‘The Rezort’ DVD Review
Stars: Dougray Scott, Jessica De Gouw, Martin McCann, Jassa Ahulwalia, Claire Goose, Shane Zaza, Elen Rhys, Lawrence Walker | Written by Paul Gerstenberger | Directed by Steve Barker
Post-apocalyptic zombie movies are ten-a-penny these days, it often seem like we get a new one every month, thankfully The Rezort (also known as Generation Z) gives us a new spin on the familiar story… Following a near-apocalyptic zombie outbreak, humans are once again in control. If an occasional rogue zombie finds its way into everyday life, it is quickly disposed of by the authorities. In this day and age, people know how to handle “Zee’s”, so much so that it has become big business to hunt the undead.
The latest craze is the Zafari. Part blood sport, part therapeutic revenge following the losses suffered during the outbreak, the zombie safari is a chance to shoot and kill the un-dead out in the wild on an island resort. Little do the vacationers realise they’re actually in a highly controlled environment, where the zombies are always kept at a safe shooting distance. Nothing is left to chance, nothing is unplanned. Of course, this is a horror movie and something has to go wrong right? Right.
Directed by Steve Barker, who has so far made a career out of zombie movies (his previous features were Outpost and its immediate sequel), The Rezort is part George Romero zombie movie, part 28 Days Later, by way of Westworld. As such the film COULD have been a derivative mess, however Barker, along writer Paul Gerstenberger, have instead – for the most part – crafted a refreshing new take on the zombie film: yes, one that borrows from those that have come before it but one that, despite that, still feels fresh and exciting.
Zombie movies, especially those early Romero titles, were allegories for society at the time and Barker’s film is no different. The Rezort speaks to the current refugee crisis and the idea of big business making money from “war” (in the case a war on zombies); it’s this allegorical aspect of the film, along with some decent performances from Dougray Scott and Jessica De Gouw, that helps it rise above the flotsam of the genre.
Now earlier I said “for the most part” and that’s the biggest problem with The Rezort. The premise is fantastic, and the first half of the movie – complete with its moral message – plays out in a really interesting manner. However once the Zee’s are set free that message gets a little lost amongst the cliched run and gun action that follows, as Barker’s film decends into yet another generic “zombie movie”.
The Rezort is out now on DVD from 101 Films
