Phil's Horror Watch: EXTINCTION (2015) from Vertical Entertainment-Nov.2, 2015

EXTINCTION Blu-Ray (2015)

EXTINCTION
Starring: Matthew Fox, Jeffrey Donovan, Quinn McColgan, Valeria Vereau, Clara Lago
Screenwriter: Alberto Marini & Miguel Ángel Vivas
Cinematographer: Josu Inchaustegui
Director: Miguel Ángel Vivas
Production Company: La Ferme! Productions, Laokoon Filmgroup, Ombra Films, Telefonica Studios, Vaca Films
Distributor: Vertical Entertainment

When legendary director George Romero released his iconic horror masterpiece NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD back in 1968, he single handily created the zombie genre and the pop culture landscape hasn't been the same since. Fast forward to today, zombies are now everywhere: video games, toys, graphic novels, books, films, television shows, and zombie crawls in cities nationwide. There appears to be no end to the zombie craze that has taken over the country. While there has been a plethora of zombie movies released in the past 47 years, there are those special films that stand out from the pack by bringing something unique and different to the genre. Tonight's film EXTINCTION is one of those examples.

The film's official synopsis: Nine years after an infection turns most of the humanity into rabid creatures, Patrick, Jack and Lu, a nine-year-old girl, survive in seeming peace and calm in the forgotten snow-covered town of Harmony. We nonetheless sense that something terrible happened between Patrick and Jack because a deep hate keeps them apart. When the infected appear again, Patrick and Jack will have to leave behind all rancor to protect the one being who means more to them than anything else.

Theatrical Movie Poster (2015)

Unlike most zombie films which focuses on death and decay of civilization, the film focuses on the humanity aspect, family dynamics and friends. How often do we see a zombie films that truthfully focuses more on the zombies and three kills rather than character development and thought provoking script about what happens when we lose our humanity and how do we get that back?

Both Matthew Fox are Jeffrey Donovan veteran actors who bring new life to the genre by taking their damaged characters and making them relatable to today's jaded horror audiences. Fox's Patrick is very likable and we gravitate to him and what exactly made him so scared and isolated. In contrast, Donovan's character Jack is much more grounded, especially since he has a daughter Lu (McColgan)  that he must protect and care for. While both these men are practically neighbors, Jack's hate for Patrick is. More harsh than the frozen winter world they now reside in. However, their friendship is once again put to the test as the must fight to survive and protect themselves and  Lu against the onslaught of the now evolved zombies. But as I stated, it's the human character examination that will appeal to audiences that are looking for something different than the same old zombie flick.

In my humble opinion, EXTINCTION is well worthy entry into the zombie genre! Even with its minor budget, the film accomplishes so much more than the bloated big-budgeted Hollywood films. Really worth your time to watch! 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended!

EXTINCTION is available on both Blu-Ray and DVD. It's also available on RedBox and VOD. Also check out their Facebook page as well.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the show!