Pandemic (12) | Home Ents Review

What starts out as a hunt for the cure to a zombie-like virus, winds up becoming a mother’s missions to find her family before they too fall to the fate of a life-threatening disease.

When an unknown virus breaks out and quickly overtakes cities, more individuals become infected as the days pass. New York quickly fell to the virus but Los Angeles doesn’t plan on going out the same way. At an undisclosed compound a group of scientists are trying to create a cure. When Lauren (Nichols), a doctor, joins one of the hunts into a condemned city to search for survivors, she is zipped into an anti-contamination suit complete with camera, but is unaware of just what awaits her on the outside.

With the use of first-person shooting camera angles viewers are given first person perspective on what those on the team see. Unfortunately due to this perception things are incredibly rocky at all times. The first scene from out of the compound is dark and gloomy with such unstable vision it is hard to make anything out. Fighting scenes are disorientating and can make you a little dizzy while all the while giving you only half of what you would usually see in a zombie flick. Due to the first person perspective, when an individual’s vision is impaired or they turn in one direction, the infected pop out of nowhere and things can be alarming. The darkness of the shots offers some unsettling moments rather than a sense of suspense.

At times it is difficult to distinguish between individuals that are infected and those that are literally being stabbed, shot or trampled by those that are meant to be helping save them. In past zombie/virus movies those infected wouldn’t necessary shout for help or speak for that matter, which several of those climbing aboard the bus are doing. As there as five stages to the virus, some perfectly looking people may be infected, while those that are rushing to get help are not. It is literally a game of hit and miss and save those you can.

There are some predictable elements; when a photograph falls in the middle of the road and a team member bends to pick it up, you can guess what is about to happen. At the start Pandemic begins as four team members verses the infected, but it doesn’t end in the same way. As it comes to a close, things take a turn for the worst and there are twists and bends along the way as the mission becomes one of saving family rather than the entire world.

Review by Michelle Moore

Pandemic is released on DVD through Platform Entertainment and VOD platforms courtesy of Content Media on 23^rd May 2016