- Director : Joey De Guzman
- Actors : Brandon Vera, Pepe Herrera, MJ Lastimosa, Ricci Rivero, Jema Galanza
- Dubbed: : English
- Studio : Well Go Usa
- MPAA rating : NR (Not Rated)
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 1
- Media Format : Widescreen, Subtitled
- Run time : 1 hour and 22 minutes
- Release date : July 11, 2023
Following the sub-genre’s resurgence in
popularity in the late 1990s, often thought to have resulted from the success the
Resident Evil video game franchise, zombie movies have become one of the
most universal varieties of horror films. Although the output of zombie films has
subsided some in recent years, Day Zero proves there are still new areas
for the infected hordes to explore. Perhaps fittingly on the heels of a global
pandemic and universal concerns about deadly contagions, Day Zero marks
the first zombie film I have watched from the Philippines.
Although it
contains all the elements expected of a zombie survival horror film, Day
Zero also embraces the action elements found in the recent zombie films
directed and produced by Zach Snyder for Netflix. This is reinforced by the
addition of retired mixed martial artist and former UFC fighter Brandon Vera to
the cast. Vera stars as Emon, a former elite soldier who has spent eight years
incarcerated in prison. When a zombie outbreak occurs, the prisoners are set free
to escape and survive, and Emon rushes to rescue his estranged wife Sheryl
(Mary Jean Lastimosa) and daughter Jane (Freya Fury Montierro) from the mass of
flesh-eating monsters.
As with many successful
zombie films from the past, the plot for Day Zero is minimal, instead
simply focusing on the survival of a group of characters and the relationships
between them. Emon is joined by fellow ex-convict Timoy (Pepe Herrera), who remains
loyal to his friend after their time spent incarcerated together. Emon
similarly has a loyalty to his family and a willingness to do everything within
his power to protect them. Not only does the group of survivors need to be concerned
with the undead, but also the threat of untrustworthy living people.
Where Day
Zero thrives is in the sequences of action horror. The physicality of Vera
alone lends itself to some well-choreographed fight scenes, utilizing a variety
of weapons in addition to the star’s massive frame. There might not be much
originality or subtlety in the film’s action, but that doesn’t prevent it from
being highly enjoyable. If only the characters were better developed and the
plot slightly more suspenseful, Day Zero may have matched some of the
better zombie films of the past several decades. As it stands, this is an
enjoyable genre film that is easy to watch despite being just as easy to
forget.
The Blu-ray
release for Day Zero doesn’t have any special features to speak of.
However, the Filipino film is well shot and looks great in high definition.
This may be reason enough for the upgrade.
Entertainment Value:
7/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6/10
Historical
Significance: 6/10
Special Features: 0/10
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