There are many genres of films that are incredibly hard to bring anything new to the table. Zombie/Horror flicks are absolutely that. It has been a long time since I've seen a good zombie movie especially one that does actually try to be unique and not only that but does so with a low budget and B-Movie qualities but Primal actually pulls it off. They mix together the group of campers in the woods idea with a monster/disease type killer that turns them against each other and essentially into zombies. The special effects and in particular the gore are very well done and will leave the most adamant of horror and zombie fans satisfied. Plenty of action, and gratuitous kills although surprisingly light on the normal amount of B-Movie gratuitous nudity since the main sex-kitten type role is almost immediately turned into a zombie and basically becomes the main killer in the film. The entire movie basically is set in a small area of woods and that setting always works well especially for a horror film. Basically the film maker did everything right to make this entertaining.
Krew Boylan is the aforementioned "sex-kitten" type role. She is blonde, and voluptuous and a little wild to make the guys happy but she is also the first one to become the killer. Boylan is not a well known actor but she does well in this film but her best performance is well after she becomes the killer zombie. In this role she really shines being a deranged killer. Zoe Tuckwell-Smith is the main heroine of the story. She does decently well and she plays a strong female lead but unfortunately her character is a little empty and doesn't get a big character arc. They try to give her some emotion but it just doesn't really click. She is just okay and doesn't stand out as the lead. Wil Traval is solid as the male hero of the story and romantic interest for Tuckwell-Smith. Traval definitely plays a better hero and has some great action scenes. I can't really say too much else about the supporting cast. They are decent and they have their moments but supporting is about all they do. None of them stand out. I'm not saying they are bad, in fact they do a good job but they are just fodder for the monster when all is said and done.
I have this thing for Australian horror films. That is actually how I found Primal because I searched specifically for that genre. Something about the isolation of the outback makes for such a great horror setting. While Primal doesn't actually use the outback as we know it, it still has that isolation feel and quality about it. Director and writer Josh Reed doesn't have a ton of experience but he clearly knows how to have fun with his ideas and he is probably a great fan of horror films because he knows how to entertain. Primal won't be the best horror film you've ever seen and maybe it can't even be compared to other 8/10 horror flicks but for what it was worth it entertained me and I enjoyed it beginning to end. Usually with a B-Movie flick like this you know right away whether the characters or the story or the special effects are going to be downright awful or acceptable and entertaining and Primal falls into that latter category. 8/10
Krew Boylan is the aforementioned "sex-kitten" type role. She is blonde, and voluptuous and a little wild to make the guys happy but she is also the first one to become the killer. Boylan is not a well known actor but she does well in this film but her best performance is well after she becomes the killer zombie. In this role she really shines being a deranged killer. Zoe Tuckwell-Smith is the main heroine of the story. She does decently well and she plays a strong female lead but unfortunately her character is a little empty and doesn't get a big character arc. They try to give her some emotion but it just doesn't really click. She is just okay and doesn't stand out as the lead. Wil Traval is solid as the male hero of the story and romantic interest for Tuckwell-Smith. Traval definitely plays a better hero and has some great action scenes. I can't really say too much else about the supporting cast. They are decent and they have their moments but supporting is about all they do. None of them stand out. I'm not saying they are bad, in fact they do a good job but they are just fodder for the monster when all is said and done.
I have this thing for Australian horror films. That is actually how I found Primal because I searched specifically for that genre. Something about the isolation of the outback makes for such a great horror setting. While Primal doesn't actually use the outback as we know it, it still has that isolation feel and quality about it. Director and writer Josh Reed doesn't have a ton of experience but he clearly knows how to have fun with his ideas and he is probably a great fan of horror films because he knows how to entertain. Primal won't be the best horror film you've ever seen and maybe it can't even be compared to other 8/10 horror flicks but for what it was worth it entertained me and I enjoyed it beginning to end. Usually with a B-Movie flick like this you know right away whether the characters or the story or the special effects are going to be downright awful or acceptable and entertaining and Primal falls into that latter category. 8/10