The zombie apocalypse sub-genre may be one of my personal favourites, but I’d be lying if I said that’s because of its originality. It’s a pretty reliable source of gorehound material, and there’s definitely something about the recurring scenario that speaks to my socially-isolated ways (and that’s before the pandemic made that way of life mandatory), but it’s quite a task to truly think outside the box with the stumbling or running dead these days. Some attempts like Warm Bodies just feel like bad experiments, and arguably the most creative zombie movie in recent years, Zombieland, is largely the result of poking at how overused its own tropes are. So for something to come out that really pushes the boat out is cause for celebration, far as I’m concerned, and this Shudder exclusive is one such effort.
Mainly set in Red Crow, a Canadian reservation, the film follows the residents as they struggle to survive in the midst of a zombie outbreak. Beyond the change in locale and predominantly First Nations perspective, the story itself hits the familiar notes for the genre… with one key difference, and it’s the kind of difference that already puts the production in good standing through how ingenious it is. See, the reason why the people on the reservation have survived is that they are immune from the outbreak. White people turn, but unless they get fully eaten alive, the natives are still kicking.
This is a clever spin on the formula on two separate fronts,
one to do with the genre and the other concerning the culture being spotlit.
Within the genre, this kind of revelation about finding someone with immunity
is usually reserved for a third-act twist, not something that leads into the
bulk of the action, so it’s interesting seeing how those who can’t be affected
deal with the situation from the off. And on the cultural side of things, knowing how
disease has played into this history of colonisers encountering native
populations (Smallpox blankets, anyone?), it flips the traditional scenario by
having the First Nations people being the ones building a wall, filtering who
can seek sanctuary, and playing with the idea of taking revenge on those who did
the same to them. Even the title is a reference to laws in Canada and the U.S. meant to
determine the percentage of someone's Native heritage.
It sets itself up as a culturally-specific take on the genre, and the acting and dialogue never betray that intent. The main cast is made up of primarily First Nations actors (including a welcome appearance from Gary “Stupid fucking white man” Farmer), and with the end of the world as the backdrop, what is in their blood makes up a hefty chunk of the subtext here. The friction between the white townies and the First Nations locals and the racial prejudice therein; the misanthropic sense of superiority at who has been deemed ‘safe’ from becoming undead; wondering if one’s personal fuck-ups result in their children doing the same. There’s angst to be had, particularly with the relationship between half-brothers Joseph (Forrest Goodluck) and Lysol (Kiowa Gordon), but it’s earned angst that’s couched in clear-eyed cultural history and good old-fashioned character drama.
But just in case all this ethno-cultural examination isn’t your breath of sage smoke, there’s plenty of genre fun to be had here too. The practical effects and gore on display are exquisite, tapping into the vein of dark humour within the script (like the rom-com-worthy circumstances that got Lysol arrested pre-outbreak), and writer/director/editor Jeff Barnaby sure knows his touchstones for the genre, the weaponry in particular. We got shotguns, we got a katana, we got a chainsaw, we even got a combine harvester, and because of the added immunity feature, all the blood spray is actually less impractical than in most other zombie flicks. To say nothing of the presentation which, from the burnt-red-and-shadow colour palette to the country-rock soundtrack, gave me a similar vibe to Planet Terror, which I am always receptive to.
Shudder has once again earned my subscription with this one. Jeff Barnaby and company deliver on the basics of the genre, while expanding on them to not only breathe new life into the same-old-same-old but also deliver some tight cultural commentary from a seldom-seen perspective. Beyond my established appreciation for zombie flicks of all stripes, this is impressive stuff, and I’ll definitely be keeping an ear out for what Barnaby’s got lined up next.
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