ALIVE

(director/writer: David Marantz; cinematographer: Tom Allen; editor: Annie Rachel Hillman; music: Danielle Carretta; cast: Ellen Hillman  (Helen),  Kian Pritchard (Kevin), Daniel May-Gohrey (Barney), Gillian Broderick (Lucy), Neil Sheffield (Dan), Helen Coathup (Olivia), Simone McIntyre (Miss Horton), Stuart Matthews (Father Albert); Runtime: 93; MPAA Rating: PG-13; producer: Annie Rachel Hillman; A Gravitas release; 2022-UK)

“A Brit zombie flick that’s more dead than alive.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

A micro-budget Brit zombie flick that’s more dead than alive. It’s poorly written and directed by the seemingly inexperienced first-timer David Marantz.

During a zombie apocalypse, the 15-year-old Helen (Ellen Hillman) and her teen boyfriend Kevin (Kian Pritchard) head for safety to “the islands,” off the south coast, with their teacher Miss Horton (Simone McIntyre), and Helen’s little brother Barney (Daniel May-Gohrey).

Barney is bitten by a soon to be vampire. Helen feeds him raw meat trying to save his ass. Soon the teacher separates from the group and the youngsters venture off to reach the house of the unsociable hermit Dan (Neil Sheffield), who leaves a bad first impression by keeping his turning zombie wife Olivia (Helen Coathup) chained in the attic of his boarded up house. The youngsters then get to an abandoned school and meet a group of survivors led by the fire and brimstone sermonizing Father Albert (Stuart Matthews), who is turning into a zombie and tries to kill the kids with his vocal cult followers. But Helen learns there’s a safe haven in the ‘valley,’ which becomes their next trek. Meanwhile the police fight the vampires.


 

REVIEWED ON 2/3/2023  GRADE: C