The Dead (2010) - Zombies never get old

[DaylightsEnd]

I was surprised that I couldn't find a thread started about this film, released way back in 2010. It's the first of two films in The Ford Brothers' zombie series, the second being The Dead 2: India.

I found this to be a bit of a monotonous retread at first, admittedly not really giving it much of a fair chance. My initial, hasty impressions were inaccurate. I later found this film to have excellent cinematography, solid atmosphere, a decent score, good acting, credible characters, and a high rewatchability factor. The hopelessly remote, desolate setting in Africa greatly enhances the sense of vulnerability and helplessness. Even basic resources such as food, weapons, communications and transportation are all severe challenges, contributing significantly to the characters' impossible predicament. It's a sort of mash-up between 28 Days Later, Night of the Living Dead, and The Walking Dead series, but dropped into the desert regions of a war-torn country on the coastline of the African continent, an impoverished third-world hell-hole already struggling under violent social and political upheaval, which makes the impending zombie apocalypse even more untenable.

I've rewatched this film several times recently, enjoying and appreciating it more with each go-around. The pq and audio on this older blu ray are still solid enough to provide enjoyable viewing, without much distraction. If you haven't really burned out on the zombie theme, or you gave it a break and are ready to re-visit it, this is a great place to jump back in.