I am not a great horror fan but I do like the occasional film. I saw the Dead before I saw this one, to get an idea how the Ford brothers worked on their art of film making and I thought it was an appealing genre of zombie films and the cinematography was amazing and the theme of the first film was interesting with the comparison and contrast between these two survivors but I did find it slow in some parts.
I managed to get to see this film at the FrightFest, London. I think what the Ford brothers have done is taken The Dead 2 to a much higher level and made it more fast-paced, with more action and tension than the first film, plus there is a haunting feel to it, so the viewer is much more engaged with the story. The scenic places are breath-taking and stunningly shot and the visual effects and stunts were so authentically done.
Moreover, the Ford brothers have brought a few mainstream elements to the story, which will appeal to the mainstream audience who are looking for something different from the run of the mill Hollywood type zombie films but I can understand why the traditional horror fans may think this film's plot is a little too sentimental for their liking. This film was shot in such an elegant and skillful manner, using the zombie sub- genre in a French art house kind of way but with a hint of documentary style. I thought one of the reviewers was unfair about the acting. The main protagonist played by Joseph Millson was absolutely superb (I have seen Millson in many good TV shows and high calibre theatre from modern to Shakespeare and he is a very experienced and talented actor with a diverse acting repertoire) and here he has great screen charisma, he plays Nicholas with real tension, emotion and depth which really strikes a chord with the viewer that you are rooting for him all the way in the film. The only very minor grumble I would say was, perhaps a few parts of the script were a little odd rather than the acting itself but overall, they all manage to pull it off beautifully.I thought the young actor who played orphan was very good also.
Also by comparing this film to the first one is rather unfair, it is no point making a similar story as the first one and the Ford brothers said they were going to introduce mainstream elements to the film which was expected anyway and to take it to another place where a viewer would want to go and show the main character going on a spiritual journey which was emphasised quite well. Furthermore, this film was shot on a low budget compared to a big studio film but amazingly it gives you the impression that this is a huge budget film production, the quality is of such a high standard. I would rather see a Ford brothers film than your Hollywood world war z type film. The beauty about this film is that, it will also appeal to mainstream audiences who may not like horror (like my family) as well as zombie film fans as it stays true to the zombie genre. The Ford brothers have intelligently created their own sub- genre on zombie films which is tremendous.
Overall, if you want a smart, alternative to Hollywood style horror film, fast paced action, tension, pathos, a good storyline, see Joseph Millson's amazingly stellar acting, beautiful cinematography, captivating music score, this film has it all and is 'a must see' in my opinion. I cannot wait to see this film again when it comes out for general cinema release.
Review by LisaMJones988 from the Internet Movie Database.