The programmers of NYAFF have buried one of their best films in the late night slot which is a shame because people other than night owls deserve to see this glorious rethink of the zombie genre.
Set during the Second World War the film has the Thai government surrendering to the Japanese after they see the effect of a new chemical weapon that turns people into zombie like beings. The turned men are faster, largely unkillable and cannibalistic. The idea is that there will be a brief show of resistance and the surrender-but the the brief skirmish releases one of the test subjects who quickly begins to turn the Thai soldiers and civilians.
What starts off as an amusing film turns by degrees darker as it becomes a bloodbath and then into a brutally sad film as some of those turned have animalistic cravings but also their morals and memories. They continue to do terrible things but can't stop themselves. It's crushing.
Brilliantly made, it is wonderful rethink of the the zombie genre that gives us much to think about even as the blood and guts are flying. It is a very serious very well thought out pondering about the cost of war and violence on ourselves and out psyches. (It's a blood relative to Ted Geoghegan's BROOKLYN 45 because of the similar themes)
While I am certain that some people are not going to like some of the more serious turns, the film stands tall because of it's refusal to play by anyone's , even the genres rules. If you can accept that you are going to end up having found one of the great anti-war films of the last few years, not to mention one hell of a horror film
Highly recommended
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