THE DEAD (2010) Inventive, Romeroesque, slow-walking-zombie tale about an American mercenary (Rob Freeman) who survives a plane crash in West Africa and, along with a local soldier (Prince David Osei), must battle hordes of the walking dead while trying to find safety. Freeman comes off too generic and dull for the lead character, and although the story’s pacing is nice and fast, a more energetic and likable protagonist – think Ken Foree’s Peter in Dawn of the Dead – would have given the film a more suspenseful vibe. There is good stuff here, with plenty of appropriately gory gut-munching and limb-tearing, a unique Burkina Faso setting, and a fittingly downbeat ending. Followed by The Dead 2: India. B–
THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS (2016) Intelligent and suspenseful zombie/apocalyptic end-of-the-world horror adapted from a 2014 novel, which itself feels inspired by The Last of Us. Years after a fungal virus turns most of humanity into mindless, flesh-eating zombies, a team of soldiers and scientists experiment with the latest generation of infected: children who can speak and think at their own will. When their facility is torn down by a swarm of zombies, a small group of survivors, plus one of the infected kids, escapes and must journey across London to find a government outpost. It all sounds like a Day of the Dead/28 Days Later/Last of Us concoction, but Girl with All the Gifts is actually highly original in both execution and story, which is carried by its smart, well-written characters and extremely intense set pieces. B+
GRETA (2018) Those expecting a hair-pulling, knife-throwing, knock down, drag out fight-to-the-death thriller in the Fatal Attraction vein might be disappointed in this character-driven psycho-stalker piece by Neil (Interview with the Vampire) Jordan. Taking pity in lonely spinster, Greta (Isabelle Huppert), recent college grad Frances (Chloë Grace Moretz) begins a friendship with the middle aged woman, but as time goes by Frances begins to question Greta’s true motives, and sanity. Frances is likable and Greta is both sad and twisted, with a superbly balanced performance by Huppert that gives the film, and character, much more credit than the material deserves. That’s not to say the film isn’t good, because it is, to a point – Jordan builds tension when Greta’s psyche cracks, and her scenes with Moretz feel genuine. Frances should have been written a little more headstrong and energetic, and the climax practically begs for a full-throttle, Friday the 13thesque cat fight, but, sadly, never delivers. Still, this is entertaining stuff. B–