It Stains the Sands Red

I understand that some people will not like this at all. It is annoying, you have a main character who's morally bankrupt, annoying and does not really seem to have any redemption value. Add to that decision making of the questionable kind and you have a dangerous mix. Dangerous because the interest of the viewer may wane to put it mildly.

Having said that and in stark contrast to all that, there are quite a few funny and really good moments. They may feel like skits and sometimes out of touch with the rest of the movie. And still they are able to elevate it, be it because of the humor, the tension or some sort short violence outburst. Sometimes a combination, which makes you wonder if underneath it all there was a way better movie, with a bit more time spent on the script, the characters and just in general. The main actress does her best to carry the movie (no pun intended), don't confuse despicable behavior with bad acting ... I hope this helped you decide if it is worth giving this a chance or not ...

The most epic thing about this is Molly (Brittany Allen) is the only woman in it and she can really hold her own in a zombie apocalypse scenario otherwise meh movie. Not much happens except great scenery and a few badass scenes!

A stripper-mom fleeing a zombie apocalypse finds herself alone and stranded in the desert as one of the creatures stalks her ...

Good concept with an interesting twist and energetic climax. Plenty of style, with fine cinematography and a few big-bucks effects. This is from the writer/director/producer team behind Grave Encounters, so you might expect a bleak and harrowing story, but it's surprisingly big hearted if not quite optimistic.

But surprise surprise - this experienced team allow a lot of niggles to interrupt the story, with constant lapses in plausibility and logic. For example, in the opening scene the getaway car digs its rear wheel into the sand and won't budge - instantly I thought of a way to dislodge it, but the characters didn't even begin to think - even for the comedy effect. Later, there are plenty opportunities to exploit the creature's weakness, but the heroine doesn't have the wit to even try. A safe-haven house appears and disappears for no reason. The story is peppered with these problems, which kept dragging me out but are easily fixable. It undermined the humour and pathos the story was aiming for, so that's frustrating.

The final act has a serious change of tack, which kinda works. It does deliver on character and emotion, but its awkwardness might have been less if the earlier story had flowed more smoothly. So there's plenty to enjoy in this movie, but the script was just a bit off.

The landscapes are gorgeous, and there's a good car-shot with a face in the wing mirror, plus a fire-lit reveal of the monster creeping up from behind. Also plenty of gore and skin.

Lead actress does well, with a great squeal & scarper when trying to confront the zombie. And the zombie's movements are well done, and he even generated sympathy. Was the chemistry believable? Would have helped to have better dialogue.

Enjoyed the music. And the title comes from a gross-out snack.

Overall: Quality, but sloppy.

Amazingly well shot, with a consistent vision and look through out, this is one of the few standout Zombie flicks of the last decade - maybe not as good as Zombieland, but at least the equal of 'The Girl with all the Gifts'. The characters are consistent where needed, and the evolution of Molly follows a realistic path of growth. The pacing from start to finish is just about perfect, it never drags and it never feels rushed You'll be rooting for the Zombies, especially 'Smalls', several times as events unfold. There's a couple of film makers goofs, but it'll take other film makers to spot them. A must-see for Zombie fans, and a good watch for everyone else.

To try and quench my zombie appetite I have watched MANY MANY...and I mean MAAANY zombie movies, and many of them are pretty dang bad.

This is not one of them.

Although not academy award level in any aspect, I would consider this deserving of awards in the independent and lower budget arenas!

If reviewers and viewers pay attention you will notice that this movie is labeled a Drama, Horror, Thriller. I believe that's accurate. For hard core zombie fans who like strict zombie action, I can see why some would be disappointed. I was not. And in fact I was quite pleasantly captivated. This was a breath of fresh air for this tired, same ole same ole, genera. I finally found a zombie movie that had some MEANING to it. Where the main character was believable and multi dimensional. I loved the humor inter mixed thru out!

The camera work was EXCELLENT. The acting and direction was very very good. And the story was full and different with the pace set at a nice steady burn. After about 45 minutes the pace does pick up with some new characters introduced and some nice surprises!

After reading my review, you can tell whether or not this film may interest you. If you are on the fence...let me push you off. I thought it was an excellent film.