Not a movie, but a TV Show...
'Black Summer'
Zombies are a bit of a one trick pony, love them as I do. But the trouble with them is that they absolutely require an end of the world scenario in order for them to function which can lend a certain predicability to them. Their appearance is nearly always accompanied by the complete, or nearly complete, collapse of society and in 'Black Summer' it's no different. In the first episode we're about a few weeks into the collapse and evacuations are still going on. Tensions are high and the military are unsure of how to respond, so they're heavy handed. Citizens are terrified and distrustful. And the living dead are maniacs.
We've all been here before and multiple times in the case of people who've been watching zombie fare since before 'The Walking Dead' appeared, so there's nothing really new going on here. But 'Black Summer' - Netflix's attempt at a zombie show - does something to, er, breath new life into the a type of show that just won't quit. It's human element is far superior to most zombie material and that's where its strength lies. The living characters feel much more real than their counterparts in the Robert Kirkman comic adaptation and their actions and responses have a realistic aspect to them as well. There are no nonsense characters like the katana wielding Michone, or ridiculous psychopathic "leaders" like Negan knocking around the world in 'Black Summer'. Well, not yet anyway. Into the bargain, and not giving anything away, absolutely nobody is truly safe. Life in Black Summer's zombie apocalypse is an extremely dangerous affair and it doesn't matter how gangsta you think you are, your number can come up at any time. Also, while we are introduced to a lot of characters quite quickly, they all make sense. Even when the multiple points of view and varying time shifts are taken into account. 'Black Summer' will often show you how a series of events plays out and then show them again, in part, from someone else's perspective. This can sound awkward, but it tends to work out well.
The undead of the show are, practically, an afterthought and are actually the worst element of it, truth be told. They are, almost predictably these days, the run around screaming types that are popular with film makers that don't want to have to think of scenarios where slower zombies can get the better of their human prey. But for the purposes of this particular show they work ok, and at 8 episodes over 2 series with uneven running times there's no real space to take the necessary steps to slowly build things up. The show needs to be slam bang....oops...everything's gone to hell. So, in that respect they get a pass.
What eases them into that pass is how dangerous they are to the human protagonists/antagonists. These particular zombies (as per usual nobody calls them that) are hard to kill and whilst it's usually the case in zombie movies/shows that they'll die with enough brain trauma, delivering that trauma is difficult and will take multiple blows. Unlike 'The Walking Dead' where zombies skulls are ridiculously fragile and a harsh word can send them on their way, the zombies of 'Black Summer' require actual beatings to put down which means that a single zombie can ruin your day, but three of them means you really are done for. Plus shooting them is no easy feat either. These things are moving targets and getting something tiny like a bullet to hit home on a small target like a head proves to be impossible at times, even for trained soldiers. Coupled with the sheer panic that grips everyone when the dead start coming for them, most bullets end up flying all over the place in an arbitrary manner., which ends up only making things worse. This is one of the best aspects of the show and makes a mockery of something like 'The Walking Dead' universe where characters can perform headshots on moving targets (even while they are moving themselves) with an accuracy that would make the Sundance Kid extremely jealous.
They are also not the infected people of '28 Days Later' (not a zombie movie), so shooting them in the torso or anywhere else isn't going to do them much bother, unless something vital is hit of course and it can cripple them in some way. They are also not going to die of starvation, so a few months waiting around isn't going to yield a result either. These things are going to be around long term. This kind of thing greatly adds to the immense tension that remains constant throughout the show and it's a show that can be quite exhausting to watch. But it's exhausting in a good way. One episode basically deals with a single guy just trying to stay out of a zombie's clutches and it's one of the best zombie related things I've seen in ages. He's a bit of a dope, for sure, but you still want him to get away because you can put yourself in his place, and as mentioned earlier nobody has any real plot armour.
'Black Summer' is brought to you by The Asylum, the people who made 'Z Nation', which has astonishingly managed to lumber on for 5 series at this point. But I wouldn't let that put you off. Whereas 'Z Nation' is just flat out stupid, 'Black Summer' remains relatively serious and doesn't have the dumbed down, tongue-in-cheek, approach of the SYFY channel show. It's scenarios make a certain sense (even if there are a few areas that stretch credibility) and attempts to stick unwanted laughs here and there are largely absent. This makes 'Black Summer' a completely different kettle of fish entirely to it's sister production.
However, if there are things to be critical about, it would be the almost complete lack of gore in the show. Sure, there's blood, death, and horror, but you never see the effects of a zombie attack and this is where something like 'The Walking Dead' has it beaten easily. In 'Black Summer' bites are obscured and nobody gets flesh ripped apart 'Day of the Dead' style. So, from that aspect it can seem a bit tame if you're waiting around for the red stuff, and it really could do with some of Greg Nicatero's KNB magic. It's a curious omission, it has to be said, especially when one takes into account that the zombies in 'Black Summer' are driven to attack people for food. But, nevertheless, it's a small impact on its over all enjoyment and while the show can be light on plot, but it's nonetheless an exciting and interesting ride so far.
9/10
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Originally Posted by Neil
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