the cyclical nature of popular culture. All the rage for over a decade, zombie entertainment has been seemingly waning over the last year or so. The Walking Dead’s Season 8 finale was the zombie juggernaut’s second least watched finale (Adalian, 2018, April 17). It may seem strange then that Netflix’s latest horror offering goes back to the zombie well. Directed by Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke, Cargo is a post-apocalyptic Australian zombie thriller starring Martin Freeman. Based on early rave reviews, it would appear as though the rumors of the zombie genre’s demise were premature.

Synopsis

In a post-apocalyptic Australia, a pandemic has left the country decimated by the living dead. In this world, Andy and Kay, with their infant daughter Rose, struggle to find safety in a boathouse. Following a tragic turn of events, Kay is killed and Andy infected. Now Andy has 48 hours to find safety for his daughter before he turns. On his travels, Andy finds Thoomi, an Indigenous girl who lost her father to the virus. Together Andy and Thoomi struggle to find some hope and a chance for survival.

Themes of Hope and Survival Give Cargo an Emotional Center

Cargo is less a horror film and more a human drama and thriller with horror concepts and imagery. In addition to serving as one of the two directors, Yolanda Ramke also penned the screenplay. If zombies feel stale, Cargo succeeds in part because Ramke’s story keeps the zombie pandemic in the background. Instead, Cargo focuses on the emotions that arise out of characters’ relationships. It’s the relationships between characters and their losses that drive the film. Later in Cargo, it is the friendship that builds between Andy and Thoomi that holds your attention. Even the losses experienced by secondary characters – former teacher Etta and Lorraine – give Cargo a weighty emotional heart.

One reason the zombie has endured is that it functions as a blank slate onto which filmmakers can project a range of themes.

One reason the zombie has endured is that it functions as a blank slate onto which filmmakers can project a range of themes. Like most exceptional films, Cargo can likely be read in a variety of ways. One theme that seems to emerge from Ramke’s story is hope. Characters lose and regain hope over the course of Cargo. Building upon this theme, the final act and closing moments serve to provide the film with an emotionally satisfying arc. This is the kind of storytelling that has set the zombie subgenre apart from other horror avenues for the better part of a decade.

Cargo Has More Than Enough Bite

While Cargo may not be best described as horror, that’s not to say that it has no ‘bite’. Directors Howling and Ramke give Cargo an overall haunting tone. There are several moments of well-executed tension that punctuate the movie when necessary. An early scene where Andy calls to a family only to have the father flash a revolver contributes to a forebodding mood. Zombies may be slow, but Howling and Ramke also find several ways to make their plodding threat frightening. While a little reminiscent of 28 Days Later, one scene involving a walk through a darkened tunnel is an example of one of several white-knuckle moments in Cargo.

…it is Andy’s slow transition from infection and the impending threat it poses to his infant daughter that gives Cargo a constant sense of urgency.

Arguably, it’s Andy’s slow transition from infection and the impending threat it poses to his infant daughter that gives Cargo urgency. Those scenes where Andy slowly begins succumbing to the virus create genuine moments of fear. Not jump scares but genuine terror. The inclusion of the watch with its running timer is a clever tool serving to maintain that urgency from scene to scene.

Cargo Boasts First Rate Horror Production

From the cinematography to the performances, Cargo stands out as a first rate horror film production. Cinematographer Geoffrey Simpson makes brilliant use of the desolate Australian landscape to enhance the film’s mood. Several gorgeous wide-angle shots of wilderness contrast nicely with the post-apocalyptic reality of Cargo’s world.

It’s a performance that should continue to remind critics that horror movies matter during awards season.

One of the more underrated actors in film and television, Martin Freeman delivers an incredible performance. It doesn’t matter if it’s a scene with no dialogue, Freeman is utterly convincing as a father desperately trying to find some hope for his child. It’s a performance that should continue to remind critics that horror movies matter during awards season. Child actor Simone Landers is a revelation as Thoomi; she is not overshadowed in any way by Freeman’s fantastic performance. She capably conveys childlike naivete with an adult’s seriousness in her role.

Cargo Gives Netflix A Much Needed Win

To date, Netflix has struggled with some of their full film releases. Fortunately, Cargo can be slotted in the ‘win’ column for the streaming giant. It’s a quiet, restrained, and thoughtful zombie thriller that boasts strong acting performances and strong production values. In fact, this is the best kind of horror movie – one that engrosses not because it shocks but because it emotionally engages. Cargo joins The Ritual as another Netflix candidate for ‘Best Horror Film of 2018’.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE: A