In the near future, humanity is on the brink of extinction thanks to a strange fungal disease which has turned the majority of the population into 'hungries' - zombies devoid of the ability to think or feel. Held in an army base, Melanie is thought to be mankind's last hope at finding a cure for the disease. But when the base is attacked, she and a small gang of human protectors must set out into the hostile world.
There are so many zombie films (and TV series) in the world, that to create a new story for the genre seemed somewhat impossible, and yet Mike Carey, in both his original text and adapted screenplay, appears to have managed it. In fact, I would argue that this is not a zombie movie at all, more a love story between a young girl, Melanie (played by newcomer Sennia Nanua) and the only person who has ever showed her kindness, her teacher Helen Justineau (Gemma Arterton). Escaping the army base after it comes under attack, this strange mother-daughter pair are joined by bitter sergeant Eddie Parks (a brilliant Paddy Considine) and the site's researcher, Dr Caldwell (Glenn Close). With each character driven by differing goals and responding to Melanie in different ways, it is an uneasy group that makes it way through the 'hungry'-infested world. Eerily punctuated by Cristobal Tapia de Veer's haunting synth soundtrack, the film carries with it a sense of unease, of dread, of uncertainty, as you wait for the strange calmness of the central part of the film to rupture.
Undoubtedly, the film struggles in the final act as it battles to find answers to all the moral and ethical conundrums it has so brilliantly raised throughout the first two parts. Characters are dispatched rather too quickly and it suddenly all feels quite rushed, especially after such a careful and thoughtful beginning. Similarly, the sight of some of London's better known shops being surrounded by zombies raised a titter or two in the audience, which rather fractured the tension. The ending will, of course, leave some people frustrated, but this only made me ponder the film for a long time afterwards, as it raises multiple questions and interpretations. Whatever your conclusion, you will certainly feel something as the screen fades to black...
Yes, there is blood and guts and gore, and the occasional scene of a 'hungry' chomping on someone's arm, but 'The Girl With All The Gifts' isn't really a zombie movie - it's more intelligent than that. In fact, it's more of a study of humanity, with a central relationship that defies stereotype. Intelligent, thought-provoking and one to watch again, it's definitely one of this year's must-sees.
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