The Horror Show
Sick: Survive the Night
by Ryan M. Andrews
Being the zombie fan that I am, it’s no secret that I’ve been wanting to see Ryan M. Andrews’ film Sick: Survive the Night from the moment that I first saw the trailer earlier this year. It’s a miracle I hadn’t seen or heard of it sooner, but regardless, I watched, and I enjoyed.
Sick is not your typical zombie, post-apocalyptic, action-fest. I actually recently revisited 2004’s Dawn of The Dead and was reminded of the startling differences between each and every zombie film out there. While the premises and storylines are usually similar, it’s the artistry behind each individual project that makes some so unique and others fall flat.
Sick begins at the start of the zombie epidemic, with Dr. Leigh Rozetta crying as she comes to terms with the news report she’s watching on television. Leaving her father and sick mother behind, Leigh leaves in order to join up with others, hoping to find a cure and save the world from this mysterious disease.
Flash-forward two years later and we find Leigh, amongst other weary survivors, as they struggle to come to terms with the fact that they still haven’t learned anything new about the disease and that they haven’t come any closer to saving the world.
Meanwhile, another group of survivors in what’s known as “tent city” nearby, are out on a run looking for supplies, medicine, food, and whatever else they can find. This small group is ambushed by local creepers known as “vultures” and all hell breaks loose when the zombies show up. Only two from the group make it out alive, the obnoxious Seph, and the paranoid McKay. The two men run into Leigh, and together, they make their way toward Leigh’s former home to wait out the night in hopes that the zombies don’t learn where they’ve hidden.
That’s about all I’m going to give away regarding plot. I think that as the movie progresses, the plot begins to come together nicely and starts to make more sense as we get closer to the end. I found myself a bit confused with certain things here and there, but there was always a reveal waiting around some corner that wrapped up everything neatly for me, which I was happy about.
What I think I liked the most about this movie was how crazy everyone really was. I mean, it’s two years after the zombie apocalypse has destroyed the planet. Every character had their own quirks, their own bizarre behavior one moment and then acted like a completely different person the next and I found that, what I would think to be, realistic in light of surviving a zombie apocalypse. I don’t think very many people would come out of that with all their marbles intact.
I don’t know much of anything about cinematography or filming, but what I do know is that this film was very visually appealing. The grainy bits were mixed in with picture-perfect close ups in dark lighting that made the film intimate and overall artistically bleak. Like I said earlier, I think this film not only got better story-wise as it went on, but the acting as well as the cinematography and overall ‘feel’ of the film increased in quality.
I spoke to the director himself, Ryan M. Andrews, and I definitely agree with him 100% when he told me “I decided to go a different route with it and make it a very bleak, artful telling of the depressing reality of a zombie apocalypse.” Bleak meets depressing, meets crazy, meets hopelessness is the point that this film really drove home for me. But don’t worry, there’s definitely some dry humor and wit thrown into the mix to lighten the mood.
With all that I liked about the film, there were certain parts that I didn’t quite understand or that I wished had been developed a bit more. The character of Claudia, for me, could have been left out completely as I feel she added nothing of substance to the film. In fact, her very mysterious storyline left much up to the imagination and I wish that that had been further explained and perhaps I would have understood and enjoyed that part of the film more. I also would have liked to know more of Seph and McKay’s backstory as they seemed genuinely interesting. The two had an entertaining dynamic and this should have been played up more.
And before I wrap things up, let me point out that the zombies in this film were great! They were the perfect touch to this film with their jolting movements and quiet footsteps, creeping around every dangerous corner only to take a chomp right out of you when you least expect it. Not only that, but they are the fast zombies, the kind that, as everyone should agree, scare the shit out of you. So needless to say, I wouldn’t want to hang around in Sick’s zompoc scenario.
All in all, if you’re a super-fan of the zombie genre I definitely would not miss Sick: Survive the Night. It’s a necessary addition to any zombie lover’s collection and can easily be watched more than once.
Stevie Kopas, HMS
The Horror Show Menu.