Movie Review - Wyrmwood

Wyrmwood:  Road Of The Dead

2014

The Cast

If you, like myself, have started to become bored with the "Zombie-Fest" the film companies have given us, from the remakes of George Romero's classics to Zombie Nazi's to World War Z, then this is a great big breath of fresh air... or not (you'll get that joke once you watch the film.

What you get here is the classic opening and cause for the Zombie plague, a group of falling stars which changes the chemical make-up of the air.  The change forces the population to become Zombies, except for one particular blood group... these are our survivors.

Along the way you get their stories, an army with a suspect mission, a mad professor with an insane plan to help the human race, and the next generation of Zombie.  Even though all of this has been done before in other films, the vigour with which the director, Kiah Roache-Turner gives the film, and the twists to the "Zombie Myths" which the writers, Kiah and Tristan Roache-Turner, add give this film and the particular genre a much-deserved kick in the arse.

The actors were great and did a fantastic job on the characterisations.  I especially liked Leon Burchell as Benny, who blows a guys head off to find he wasn't a Zombie, to which he runs over to the corpse and shouts, "Is he okay?  Is he gonna be okay?"

The first time I saw Barry, the main hero, I wasn't too sure of his character or the actor playing him, Jay Gallagher.  I was wrong about my initial opinion on the character and actor, as his story is one of loss, anger, revenge, and growth, and shows what kind of psychological journey you would take should the Zombie Apocalypse occur.

Bianca Bradey did a wonderful job of portraying Barry's sister Brooke, who is a strong, intelligent, take-no-crap, woman.  Frank, played by Keith Agius, is a wonderful character who has a great depth to him, the scene in the stalled truck is brilliant.  The mad professor is greatly over-acted by Berynn Schwerdt making him a wonderful psychopath.

This film is so chock-full of so many different things, even genres, comedy, action, thriller, with horror being the main genre and I was grateful that the horror feel stayed throughout.  I was waiting to be dismayed when it all eventually fell apart.  Like watching a plate twirler, you're expecting a plate to fall and smash, and once that happens usually all the other plates follow.  When the end came and the credits rolled, I was wearing a big smile on my face, thanks guys for a great film.

I caught this as it aired on Film4 though now I'm looking to pick up a copy so I can throw it at my friends while screaming, "WATCH THIS!"

This is a MUST WATCH for any Zombie-ites out there.  I give this a flesh-ripping blood-dripping 10 out of 10.

Okay, so the trailer is below, however, I would recommend watching the movie and not the trailer, because, as is the want of trailers, some (not even most and definitely not all) of the good scenes are shown, but most of the pivotal scenes are, which would be better and more satisfying when viewed in the movie.

You Have Been Warned!