Movie Night! 'Blood Quantum' (2020)



I know, I know, another movie night... You've probably guessed it already but I am having a bit of a nightmare trying to start reading anything, let alone finish it... It's a mixture of having a lot of work to get done (and very little time to get it done in) and just generally feeling low about everything that's going on out there (and in my head but that's another story that you don't want to know about). I'm going to try and post a couple of book reviews this week, lets see how it goes.
So yeah, another movie night, it is really easy to pop something on the laptop and just let my eyes do all the work. Amazon Prime has also thrown a whole load of zombie movies my way and it would be a shame not to work my way through them, wouldn't it? Last night's movie was 'Blood Quantum'; I'd seen the trailer on Youtube and had made a mental note to give it a go when I got a chance. One free 'Shudder' trial later and I did just that last night. What did I think? Well...

Before I start, the second to last paragraph here is a little bit spoilery. If you read it, you'll see why I included it.

Six months after a dead dog leaps out of Sheriff Traylor's police car (he shot it and put it there) and tries to kill him, the world is a very different place for the Mi’kmaq people of Red Crow. The dead have come back to life and suddenly, Red Crow is suddenly the place where everyone wants to be. The Mi'kmaq people are immune to zombie bites but have to deal with another invader as well, white refugees looking for shelter and protection from what lies outside. Traylor works to protect everyone but tensions run deep and betrayal will put everything at risk...

It's a common trope, in zombie movies, that survivors may be able to outsmart zombies but they cannot work with other survivors, long term, to build a way of life that will last. The zombies always win because they just have the one purpose, humanity has too many conflicts within itself to ever be a viable option. 'Blood Quantum' is no different there except, well... actually it is a bit. The examination of the changed dynamic between indigenous tribespeople and white 'settlers' ultimately leads to the same conclusion but is a fresh enough approach to make this film that much more watchable. I'm no big scholar of American history but there is so much going on here that anyone could get something out of, possibly because the message isn't particularly subtle but also because the cast really put their all into getting that message across.

It's a good job that 'Blood Quantum' has that hook because honestly, I can't remember the last time I ever saw a zombie film that was so damn bleak and grim! That's a good thing by the way, it's not an easy film to watch (in that respect) but 'Blood Quantum' clearly has a vision and is true to that vision. It was bleak enough to start off with and then, one 'Six Months Later' caption later, it shows you that any good zombie apocalypse can really plumb those bleak and grim depths... I loved it, especially the whole arbitrary approach to who makes it to the very end. Do not get attached to anyone... The death scenes are appropriately powerful but if you're anything like me, this film will drain you emotionally. Which is brilliant but, well... draining.

Add in the obligatory jump scares and the gore and you have a film that you can't help but keep watching. It makes you think and it makes you jump out of your skin at the same time.
On that gore though... If you're a new parent, or about to be, there's a bit near the beginning that will mess your head right up. When Traylor gets to the door... She is eating what you think she is eating... You might want to skip over that bit, I wouldn't blame you if you did.

'Blood Quantum' is a suprisingly good zombie film that stayed with me a long time after I'd finished watching it. If you like your zombie apocalypses bleaker than bleak, this is the one for you. And it has an old guy with a samurai sword doing exactly what anyone with a sword would do, I don't know what else I can say to get you to watch it ;o) Just watch it.

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