Sleight of Film

Today’s quick review: Survival of the Dead. Weeks after the dead began to rise, Sergeant Crockett (Alan van Sprang), formerly of the National Guard, leads his men to Plum, an island off the coast of Delaware where Patrick O’Flynn (Kenneth Welsh) promises they can live in peace. But when they get there, they find the island ruled by Seamus Muldoon (Richard Fitzpatrick), a man with delusions of protectign the zombies from the living.

Survival of the Dead is the sixth and final zombie movie from director George A. Romero. A loose sequel to Diary of the Dead, Survival of the Dead follows a unit of AWOL soldiers who land in the middle of a conflict between two feuding Irish families. Unlike Romero’s earlier zombie movies, his last one does not have a clear vision in mind. Flat characters, an aimless story, and weak zombie work will make it a miss for most viewers.

Survival of the Dead has a hard time mustering any energy. Crockett and his men are opportunists with no long-term plans, and they have nothing to contribute to the blood feud between O’Flynn and Muldoon. For their part, O’Flynn and Muldoon are a disappointment. Neither man comes across as sympathetic enough to root for, and the question that divides them—whether zombies can be rehabilitated—is not compelling enough to drive the film.

Survival of the Dead also struggles with its zombies. The zombies receive a fair amount of screen time, but they rarely do anything. They exist only to be killed in casual, almost cartoonish ways and to cull the occasional character who lets his guard down. Making matters worse, the human characters tend to underreact to both the zombies themselves and the deaths they cause, robbing their presence of any real impact.

Even fans of the zombie genre will find Survival of the Dead to be a questionable pick. There is no overarching vision, little action to speak of, and no scares worth noting. The movie does manage to tell a dark story with a couple of twists and turns, but the audience is given little reason to care. As such, most viewers would do better with one of Romero’s other zombie films or something else altogether.

For a tense, gruesome zombie film that examines whether the question of whether zombies can be changed, try Day of the Dead. For a post-apocalyptic survival movie with a better grasp of human dynamics, try The Book of Eli or The Road. For a zombie comedy that leans into the slapstick side of the genre, try Zombieland or Shaun of the Dead.

[4.9 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1134854/). I give it a 5.0 for tepid thrills and an aimless plot.

Today’s quick review: Diary of the Dead. As the dead rise to attack the living, Jason Creed (Joshua Close), a film student at the University of Pittsburgh, hits the road with his camera, his girlfriend Debra (Michelle Morgan), and a few of their classmates. As the students road trip across Pennsylvania in an RV, they capture footage of the zombie outbreak as it is unfolding and upload it to the internet to get the truth out there.

Diary of the Dead is a zombie survival movie, the fifth from director George A. Romero. Diary of the Dead breaks with the progression of Romero’s previous work. Instead of venturing further into a zombie apocalypse underway, it chronicles a new outbreak through the lens of modern technology. This gives the movie an angle that other zombie flicks do not have, but it comes at the cost of weaker characters and story.

Diary of the Dead has interesting things to say about modern technology, the media, and the dissociative nature of film. The movie is framed as a documentary assembled from footage recorded by Jason and his friends. Their motives are high-minded: setting the record straight in the face of relentless media spin. But being behind the camera insulates them from the reality of the situation and makes their reactions less human.

The Achilles’ heel of Diary of the Dead is its characters. Jason and his classmates are too generic to get attached to, and the movie never invests the time to develop them further. Jason’s obsession with recording everything, the tension this causes with Deb, and a couple of other personal dynamics have potential. But otherwise there is not much to latch onto, and the inevitable casualties pass more or less without incident.

The sense of gory spectacle also pales in comparison with other zombie movies. Taking the outbreak back to the beginning means that the movie has to spend its time re-establishing the rules of zombies and overcoming the characters’ incredulity at what they are seeing. There are no major scares, set pieces, or shootouts. There is a touch of creative gore, but for the most part, the action is small-scale and personal.

How much you get out of Diary of the Dead will depend on what you are looking for. As a case study in film and media during a crisis, it has a lot to offer. Just seeing the practical side of what it would take to document a disaster of that magnitude is rewarding. But as a zombie movie, it is missing a lot of the usual reasons for the audience to care. Approach with caution.

For a simpler but more powerful take on the early stages of a zombie outbreak from the same director, check out Night of the Living Dead. For a dark, found footage science fiction movie with more impact, try Chronicle or Cloverfield.

[5.6 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0848557/). I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for fascinating themes embedded in a mediocre story.

Today’s quick review: Land of the Dead. Years after a zombie outbreak caused the collapse of civilization, Pittsburgh has become one of the last bastions of humanity. Mr. Kaufman (Dennis Hopper) and his fellow elites live in luxury and security, while the poor eke out a living on the streets. But when Cholo (John Leguizamo), Kaufman’s top enforcer, goes rogue, Kaufman sends Riley (Simon Baker), a seasoned scavenger, to track him down.

Land of the Dead is a zombie action movie, the fourth from director George A. Romero. Land of the Dead depicts a world even more radically changed by the undead than its predecessors. Society has morphed to cope with the existence of zombies, and an uneasy truce exists between the wealthy and the poor. Imaginative world-building gives the movie a unique angle, but it is hampered by an awkward plot that never gets off the ground.

Land of the Dead goes the extra mile with its setting. Unlike Romero’s previous zombie flicks, the world is not just a crippled version of the modern one but something new. The daily facts of life in Pittsburgh, the details of the city’s security, and the power games Kaufman uses to stay on top are all promising ideas. The movie also explores zombie intelligence, with a smart zombie named Big Daddy (Eugene Clark) leading an attack on the city.

But these novel ideas are undermined by poor fundamentals. The characters do a good job of showing off the setting but do not give the story much to work with. Instead, the movie has to engineer conflict by pitting Cholo against Kaufman and then sending Riley, who only wants to away from the city, to clean up the mess. The action is serviceable, but the overuse of gore dulls some of its impact.

Land of the Dead is a movie that takes bigger risks than other zombie flicks, attempting to construct a world of its own to play in. Unfortunately, its gamble does not entirely pay off, and the crisp vision and compelling storytelling of Romero’s previous work is nowhere to be seen. Still, the combination of elaborate gore, a jumbled but still-entertaining plot, and some novel ideas make it a decent pick for the right fan.

For another brush with intelligent zombies, check out Army of the Dead. For another sci-fi movie set in a stratified society, try Snowpiercer, Daybreakers, Equilibrium, or Aeon Flux. For a violent, dystopian future with a similar attitude, try Escape from L.A..

[6.2 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0418819/). I give it a 6.5 for a promising world and a weak story.

Today’s quick review: Day of the Dead. In the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse, Sarah (Lori Cardille) leads a mission to rekindle civilization by looking for survivors and researching a way to control the zombies. But as the weeks drag on with no results, Rhodes (Joe Pilato), the commanding officer of the military side of the mission, threatens to have Sarah and her colleagues executed if they do not come up with something useful.

Day of the Dead is a zombie horror movie from director George A. Romero. Acting as a loose sequel to Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead shows the end state of a zombie outbreak, where all of America is overrun and a handful of survivors try to make something of the ruins. The movie cranks up the gore and the horror of the series, exploring not only the gruesome nature of the zombies but the inhuman cruelty of the survivors as well.

Day of the Dead has a tense setup. The story takes place in a military bunker where tempers are running high. Although the bunker itself is secure, the slow drip of casualties has caused a rift between the military and civilian sides of the mission, with Rhodes taking control by force and Sarah trying everything short of mutiny to stop him. Meanwhile, Dr. Logan (Richard Liberty) performs ghoulish experiments to decipher the zombies.

What follows is a story that is dark, dramatic, and drowning in gore. The zombies are a constant threat, kept in check but never fully controlled. The infighting between the soldiers and the civilians escalates quickly, and the tenuous peace between them soon reaches the breaking point. The gory special effects tie the whole thing together, keeping the zombies menacing and putting an exclamation point on every death.

Day of the Dead is a strong pick for fans of the zombie genre. Although it is not as groundbreaking as Night of the Living Dead or Dawn of the Dead, it taps into a darker strain of storytelling, with a bleaker setting, more acrimonious characters, and impressive special effects. Try it out when you are in the mood for a zombie movie that does not shy away from its subject matter. Skip it if you are at all sensitive to gore.

For a sci-fi horror movie with a similarly tense story and even more unsettling special effects, try The Thing. For a science fiction movie about a lone band of humans making questionable choices to survive on an overrun Earth, try War for the Planet of the Apes. For a sci-fi horror movie with a similar main character, try Alien or Aliens.

[7.1 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088993/). I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for a tense plot and effective horror.

Today’s quick review: Dawn of the Dead. As Philadelphia descends into chaos during a zombie outbreak, Stephen (David Emge), Peter (Ken Foree), Fran (Gaylen Ross), and Roger (Scott Reiniger) steal a helicopter and fly west in search of a safe location to stay. The group settles on a shopping mall infested with zombies and begins the dangerous process of clearing the place out so they can scavenge for food, weapons, and other supplies.

Dawn of the Dead is a classic zombie action movie from director George A. Romero. A spiritual sequel to Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead depicts the days and weeks after a zombie outbreak, as the survivors work out new ways to live and the government faces turmoil and collapse. The movie features a huge amount of zombies, plenty of gore, and a fairly engaging plot, but its odd tone will not suit everyone.

Dawn of the Dead strikes a very different tone from other zombie movies, including its predecessor. The zombies are more of a logistical problem than a practical threat. They are slow and not very aggressive, to the point where they are only a danger when a character is negligent or caught badly off-guard. This, coupled with the cornucopia of supplies in the mall, allows the characters to kick back and have some fun.

Even though the overall stakes are lower than other zombie flicks, Dawn of the Dead still has moments of danger. The questions of where to go, what to do, and how to recover from a couple of costly mistakes give the movie plenty of drama. The choreography is not that compelling, thanks mainly to the sluggish nature of the zombies, but the sheer number of zombies is impressive, and there is some good action when circumstances align.

Overall, Dawn of the Dead is an odd pick that has plenty of upshot for the right viewer. The logistics of the zombie outbreak, the sometimes playful attitude of the survivors, and a pinch of social commentary on shopping malls all make for a unique kind of appeal. However, anyone looking for raw drama or tense action will find it a little uneven. Give it a shot if you are a zombie fan; otherwise approach with caution.

For a more condensed movie with a similar style of action, try the original Assault on Precinct 13. For a gory action movie with even more satire, try Death Race 2000. For a zombie comedy that explores similar themes in more depth, try Zombieland or Shaun of the Dead. For a simpler and more horror-oriented zombie movie from the same director, try Night of the Living Dead.

[7.9 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077402/). I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for carving out a new segment of the genre.

Today’s quick review: Night of the Living Dead. After a living corpse attacks and kills her brother (Russell Streiner), Barbra (Judith O’Dea) takes shelter in an abandoned house with Ben (Duane Jones), a level-headed survivor. The two of them board up the entrances and settle down to wait for help. But as more of the undead surround them, they must decide whether to stay inside or make a break for the nearest government shelter.

Night of the Living Dead is a classic zombie horror movie from director George A. Romero. Night of the Living Dead is the quintessential zombie film, charting the early hours of an outbreak of the undead. The movie follows a handful of survivors as they try to stay alive, cope with the horror of the situation, and bicker with each other. The result is a plain but effective zombie film that lays down the conventions of the genre.

Night of the Living Dead has a knack for conveying the right amount of information. The scale of the zombie outbreak is revealed gradually, and the survivors jump at every scrap of information that comes over the radio. By the time the outbreak is in full swing, the audience and the characters know that something has gone horribly wrong.

The film also packs some brutal challenges for its characters. Avoiding a single zombie is surmountable, but being surrounded by them, losing loved ones to them, and coping with dwindling resources and minimal hope of rescue all push the characters to the breaking point. Making matters worse, there is no single correct course of action. The survivors have to use their best judgment and roll the dice to make it out alive.

Night of the Living Dead is not as flashy as its successors. The special effects are strong enough to get the point across and indulge in some gore, but they are not ambitious. The plot focuses almost entirely on the mechanics of the outbreak and the stress on the survivors, with none of the twists seen in other takes on the formula. But the template the film establishes is an enduring one, and its frank cruelty stands the test of time.

For another minimalistic zombie movie that succeeds due to its characters and situations, try 28 Days Later. For a more elaborate story about a world overrun by zombies, try The Omega Man or I Am Legend. For a parody of the genre, try Zombieland or The Dead Don’t Die.

[7.9 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063350/). I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for polished execution and an iconic plot, with the chance to score much higher for fans of the genre.

Today’s quick review: Train to Busan. Fund manager Seo Seok-woo (Gong Yoo) takes the morning off to take his daughter Su-an (Kim Su-an) to see her mother in Busan. But when a woman bitten by a zombie boards the train at the last minute, the entire vehicle becomes a deathtrap. As most of the passengers are infected and turned into zombies, Seo works with the few survivors to secure the forward cars and get to safety.

Train to Busan is a Korean action horror movie about a zombie outbreak on board a train. Train to Busan distinguishes itself by taking the basic ideas of the zombie genre and executing them with unusual skill. The confined environment of a passenger train proves to be a perfect setting for the film, and its intense action, moral conundrums, and powerful emotional core make it a strong choice for any fans of the genre.

Train to Busan gets its zombies right. They move quickly and erratically, making them a serious threat in the confines of the train, and the victims turn within seconds. As such, the outbreak spreads rapidly, transforming the passengers into an avalanche of snapping, snarling flesh. At the same time, the survivors have occasional opportunities to fight back, keeping the tone from getting too bleak and providing the opportunity for heroism.

Train to Busan also succeeds with its characters. The focus is on Seo Seok-woo, a man who was too obsessed with his work to spend time with his daughter. Over the course of the outbreak, he questions his selfish ways and finds himself risking his life to help perfect strangers. The rest of the survivors are interesting as well, with stories ranging from tender to tragic, and the film weaves them into the plot with skill.

Give Train to Busan a shot if you have any interest in the zombie genre. Its rampant gore and frequently tragic tone will not appeal to everyone, but the strength of its ideas, its acting, and its action make it worthwhile for almost anyone who can stomach it.

For zombie action in a similar vein, check out World War Z, I Am Legend, or 28 Weeks Later. For a similar look at an unfolding disaster, try War of the Worlds or Cloverfield. For a more surreal, politically-minded thriller set aboard a train, try Snowpiercer. For a more tongue-in-cheek action thriller about an unusual threat in an enclosed space, try Snakes on a Plane.

[7.6 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5700672/). I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for thrilling action and a compelling story.

Today’s quick review: Bluebeard. Dr. Byun Seung-hoon (Cho Jin-woong) works at a clinic in a part of town once known for its serial killings. When his landlord (Shin Goo) describes a grisly murder while under anesthesia, Byun suspects that he and his son Jung Sung-geun (Kim Dae-myung) were responsible for the killings. But when Byun tries to prove his suspicions, he becomes trapped in a dangerous conspiracy with no clear answers.

Bluebeard is a Korean psychological thriller about a doctor who believes his neighbors are serial killers. Already under pressure from his debts and his divorce from Jo Su-jung (Yun Se-ah), Byun’s sanity frays as his suspicions grow. Bluebeard is a slow burn that gradually turns a mundane setting into a surreal nightmare. Contradictory clues and an ominous atmosphere make the movie a suitably disturbing watch.

Bluebeard has a knack for taking a bad situation and twisting it to make it worse. Early on, Byun has only his suspicions, but when people around him start to go missing, he becomes convinced that his neighbors are responsible. There is a strong sense of danger, even if its exact source is hard to pin down. And although the puzzle pieces may seem scattered, the movie does have a striking ending that it is preparing for.

Bluebeard’s approach has its drawbacks. The mystery takes a long time to get going, and in the meantime, the audience has to spend time with Byun, a character who is only moderately interesting. Incidents that are deliberately unclear and an unreliable perspective character can make the story hard to follow. Finally, Bluebeard includes a few too many plot threads, making its progression less streamlined than it could have been.

Bluebeard is a solid pick for fans of the unsettling and the macabre. The mundane slant to the early part of the movie may be too much to ask for some viewers, but the payoff is a dark mystery with plenty of twists and turns. Exactly how successful Bluebeard is will depend on your taste in murder mysteries and your tolerance for stray plot threads, but there is enough going on to make it worth a watch for the curious.

For a psychological thriller that deals with similar themes, try The Machinist. For another crime drama where something is off in an otherwise mundane setting, try The Man Who Wasn’t There. For a Korean crime drama that starts out lighter and takes a similarly dark turn, try Parasite. For a much lighter story about a mild-mannered dentist who gets in over his head, try The In-Laws or The Whole Nine Yards.

[6.4 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6599340/). I give it a 6.5 for an ominous atmosphere and a disjointed story.

Today’s quick review: Confession of Murder. Fifteen years after Lt. Choi Hyung-gu (Jung Jae-young) failed to catch a serial killer, Lee Doo-suk (Park Si-hoo) releases a best-selling memoir confessing to the crimes. With the statute of limitations expired, Choi can only watch as Lee basks in the publicity. Meanwhile, Han Ji-soo (Kim Young-ae) and the other family members of the victims hatch a plan to take justice into their own hands.

Confession of Murder is a Korean action thriller about a serial killer who goes public with his crimes. Lt. Choi must find a way to get at Lee—or prove he is a fraud—to have any hope of closing the case and easing his conscience. Confession of Murder features a unique setup that leads to some interesting late-game developments. However, misplaced action, an uneven tone, and a few weak points with its plot make it only a mixed success.

Confession of Murder gets a lot of mileage out of its premise. Early on, the story is short on substance. Lee manipulates the media while Choi stews and Han schemes. But once the movie has all of its pieces in place, it takes on a new life. The details of the murders, the fate of the last victim, and Lee’s highly public confession all come together for a satisfying finale.

The catch is that Confession of Murder takes an odd tack when it comes to its tone. The core of the story is quite serious, with Choi haunted by his inability to bring the killer to justice. But odd bits of comedy and over-the-top action sequences keep the story from having the weight it should. Confession of Murder’s premise is a natural fit for something more cerebral, yet the movie tosses in flashy action whenever it gets the chance.

The result is a movie that is entertaining but hard to pin down. Those willing to roll with the punches should give Confession of Murder a shot. It has a premise that bears fruit in the end, and the action is choreographed well, even if it is a debatable fit for the story. Those looking for a darker and more deliberate mystery may want to look elsewhere.

For a much darker thriller about a serial killer that explores some of the same questions, try Se7en. For one man’s search for the truth behind a popular book, try Ghost Writer. For a drama about a media frenzy, try Mad City. For an action thriller that strikes a similar tonal balance but with more flair, try Face/Off.

[7.1 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2468774/). I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for a solid plot handled in an odd way.

Today’s quick review: Memoir of a Murderer. Once a serial killer who targeted the wicked, Kim Byung-su (Sol Kyung-gu) is now an old man living with his daughter Eun-hee (Kim Seol-hyun) and struggling with Alzheimer’s disease. After a chance encounter with Min Tae-ju (Kim Nam-gil), a serial killer operating in the area, Kim marshals his fading strength and what is left of his memory to take Min down and protect his daughter.

Memoir of a Murderer is a Korean crime thriller about an ex-serial killer suffering from dementia. With his mind failing him, Kim Byung-su struggles to hang on to his relationship with his daughter and keep the old killer in him from re-emerging. This setup makes for a unique battle of wits when Min Tae-ju enters the picture, and Kim soon finds himself outmaneuvered by a younger killer whose name he can barely remember.

Memoir of a Murderer has a fascinating protagonist. Kim Byung-su has many sins, but he is loyal to his daughter and sharply observant when his mind is working. Sol Kyung-gu plays the role well, a haunted man with a tenacious streak that keeps him pushing forward. The personal side of the story is touching and innately tragic, while the fight with Min is an uphill struggle that leaves Kim questioning his sanity.

Memoir of a Murderer’s chief shortcoming is that it overstays its welcome. Kim’s condition forces him to retread the same ground over and over again, and the conflicts that are striking the first time around are less so when they are repeated. The movie also has a hard time wrapping everything up in a neat ending. Instead, it indulges in plot twist after plot twist, artificially prolonging the story and dampening its sense of catharsis.

The end result is a dark thriller with a surprising amount of heart. Memoir of a Murderer is carried by a strong main character, a dynamic premise, and plenty of secrets for the viewer to uncover. Its drawn-out story keeps it from being as concise and impactful as it could have been, but anyone willing to go along for the ride will find it to be an interesting watch.

For a much more haunting thriller about a man with memory loss, try Memento. For a Korean crime thriller about dueling serial killers, try Missing You. For a more straightforward action movie about a man with dementia fighting to protect a loved one, try The Bodyguard starring Sammo Hung.

[7.2 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5729348/). I give it a 7.0 for a sharp story with slight pacing issues.