News

TIFF Review: ‘Blood Quantum’ is a Zombie Film With Serious Bite

Published

5 years ago

September 15, 2019

In 1981, a small community is rocked by the outbreak of a zombie virus. The locals are biting and turning in record time, but on the nearby Mi’kmaq reserve of Red Crow, the Indigenous residents are immune to the disease. Thus begins Blood Quantum, the second feature film written and directed by Jeff Barnaby. It’s a full-bodied and well-bloodied zombie movie, but more importantly, it’s a damning commentary on the history and treatment of Canada’s Indigenous population.

Before making Blood Quantum, Barnaby was introduced to the idea of films being a form of social protest with the documentary feature Incident at Restigouche. The film chronicles the events of two raids on the Mi’kmaq Restigouche reserve by the Quebec police force in an attempt to impose new restrictions on salmon fishermen in the Mi’kmaq community. As a young child on the reserve in 1981, he was witness to these raids. In an interview with CBC host George Stroumboulopoulos, Barnaby shared his memories of the experience:

“Think about being a young man and you know nothing about the outside world, but the outside world comes knocking at your door and they come armed to the teeth and looking to bust your head. And that was my first definition of what non-Native Canadians thought about Indians. That stuck with me.”

Barnaby’s frustration and anger translate onto the screen in the film’s poignant interactions. One particular post-outbreak scene shows a man and his sick daughter arriving on Red Crow’s doorstep. As the Algonquin survivors discuss the fate of these new arrivals in Mi’kmaq, the stranger yells at them to “speak English”. His sick (and possibly infected) daughter is wrapped in a blanket, drawing comparisons to the germ warfare that started a smallpox epidemic in native communities in 1763.

This anger is also voiced through the character of Lysol (Kiowa Gordon, The Red Road). Lysol is not fond of the idea of letting outsiders into the reserve, and he expresses his objections at every turn. While his father, Traylor (Michael Greyeyes, True Detective), and half-brother, Joseph (Forrest Goodluck, The Revenant), are open to helping those in need, Lysol firmly believes that these outside survivors are a danger to their community.

Speaking on Blood Quantum as a zombie film, there’s plenty of bite. The Mi’kmaq survivors are positively badass, blazing through zombie lairs with discipline, precision, and a cache of highly effective weapons. The undead are quickly dispatched by chainsaw, shotgun, katana, and an inventive use of a wood chipper. It all adds up to create one deeply satisfying batch of bloody horror.

These zombie kill effects are practical and exceptionally bloody. This is a visceral film that would do Tom Savini proud, with moments that pay homage to one of the more brutal scenes in Dawn of the Dead. The indigenous survivors are all immune to the virus, so they can get up close and personal when they’re on the attack. With vicious efficiency, they dismember, decapitate, and destroy all in their path, as geysers of blood gush across the screen.

The cinematography by Michel St-Martin is stunning; shots are beautifully framed and filmed. His use of lighting and color adds a naturalistic grit. Outside of Red Crow, uncomfortable interiors — such as the police station and the hospital — have a yellow hue that makes them feel sickly. It subconsciously puts the audience ill-at-ease, whereas the scenes on the reserve feel more open.

Blood Quantum challenges its audience by forcing us to confront the historically problematic treatment of the Indigenous community in Canada. It’s a proud celebration of native culture — from the symbolic artwork to the soaring score — that builds a creatively unique addition to the zombie genre. If you’re looking for something fresh that you can really sink your teeth into, be advised; this film bites back.

For more from TIFF, click to read our review of Color Out of Space and Synchronic.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

You must be logged in to post a comment.

News

Netflix Releases First BTS ‘Fear Street: Prom Queen’ Footage

Published

11 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Timothy Rawles

It’s been three long years since Netflix unleashed the bloody, but enjoyable Fear Street on its platform. Released in a tryptic fashion, the streamer broke up the story into three episodes, each taking place in a different decade which by the finale were all tied together.

Now, the streamer is in production for its sequel Fear Street: Prom Queen which brings the story into the 80s. Netflix gives a synopsis of what to expect from Prom Queen on their blog site Tudum:

“Welcome back to Shadyside. In this next installment of the blood-soaked Fear Street franchise, prom season at Shadyside High is underway and the school’s wolfpack of It Girls is busy with its usual sweet and vicious campaigns for the crown. But when a gutsy outsider is unexpectedly nominated to the court, and the other girls start mysteriously disappearing, the class of ’88 is suddenly in for one hell of a prom night.”

Based on R.L. Stine’s massive series of Fear Street novels and spin-offs, this chapter is number 15 in the series and was published in 1992.

FEAR STREET: PROM QUEEN IS NOW IN PRODUCTION 🩸 Welcome to Shadyside High. We're gonna have a killer time. pic.twitter.com/jDl0zRa2CH
— Netflix (@netflix) April 30, 2024

Fear Street: Prom Queen features a killer ensemble cast, including India Fowler (The Nevers, Insomnia), Suzanna Son (Red Rocket, The Idol), Fina Strazza (Paper Girls, Above the Shadows), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty, Cinnamon), Ella Rubin (The Idea of You), Chris Klein (Sweet Magnolias, American Pie), Lili Taylor (Outer Range, Manhunt) and Katherine Waterston (The End We Start From, Perry Mason).

No word on when Netflix will drop the series into its catalog.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

News

Live Action Scooby-Doo Reboot Series In Works at Netflix

Published

12 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The ghosthunting Great Dane with an anxiety problem, Scooby-Doo, is getting a reboot and Netflix is picking up the tab. Variety is reporting that the iconic show is becoming an hour-long series for the streamer although no details have been confirmed. In fact, Netflix execs declined to comment.

If the project is a go, this would be the first live-action movie based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon since 2018’s Daphne & Velma. Before that, there were two theatrical live-action movies, Scooby-Doo (2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), then two sequels that premiered on The Cartoon Network.

Currently, the adult-oriented Velma is streaming on Max.

Scooby-Doo originated in 1969 under the creative team Hanna-Barbera. The cartoon follows a group of teenagers who investigate supernatural happenings. Known as Mystery Inc., the crew consists of Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Shaggy Rogers, and his best friend, a talking dog named Scooby-Doo.

Normally the episodes revealed the hauntings they encountered were hoaxes developed by land-owners or other nefarious characters hoping to scare people away from their properties. The original TV series named Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! ran from 1969 to 1986. It was so successful that movie stars and pop culture icons would make guest appearances as themselves in the series.

Celebrities such as Sonny & Cher, KISS, Don Knotts, and The Harlem Globetrotters made cameos as did Vincent Price who portrayed Vincent Van Ghoul in a few episodes.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

News

BET Releasing New Original Thriller: The Deadly Getaway

Published

12 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Cameron McFarland

BET will soon be offering horror fans a rare treat. The studio has announced the official release date for their new original thriller, The Deadly Getaway. Directed by Charles Long (The Trophy Wife), this thriller sets up a heart racing game of cat and mouse for audiences to sink their teeth into.

Wanting to break up the monotony of their routine, Hope and Jacob set off to spend their vacation at a simple cabin in the woods. However, things go sideways when Hope’s ex-boyfriend shows up with a new girl at the same campsite. Things soon spiral out of control. Hope and Jacob must now work together to escape the woods with their lives.

The Deadly Getaway is written by Eric Dickens (Makeup X Breakup) and Chad Quinn (Reflections of US). The Film stars, Yandy Smith-Harris (Two Days in Harlem), Jason Weaver (The Jacksons: An American Dream), and Jeff Logan (My Valentine Wedding).

Showrunner Tressa Azarel Smallwood had the following to say about the project. “The Deadly Getaway is the perfect reintroduction to classic thrillers, which encompass dramatic twists, and spine-chilling moments. It showcases the range and diversity of emerging Black writers across genres of film and television.”

The Deadly Getaway will premiere on 5.9.2024, exclusively ion BET+.