Connect with us

News

Review: ‘Cargo’ Uses Zombies to Carry Emotional Weight (and it Works)

Published

on

Cargo Martin Freeman

In a world ravaged by the overabundance of zombie media, Cargo is a refreshing take on the shambling sub-genre. The sun-scorched setting with a focus on family ties and traumas have created a film that is equal parts visceral horror and emotional drama.

Stranded in rural Australia in the aftermath of a violent pandemic, an infected father desperately seeks a new home for his infant child, and a means to protect her from his own changing nature.

Cargo was originally a 7-minute short of the same name in 2013 that deeply resonated with audiences. The simple concept of a living, human baby strapped to the back of her recently turned zombie father was purely original and delivered the idea of a parent’s undying love with beautifully poignant imagery.

via Netflix

The short film’s directors, Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke, have returned for the feature-length version with a script penned by Ramke. In their decision to make a feature, the casting of Martin Freeman (Sherlock, Ghost Stories) as the paternal figure, Andy, was frankly a stroke of genius.

Freeman is the perfect “everyman” who can communicate an intense range of (seemingly) authentic emotion with just a subtle glance. He holds the aura of someone who is at once anxious and flawed, yet thoroughly capable. Clever and observant, but extremely charming.

As an audience, you want nothing but good things for him at all times, while knowing that this is certainly impossible.

via Netflix

Cargo wisely blurs the timeline of the outbreak. It’s clear that the action takes place well beyond the early stages of contagion; there are procedures in place. It’s shown as a very real disease, complete with a variety of symptoms and a strictly defined incubation period.

Survivors are relatively equipped to handle their own containment, which means that rational decisions are made with an understanding of the consequences.

That being said, the stakes are unquestionably high for Andy, his wife Kay (Susie Porter, Hounds of Love), and their baby daughter Rosie. The focus of the film, through and through, is family and sacrifice.

via Netflix

There’s a great deal of importance on the visual storytelling here, too. They use a subdued, natural color palette which makes the film feel very real and tactile. The blood of the undead comes in thick, oily globs.

It creates a sense of prolonged exposure to the threat of the zombies by dialling back that typically bright and vibrantly satisfying splatter. The violence isn’t flashy, it’s fact.

The noxious zombie design has an almost alien effect. Once the survivors turn, it’s an instant switch from the person you once knew. Parents and spouses become unrecognizable – there’s a finality to it that is deeply upsetting.

via Netflix

To truly distinguish the original 7-minute short from the 100-minute feature, Howling and Ramke fleshed out the story and broadened the scope of the film. As Australian filmmakers, it was important to them that they incorporate Indigenous voices to the plot to reflect their collective national history.

Representation of the Indigenous community is not often seen in mainstream media, so this decision to prominently feature Indigenous elements is an important one. In the process, Cargo also provides a sharp critique of Australian racial history.

via Netflix

In Cargo, zombies are certainly the catalyst, but they are not the primary focus. Ramke deftly uses horror as a tool to tell a more complex story. She folds zombies into the crossing narratives without compromising the themes of loss and cultural traditions. The direction weaves moments of horrific tension with exposition.

Overall, it’s a clever and truly well made film. Additionally, it’s a great example of the unique ways that sometimes everyone in Australia is trying to kill you, which, to be fair, is very on-brand.

Cargo lands on Netflix on May 18th.

via Netflix

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Movies

Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

Published

on

Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading

Movies

Part Concert, Part Horror Movie M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Trap’ Trailer Released

Published

on

In true Shyamalan form, he sets his film Trap inside a social situation where we aren’t sure what is going on. Hopefully, there is a twist at the end. Furthermore, we hope it’s better than the one in his divisive 2021 movie Old.

The trailer seemingly gives away a lot, but, as in the past, you can’t rely on his trailers because they are often red herrings and you are being gaslit to think a certain way. For instance, his movie Knock at the Cabin was completely different than what the trailer implied and if you hadn’t read the book on which the film is based it was still like going in blind.

The plot for Trap is being dubbed an “experience” and we aren’t quite sure what that means. If we were to guess based on the trailer, it’s a concert movie wrapped around a horror mystery. There are original songs performed by Saleka, who plays Lady Raven, a kind of Taylor Swift/Lady Gaga hybrid. They have even set up a Lady Raven website to further the illusion.

Here is the fresh trailer:

According to the synopsis, a father takes his daughter to one of Lady Raven’s jam-packed concerts, “where they realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event.”

Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Trap stars Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills and Allison Pill. The film is produced by Ashwin Rajan, Marc Bienstock and M. Night Shyamalan. The executive producer is Steven Schneider.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading

News

Woman Brings Corpse Into Bank To Sign Loan Papers

Published

on

Warning: This is a disturbing story.

You have to be pretty desperate for money to do what this Brazilian woman did at the bank to get a loan. She wheeled in a fresh corpse to endorse the contract and she seemingly thought the bank employees wouldn’t notice. They did.

This weird and disturbing story comes via ScreenGeek an entertainment digital publication. They write that a woman identified as Erika de Souza Vieira Nunes pushed a man she identified as her uncle into the bank pleading with him to sign loan papers for $3,400. 

If you’re squeamish or easily triggered, be aware that the video captured of the situation is disturbing. 

Latin America’s largest commercial network, TV Globo, reported on the crime, and according to ScreenGeek this is what Nunes says in Portuguese during the attempted transaction. 

“Uncle, are you paying attention? You must sign [the loan contract]. If you don’t sign, there’s no way, as I cannot sign on your behalf!”

She then adds: “Sign so you can spare me further headaches; I can’t bear it any longer.” 

At first we thought this might be a hoax, but according to Brazilian police, the uncle, 68-year-old Paulo Roberto Braga had passed away earlier that day.

 “She attempted to feign his signature for the loan. He entered the bank already deceased,” Police Chief Fábio Luiz said in an interview with TV Globo. “Our priority is to continue investigating to identify other family members and gather more information regarding this loan.”

If convicted Nunes could be facing jail time on charges of fraud, embezzlement, and desecration of a corpse.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading