The ReZort, 2015
Directed by Steve Barker
Starring Dougray Scott, Jessica De Gouw, Martin McCann, Jassa Ahulwalia, Claire Goose, Shane Zaza, Elen Rhys, Lawrence Walker
SYNOPSIS:
The ReZort, a post apocalyptic safari, offers paying guests the opportunity to kill zombies in the wake of an outbreak.
Jurassic World meets Dawn of the Dead in Steve Barker’s ingenious addition to the over-saturated zombie genre. In a world that exists after a zombie outbreak, a rich and powerful CEO rounds up all the remaining zombies (or zees) and places them on an island where tourists can pay to hunt them. As you would imagine, it all goes array when a saboteur enters the island and causes the zombies to break loose and wreak havoc on the visitors.
The ReZort (formally titled Generation Z) is a breath of fresh air, and one that doesn’t come around often enough. With each passing year the number of zombie movies that get released increases at an alarming rate, and only a handful of them really make a difference. For every Stalled, Shaun of the Dead or The Desert, you have a slew of cheaply made unoriginal guff that attempts nothing new with the genre other than put the survivors in a different location. The ReZort is perhaps the most original piece in recent memory. A theme park where survivors hunt zombies, a world where the hunted have become the hunters only to become the hunted once again. It’s a thrilling premise and one that Barker executes really well, clearly taking several influences from Jurassic Park and Westworld.
And like all good zombie movies, The ReZort holds a mirror up to society. Barker has admitted that he is not a horror aficionado, but he understands this genre better than most. His allegories against the Syrian crisis are very relevant today in 2016, even though this movie went into production in early 2014, and there is this wonderful underlying irony that – as a culture – the first thing we did in the face of the apocalypse was turn it into a business. The capitalist and ‘1%’ nature of The ReZort is truly wonderful, and its not forced down your throat.
But a plot and premise can only get you so far, and a decent zombie movie needs a good cast of characters to follow and support. Thankfully The ReZort has a decent array of characters, and the majority of them are extremely likable. Jessica De Gouw gives a really nice subtle performance throughout the movie as her character comes to terms with her PTSD, pushed along by her not-so-nice boyfriend played brilliantly by Martin McGann. The growth of De Gouw is perhaps The ReZort’s biggest achievement and it’s wonderful to see it progress on screen. Even the British chavs Jack (Jassa Ahluwalia) and Alfie (Lawrence Walker), who appear to be clichéd rejects from Attack the Block, are pretty delightful in just how lame they are. However the show is stolen somewhat by Dougray Scott as the hunter Archer. Clearly having the time of his life as the gruff, rough and ready marksman, Scott raises the bar in terms of performances and gives The ReZort some needed of gravitas.
What Barker also does with The ReZort is get a lot out of his seemingly mediocre budget. There appears to be no number online to attach to the movie, but Barker gets the most out of what he has. If you ignore some of its rougher edges, you’d be forgiven for thinking this came with a $15+ million budget. It’s not studio-quality, but it looks far better than the majority of low-budget trash and it probably had the same amount to play with. The island feels like an island, and – for the most part – The ReZort feels like an actual theme park.
The problem with The ReZort is that it can’t keep up with its great premise, and is let down by a story that is far too mundane and predictable. The sabotage element is too easily telegraphed and you can pin-point every character progression, death and choice. It’s all too easy. Paul Gerstenberge’s script features such a great set-up and Barker does extremely well in realising that, but his execution is far too simple. Once you get past the idea of “a Zafari”, The ReZort is every zombie movie you’ve ever seen.
And that’s the biggest shame of the movie. The ReZort had every chance to set itself apart from the other zombie movies that plague the bottom shelves of supermarkets but it almost ends up being bitten and becoming one itself. Thankfully the performances and characters raise the quality bar, and Barker’s direction is great. The ReZort is worth your time, but it doesn’t bring much new to the table.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Luke Owen is the Deputy Editor of Flickering Myth and the co-host of The Flickering Myth Podcast and Scooperhero News. You can follow him on Twitter @ThisisLukeOwen and read his weekly feature The Week in Star Wars.
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Originally published August 27, 2016. Updated November 29, 2022.
