I know, I know. Zombies have peaked. Many of us are over it. The market is flooded. Meaningless, meaningless… there is nothing new under the sun. But then along come writer/producer/director brothers Kiah and Tristan Roache-Turner with Wyrmwood, a project they created in Australia over the course of four years while shooting on weekends. So don’t talk to them about how zombies are over… they’ve been in the trenches creating their own unique spin on the zombie narrative, and they’ve done a fun job.
I used the word “unique”, so I need to make clear exactly what I mean by that, as Wyrmwood fits very cleanly into the zombie categorization, and wears its Sam Raimi/George Miller/Stuart Gordon inspirations on its sleeve. No, when I say “unique” I mean they’ve come up with some truly interesting, almost magical, spins on how the zombies were created and whether they are “slow” zombies or “fast” zombies, and what their limits and capabilities really are. I’m smitten with their take on the creatures, partly because I like the application of their ideas in the film, and partly because I just didn’t think there were any good new ideas left in the zombie genre.
But Wyrmwood is all about having a kinetic, frenzied, funny, and exciting time at the movies. And it largely achieves that. You are thrown right into the thick of the full blown apocalypse from the opening frames. Masked men in Road Warrior-style armor are trying to secure a truck inside of their garage which is surrounded by a small horde of zombies. Clearly they really need that truck. Then we smash back to a few different lead characters’ origin stories, and the dramatically tragic events that bring our characters to that garage play out. The set up is fairly standard stuff except for how endearingly Australian it all is, including the fact that one of our main characters is an Aboriginal man named Benny (Leon Burchhill). Benny provides comic relief and heart where Barry (Jay Gallagher) provides the rugged, leading man chops. When Barry’s domestic bliss is cut short by the zombie apocalypse and a nail gun, he goes out in search of his sister Brooke (Bianka Bradley) who was able to call Barry and tell him where she was before the entire world crumbled. The escalation of the apocalypse happens as fast as in any zombie film I’ve ever seen; within moments the world as we know it has disappeared. Which is great since we are able to cut straight to the action that way.
The Raimi inspriration becomes clear through the camera work of cinematographer Tim Nagle, who whips and dollies and close-ups his way through the film. I found the style fitting for the film and also felt like it looked quite rich. Wyrmwood has a DIY spirit about it, but it still manages to look awesome at times. Even the costume and make-up work and practical effects on display were largely successful. When our heroes armor up and take to the road with their improvised assault truck… I was pretty giddy at their look and design, and didn’t feel like I had to make allowances or excuses for the low budget/indie nature of the film. And yeah, the armor and mega-truck elements are where the George Miller inspiration come into play. The performances are another element where I probably would have made excuses for the movie owing to how it was shot… but I didn’t need to. The acting won’t win any awards, but for being anchored by a bunch of real life friends/non-actors performing over the course of years… you get consistent characters throughout. The Stuart Gordon elements of the film? Well… you’ll want to see the movie yourself to get many of those details, as that is where a lot of the unique fun of Wyrmwood comes into play. But let’s just say that when Brooke is captured by a mad scientist with no scruples, the Roache-Turner brothers found their angle for injecting some truly crazy fun into their tale.
Wyrmwood is far from perfect, and may not be everyone’s cup of tea. I’ve made the case for how it stands out from the glut of other zombie cinema out there… but some of you may just be too tired. And that is probably okay. Or maybe you’ll see the inspiration that I observed as a rip off of styles that came before it. That might be a valid take. I believe Wyrmwood shows enough true commitment to genre filmmaking, enough spins on well-trodden ideas, and enough pound for pound entertainment value to warrant viewing. And I’d even sign up for a sequel or trilogy, as there’s plenty of opportunity for that. If you think there might be a little zombie juice left in your tank, then take Wyrmwood for a spin.
And I’m Out.
