The Dead Outside

Starring: Sarah Louis Douglas, Alton Milne, Sharon Osdine

Synopsis:

A neurological pandemic has consumed the population. April, a secretive young girl, and Daniel, a man desperate and bereaved, come together on an isolated farm. When a mysterious stranger turns up, they are confronted with a new enemy even deadlier than the one beyond the perimeter.

This is the first feature from Mothcatcher Films and showcases the debut of actors; Alton Milne and Sarah Louis Douglas in a story that effectively gets to the human factor in a post-apocalyptic tale, sadly lacking in many big budget horror tales.

More and more low, or no budget, movies are being made that don’t look low budget. The Dead Outside is another of these. The film looks as bleak as the story. The cinematography is spot on in evoking an unsettling atmosphere that pervades the entire film. This helps keep the interest up as the movie does appear slow at times and I put this down to the singular location and the lack of attackers. That said, the movie isn’t boring.

The fact that there are no frills in this movie is part of what makes it work. The drama is pushed forward through the characters and their interactions. Those looking for zombie chowdown scenes and numerous shots of attackers in their hundreds will be disappointed but those up for a more psychological and complex story will be rewarded by an intelligent movie. Whereas most zombie siege stories have a number of attackers trying to break down the barriers on the outside of a building, this story focuses on the interior and how an outbreak affects the individual.

The main characters are on opposite ends of the moral compass; Daniel (played by Alton Milne) still sees the infected as victims, and as people whereas April (played by Sarah Louis Douglas) shoots at any sign of movement by something bigger than a wild cat. This forms the basis of much of the characterisation as we learn how these characters think and how they are haunted (Daniel almost literally haunted) by the horror of how their lives have changed. Needless to say, the pair does not see eye to eye in how to live post-infection.

Daniel cannot understand why April blasts at every infected and then buries their remains, opening herself to potential infection. The movie illustrates exactly why “two’s company” when a third survivor arrives on the scene. To say any more will spoil an excellent story.

Summary

The Dead Outside is a beautifully filmed nightmare and portrays how fragile relationships get tested by highly stressful events. It carefully addresses the subject of euthanasia which is a hot topic in current affairs stories at the moment. It’s vastly more intelligent than many movies of its type and one wonders whether the story might have suffered from a potential bigger budget. Worth watching if you’re a fan of psychological thrillers or post apocalyptic movies. It’s a film that deserves to be watched by a larger audience that it might get. It was a relief to see a post apocalyptic movie that shows how bleak a situation it would be rather than dressing it up as a middle class inconvenience as seen in the BBCTV show Survivors. So if you’re up for something more depressing but rewarding then check this out.

7 out of 10 (Wayfarer)