Back-to-basics zombie horror.

BA_Harrison

In recent years the zombie genre has become as bloated as a week-old corpse in water, with even the most craptastic of low-budget, shot-on-video efforts somehow shambling their way onto DVD. Stripper zombies, zombie vampires, sexy zombies, Nazi zombies, ninja zombies, domesticated zombies, and zombies vs _______ (fill in the blank with whatever you like; if it hasn't already been done, it probably will be soon): the list of gimmicks used by film-makers to try and distinguish their undead film from the next one in the horde is endless.

Rammbock, however, proves that you don't need a gimmick to make a memorable and effective zombie movie: it's a character driven tale pared back to the absolute basics, using the the classic ingredients of a single location with a few people trapped within, and a couple of dozen frothy mouthed ghouls hungry for human blood waiting eagerly outside. The script isn't particularly innovative, offering very little that hasn't been seen before in umpteen similar films, but the whole thing is done so well that this matters not a jot.

Director Marvin Kren's focus is on the tension created by the outbreak, his survivors struggling to come to terms with their unexpected situation and the loss of loved ones. There's very little in the way of graphic gore on display, but the horror is still very real, thanks to the excellent performances, the convincing dialogue and Kren's admirable direction. At just under an hour, this film gets straight down to business and provides solid zombie entertainment right down to the last moment—with not a ninja, Nazi or stripper in sight.

7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.

score 8/10

BA_Harrison 29 June 2012

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2634762/