Cargo

This isn't a zombie movie. This is a beautiful masterpiece about parenting, survival, and what it means to be human. I found the strong message to be that we are all family. We are all in this together. The only way to survive is to with each other, together. No one gets out alive, but together we can survive as a species; the human race, which is more important than you or I as individuals. It was really quite powerful. Fantastic filmography -the landscape was it's own character.

This is not your run of the mill typical zombie flick. It's much more than that.

All cast performed exceptionally well especially the Rosie twin babies Finlay and Nova Sjoberg, and newcomer young actress Simone Landers who portrayed Thoomi.

The directing by Ben Howling was great, the original concept story by novice writer/director Yolanda Ramke was awesome, but her screenwriting was a little weak with some obvious plot issues and omissions or maybe just bad editing.

Nevertheless, it was a very enjoyable and refreshing take on the zombie genre and considering this was an non-Hollywood production but instead a low budget Aussie film.

A well deserved 8/10 from me.

I read some of the negative reviews of this film before watching it. I almost avoided it for that reason but I'm so glad I didn't. It's a great film, well written and acted, perfectly staged in various locations of the Australian outback to complement the characters and situations they find themselves in. I felt it conveyed realistic human dilemmas and heart, and brought something new to the genre. Forget the naysayers, do yourself a favour and experience this film.

As much as I usually enjoy horror movies, the zombie sub-genre has never been one I'm particularly fond of. Except for classic films such as "Night of the Living Dead" and Raimi's "Evil Dead" movies, or modern entries into the genre such as "Shaun of the Dead" or "Train to Busan", I have never seen any outstanding zombie films which stood out from the crowd. However, this year's "Cargo", an Australian indie based on a 2013 short film and starring Martin Freeman, succeeded in its attempt to do just that: stand out from the crowd.

With a tense atmosphere, a well-written plot and breathtaking cinematography, "Cargo" is better than the average thriller in the way it focuses on its main character and creates sympathy with him to allow the viewer to actually become interested in the film's eventual outcome. The premise, featuring zombies in a post-apocalyptic Australia, is as important as the development of Martin Freeman's character, and the combination of both aspects ultimately allowed this film to turn into something surprisingly original in a genre which I thought had nothing original left anymore.

Some sloppy editing now and then might be my only criticism about the film. Freeman was a great choice for the leading actor; the film was visually gorgeous to watch; the plot was filled with interesting and unpredictable twists (even if you've seen the short film) - in short, I loved the experience I had while watching it. I don't think everybody will; "Cargo" surely is restricted by the limitations of its genre and will leave some viewers disappointed, and that's completely fine - I only hope its Netflix release will allow "Cargo" to see the wide audience it absolutely deserves.

I am a little surprised by all the accolades, and the excellent reviews this film received, it isn't bad, it's just slow, and it pains me to say it, but just another zombie story, albeit one that is incredibly well made, and superbly acted.

I always look for something unique, and a little different in such a highly regarded film, sadly I couldn't see anything, it's watchable, but I found it too slow.

Martin Freeman is terrific, and the best thing about it. It's a decent watch, but there are many better films in this genre. 6/10