I will guarantee that you haven’t seen one like this.
Synopsis: In the throes of a zombie apocalypse, Molly – a troubled woman from Las Vegas with a dark past – finds herself stranded in the desert with a lone ravenous Zombie on her tail. At first, she’s easily able to outpace her undead pursuer, but things quickly become a nightmare when she realizes the zombie doesn’t need to ever stop and rest. Running low on supplies and beat down by the harsh environment, Molly will have to summon the strength she never knew she had to ultimately face the zombie, and the demons that have chased her all her life. (IndieCan Entertainment)
Starring: Brittany Allen, Juan Riedinger, Merwin Mondesir
Writers: Colin Minihan, Stuart Ortiz
Director: Colin Minihan
Rating: n/a
Running Time: 92mins
Trailer:
For showtimes and more, check out It Stains the Sands Red on movietimes.com.
As long as there have been films, there have been zombie films although you probably haven’t seen one quite like this one. What slightly sets this apart was the intimate nature of the story. Perhaps this was due to the limited budget but the story here consisted mostly of a woman named Molly (Allen) wandering through the desert while being followed by a lone zombie (Riedinger). The film doesn’t explain why or how the zombies were there or their impact and chooses to focus on Molly and the zombie.
We get glimpses of Molly’s past through flashbacks that served as context for her motivations to survive but these didn’t really matter in the grand scheme of the film. The time she spent in the desert allowed her to take a deep look at her life. What was special about this was that being alone, she only had the zombie to talk to so he was her sounding board. Being a zombie, he obviously couldn’t provide much feedback, however, she kept going anyway. He seemed to understand her more than the other people in her life so they became close in a weird kind of way.
The film was at its best whenever Molly and the zombie were together but it could only go as far as Molly takes it because there’s only so much that the zombie can do. With that being said, if you don’t like Molly then you probably won’t like this film. The flashbacks were supposed to connect to the end of the film but the final act felt unnecessary and the resolution disappointing. For what this is, the acting was okay all around. Allen was a compelling lead and did a decent job at carrying the film, mostly on her own. Riedinger was a decent zombie and had some good chemistry with Allen.
Overall, this was a film with an incredibly silly premise that somehow works. If you are not into zombie films, this one won’t change your mind but if you are willing to turn your brain off and embrace the silliness, there is decent fun to be had here.
Score: 6.5/10
If you liked this, please read my other reviews here and don’t forget to follow me on Twitter, follow me on Instagram, and also like me on Facebook.
The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.