Directed by Mark A. Rapp/Hard To Get Productions
A plague has rocked the world. Zombies thrive and man tries to survive. Sound familiar? Of course it does. It's the basis for many zombie films we all love. A smart filmmaker takes this formula, adding his own twist and storytelling to it. Mark Rapp is a smart man.
The CDC is trying to find a cure. The few survivors are either immune or injecting themselves daily with an experimental drug they hope will ward off the sickness. Mobile One is trying to return to Mt. Bethel before all supplies are gone. Our plot unfolds, insanity runs amok as man's greed, betrayal and instinct of survival rules.
I think, first, I have to warn you. This is not your standard brain munching film. Don't expect mobs of flesh hungry walking dead, buckets of oozing intestines and a blood splattered screen. Rapp instead has given us a suspenseful, psychological thriller. This is it. This is the end. Our last few human survivors. Will they succumb to man's self destructive fate, destined to wander a deadened world? Rapp makes you ponder your own morals and question just how far you would go to live in a vanishing world.
It's rare these days I can find a film that makes me think. A film that makes me question myself and whether I would do right by my morals or do they change once society no longer exists? After all, in the end, you only have yourself.
Shot in black and white, the style of the film works to intensify the story. It is a bleak time for mankind. Zombie make-up is above average for a low budget film, done by Make-Up Supervisor Steven F. Clark and Key SPFX Effects Make-Up Evolution Effects Studio, Inc. To be honest, I usually don't pay much attention to the musical score (by Kirk Hazen and Mark A. Rapp) unless it irks the crap out of me, or stands out for some reason. And I am not a wizard when it comes to music, but I do know it heightened my film experience.
Acting is also above the norm with marvelous performances by our leads Ron Allen Marnich and Aaron Jackson. I would have liked to have seen Dawn Ali get more screen time. It's a shame her skills were not put to better use.
This is the first non-gore zombie film I would ever recommend to my readers. Currently seeking distribution, keep an eye out for this gem in the future.
by Eve Blaack
NOTE: Since this review, BIOPHAGE has found distribution with Midnight Releasing and is available online and in selected stores.