Ravenous (2017)

In the aftermath of a zombie outbreak, a rural area of Quebec is decemated, leaving small pockets of survivors. This film follows these people and their experiences with the undead and each other in this lawless world as they try to find a safe place to call home.

Ravenous doesn't do anything revolutionary with the zombie genre, but it's a solid entry within existing tropes. The survivors are all different types of people from a high powered business woman to retirees. These people have to decide how to deal with each other. Deception for survival is expected, so how does one treat a woman claiming she was bitten by a dog? The man who encounters her ties her up in a situation that initially looks like torture, but it becomes clear he was afraid she would turn. These people also deal with zombies in different ways from using loud pop music to lure them into the open to sacrificing themselves to save others. There are numerous characters and I couldn't quite remember most of their names, but they were still memorable by their actions, their pasts, and their stories. My favorites are the old women with their shotguns, keeping themselves and each other safe against the world.

The zombies in this world are a little different than usual. They are able to run, exhibit more strength than humans, and of course eat people. Their attention span is small and their eyesight doesn't seem good since if people hold still long enough, zombies lose interest and go on their way. It seems all their senses are muted. Blotches are all over their skin and their blood appears black. All pretty standard things, except they seem to have a bit more intelligence than usual. Some are seen to lay traps that will attract people towards them. This eerie zombie woman with her two children all dressed in white make people want to save them and they are too far away to see if they are dead or not. Other zombies then surround the poor humans. The zombies also oddly pile up household objects to terrifying heights that seem to be some sort of rudimentary religious structures. It's odd to see zombies having intense interest in something other than eating and it may be a little like them pretending to be a human a little bit. It makes me curious about their experience.

Ravenous is a film that doesn't waste a lot of time on exposition. It throws you into the action of each group of characters and you get to know them as you go. I love how this feels more realistic and keeps the story moving forward always. It has some more nuanced elements that set it apart. The performances and writing were all good. The cinematography was especially good. There are quite a few long landscape shots that are incredibly beautiful and eerie above crowds of zombies and/or their towers. Many typical scenes you would see in a zombie movie have a little twist that make them a little bit different. I really enjoyed this film and I recommend it.

My rating: 4/5 fishmuffins