THE RETURNED

THE RETURNED

Jeri Jacquin, Movie Maven

Coming to VOD and theatres this week from director Manuel Carballo and Level Film comes a new take on what happens when you are one of the THE RETURNED.

This film tells the story of Kate (Emily Hampshire), a doctor in a post-zombie outbreak world. Working with people who were saved from becoming zombies by a treatment known as the ‘Return Protein’ she takes her job to heart.

Having the treatment available allows the infected to be saved as long as they receive the treatment within the first 36 hours. As great as that news is there is a downside – it doesn’t cure the virus. Those who take the injections must do so daily in order to live a normal life.

But there are Anti-Return groups who quickly spread the word that there isn’t enough of the Return Protein. Kate lives with Alex (Kris Holden-Reid) and he is one of the returned. When everything begins to get chaotic, Kate and Alex grab their doses and leave town to hide from the government who want to round up all the returned. Staying with friends Jacob (Shawn Doyle) and Amber (Claudia Bassols) who know about Alex.

But even with the doses they have, if a synthetic version isn’t found soon Kate and Alex will have to make that one decision that many are facing.

FINAL WORD: Hampshire as Kate totally has the look and feel of a doctor. From the moment she is in scene until the stare at the end I was rooting for her. That’s important in a zombie film because somebody has got to be the underdog super heroine right? Hampshire captures the look and feel of what I’d expect from a woman going through this experience. Sometimes being the brains of the operation doesn’t always pan out – what could this mean? See the film and you won’t be disappointed.

Holden-Reid as Alex is a music instructor who definitely has a gift with a guitar. Clearly grateful for every day he has with Kate, this character doesn’t seem to live any differently. Keeping the secret that he is one of the returned is a part of his life – just not all of his life. Holden-Reid plays the audience just as well as he plays the guitar!

Doyle as Jacob is a twenty-something year friend to Alex. It is good to see that the friendship isn’t affected, but that’s what you would expect from a friend right? Right? Bassols as Amber wants to keep their friends safe from a world going a little mad without it affecting her own relationship.

Other cast includes: Paulino Nunes as Detective Cawl, Melina Matthews as Eve, Barry Flatman as the Hospital Chief, Stephen Chambers as the Anti-Returned Activist, and Phil Guerrero as Lee Fung.

TUBS OF POPCORN: I give THE RETURNED three and a half tubs of popcorn out of five. I totally liked the premise of the film with a reversal of the zombie virus being possible but not a cure. That leaves the door open for so much to happen and director Carballo takes full advantage of that.

Even when zombies are present the zombification is well done. It isn’t all gore working the story into each reasoning and purpose. I know that sounds funny coming from a zombie fanatic such as myself but I do enjoy a storyline more when our flesh-eating compadres have link in the story.

The acting is very well done as Hampshire and Holden-Reid play their roles so very well. There wasn’t a moment I felt their characters strayed which kept me in the film completely. The additional storyline of Doyle and Bassols is genius and I hope Kate gets THE RETURNED 2 out of it.

Did I enjoy the film? Absolutely. Did I tell you everything about it? Hell to the no I did not! I refuse to spoil what I think to be a pretty good film using plot lines that I have seen in separate films but bringing them all together for fans of the zombie thriller genre!

In the end – they are neither zombies nor humans but The Returned!