I had some time to sit and watch Netflix this last week. I had to pick out something to watch, and I was in the mood for a crazy zombie movie. I picked Wormwood: Road of the Dead, a zombie apocalypse movie set in the best location ever, Australia.
Directed by Kiah Roache-Turner and produced by Tristan Roache-Turner, Wyrmwood:Road of the Dead focuses on a very familiar premise, at least to those that have seen the classic Night of the Living Dead. Meteors fall from the sky and the next day people become ravenous monsters hungry for human flesh. Fun stuff all the way around.
The big difference in Wyrmwood is the treatment of the main characters. We are introduced to three main characters in this film, beginning with Benny, a stout man with a very aboriginal look to him. He is out with his brothers for a camping/hunting expedition, and in the morning, they are gone. He finds one brother dead and the other turned into a zombie. Benny is a great character and plays a strong role as the films comedy relief. Leon Burchill does a great job as Benny.
Next, we meet Brooke, played by Bianca Bradey. Brooke is a photographer, and her and a couple of friends are doing some weird artsy type of photo shoot, with one girl chained up and painted in a death mask/candy skull type motif with some cool black light effects. The girl in costume become a zombie and some crazy acrobatics ensue as Brooke and her other friend fight for their lives.
Barry is our third main character, and sort of our hero type in this movie. He is played by Jay Gallagher. A family man whose daughter and wife both become zombies, he is forced to shoot them in the head with a nail gun. When he decides to kill himself… *click*, no more nails. Desperate to save his sister, Brooke, he meets up with a group of guys who all work together to get him where he needs to go.
The plot is fairly simple, but there is an awesome twist that is very reminiscent of something from the Mad Max series. All fuel has become inert, and the only thing that works to run vehicles is the breath of the zombies. Awesome stuff and very innovative. There is also a mad scientist doing weird experiments, crazy para-military guys, lots of zombies, and some pretty cool special effects.
I would say that this movie, Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead, was an all around fun zombie romp through the Outback. I love movies set in Australia, and this one did not dissapoint. Worth the time and effort for something that is more than just a few folks in rough makeup getting their heads blown off. I felt close to the characters, loved the flashbacks used to tell their back stories, and really felt good about this pick. Check it out.
