The Girl With All the Gifts
Release: August 3, 2016
Rating: R
Production Company: Altitude Film Sales, BFI Film Fund, Poison Chef
Director: Colm McCarthy
My Rating: 6/10
Themes: Civil unrest, zombie apocalypse, dystopian future, education
Content or Trigger Warnings: violence and some gore
I really watched this because it was the book we were reading in my book club, to be honest. I probably wouldn't have chosen it on my own. It's not that I don't like zombie movies, necessarily. I loved World War Z, Zombieland, and Dawn of the Dead (remake and original). It's just that I don't usually pick such movies at random. This one fell into my lap.
The plotline was interesting. First of all, it tied up a lot of loose ends that zombie pics rarely handle like 'what happens to all the zombies when they run out of a food source?' From that perspective, it was an interesting idea. And I enjoyed watching it, even if it was the kind of film you forget about a few days after you watch it.
The real weight of the film is in the underlying themes of justice, rights, humanity, education, and what it is that makes someone worth saving. How does education form us? What, if any, rights do dangerous people have? How do you draw the line between utilitarianism and human rights? Such themes are timely right now and cleverly explored here in this film.
I probably wouldn't watch it again, but it's is well worth seeing - especially if this genre is up your alley.
Release: October 13, 2017
Rating: PG-13
Production Company: Blumhouse Productions
Director: Christopher Landen
My Rating: 6.5/10
Themes: Being a good person, selfishness, popularity
Content or Trigger Warnings: violence and some gore
I was pleasantly surprised by this one. While it was a horror remake of Groundhog Day, and while it was a bit predictable - bitchy girl becomes a nice person after learning something over the course of reliving her death day - it was a lot of fun to watch and I only caught onto who the killer was about half way through which is better than most scary movies.
'Tree' (Jessica Roth) is a pretty unlikable character that you do end up rooting for in the end. The catharsis of her getting back at her enemies is a lot of fun to watch. The characters throughout the show are pretty one dimensional but it doesn't need much more depth than that. Making the 'survivor' not only not virginal but also not a Mary Sue is a fresh twist on an old trope. More than that, you can tell the filmmakers really enjoy film. This movie is almost like an opportunity to play out as many alternate endings as you can dream up. That's pretty fun for an audience.
The best thing is, you never get the feeling Happy Death Day is taking itself too seriously. For that reason, you can enjoy it for what it is and move on.
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