The premise sounds totally befitting a short film with a minimalist perspective. During the onset of a zombie apocalypse, circumstances force a young woman to take up a 50 mile journey by foot, while being relentlessly stalked by a slow-moving zombie.
There are a few bad decisions taken in the first 15 minutes (like not bashing the zombie's head with the first large piece of rock on sight), but the movie, written and directed by Colin Minihan, has a few surprises in store for the discerning viewer. A one-sided conversation ensues between Molly and the zombie (nick-named Smalls) where she details her past life, her relationship with her four year old son Chase, and her opinion on the men she has known. A couple of jump- scares aside, the movie doesn't stick to its subjugated zombie- horror roots and relies more on the rapport between the woman and the flesh- craving spook.
The film peaks during the scene where the zombie inadvertently comes to the rescue of the woman when she's held captive. This is followed by another where she is able to control the zombie's advances. In a never-before-seen scenario, the woman seeks to find closure for herself and her 'fellow-zombie' who she considers to be an unlikely friend. However, the final 20 minutes (especially the scene with the army- men) didn't show signs of neat execution. This portion is stretched with plenty of scenes uncalled for (the writer seems to have run out of ideas), and a climax that bestows itself in familiar zombie-movie territory. The director seemingly wanted to shift from the minimalist approach to a full- blown action thriller in the end.
By doing so, the film ends up on a rather unsatisfying note. Nonetheless, if you're looking for a diversion from the usual zombie films, 'It Stains the Sands Red' will fairly excite you.
Verdict: Fresh in parts!
There are a few bad decisions taken in the first 15 minutes (like not bashing the zombie's head with the first large piece of rock on sight), but the movie, written and directed by Colin Minihan, has a few surprises in store for the discerning viewer. A one-sided conversation ensues between Molly and the zombie (nick-named Smalls) where she details her past life, her relationship with her four year old son Chase, and her opinion on the men she has known. A couple of jump- scares aside, the movie doesn't stick to its subjugated zombie- horror roots and relies more on the rapport between the woman and the flesh- craving spook.
The film peaks during the scene where the zombie inadvertently comes to the rescue of the woman when she's held captive. This is followed by another where she is able to control the zombie's advances. In a never-before-seen scenario, the woman seeks to find closure for herself and her 'fellow-zombie' who she considers to be an unlikely friend. However, the final 20 minutes (especially the scene with the army- men) didn't show signs of neat execution. This portion is stretched with plenty of scenes uncalled for (the writer seems to have run out of ideas), and a climax that bestows itself in familiar zombie-movie territory. The director seemingly wanted to shift from the minimalist approach to a full- blown action thriller in the end.
By doing so, the film ends up on a rather unsatisfying note. Nonetheless, if you're looking for a diversion from the usual zombie films, 'It Stains the Sands Red' will fairly excite you.
Verdict: Fresh in parts!