Contracted: Phase II

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Contracted: Phase II
Contracted Phase II poster.png
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJosh Forbes
Written byCraig Walendziak
Produced by
StarringMatt Mercer
Marianna Palka
Morgan Peter Brown
CinematographyMike Testin
Edited byRuben Sebban
Production
company
Distributed by IFC Midnight
Release dates
  • July 5, 2015 (2015-07-05)(Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival)
  • September 4, 2015 (2015-09-04)(United States)
Running time
78 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Contracted: Phase II is a 2015 American zombie-body horror independent film and the sequel to the 2013 film Contracted . The film was directed by Josh Forbes, based on a script written by Craig Walendziak.

Contents

Phase II features most of the actors and actresses from the original cast of the first film, and follows the character of Riley (Matt Mercer) as he tries to find the man behind the sexually transmitted disease during the first days of its viral outbreak in Los Angeles. [1] The film had its world premiere on July 5, 2015, at the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival.

Plot

After the events in the previous film, Riley (Matt Mercer) has begun showing symptoms of the same sexually transmitted disease that caused Samantha (Najarra Townsend) to turn into a zombie such as vomiting and urinating a lot of blood including blood coming out of his nose, beginning to look very pale, having a bloodshot eye, and maggots growing out of him. Panicking, Riley decides that he needs to track down the person who first infected Samantha, BJ (Morgan Peter Brown), in the hopes of gaining a cure. Besides showing the same symptoms as Samantha, most of the people Riley loved the most were infected by his virus, especially his grandmother, Margie, Harper, and finally his pregnant sister, Brenda (at the credits scene).

BJ has his own agenda, he is more than willing to continue to spread the disease to other victims. He is immune to the virus and continues to spread it to other victims like Samantha and four other missing women whom he randomly selected in the street. After having sexual intercourse with them, he injects the pathogen virus into their bodies before sending them home. Eventually, he sends threatening tapes to the special agent and orchestrates the end of the world with a zombie apocalypse.

As Riley decides to cooperate with Detective Crystal Young (Marianna Palka), he succumbs to the disease and is killed by BJ, who was at the hospital where Harper died of a seizure while trying to detonate a bomb to create a massive apocalypse by releasing other victims hospitalized there. As Riley is fully transformed into a zombie, he attacks BJ before Detective Young shoots him in the head.

In the mid-credits scene, BJ is shown to be alive, but hospitalized, while a doctor with an Abaddon tattoo tells BJ, "Very soon, my friend, very soon".

Cast

Also appearing in the film are Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson as police officers, Adam Robitel and the film's second assistant director, Nic Birdsall as SWAT officers, Whitney Moore as a hooker, Jeffrey Reddick as a teacher, Ryan Ridley as an injured man, Charity Daw as an assistant nurse, Josh Edmondson as a Bio Doctor, Zach Zorba Grashin as an assistant doctor, and Josh Fadem and Elisha Yaffe as Mormons.

Production

In April 2014, director Eric England had completed a draft of the script, titled Contracted: Phase II. [2] In December 2014, the sequel was officially announced following the first film's success on VOD. England was not able to return due to his commitments to Get the Girl . Josh Forbes was brought in to direct the film, working from a new script by Craig Walendziak. [3]

Release

After debuting at the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival in July 2015, the film was released in selected theaters and on-demand on September 4, 2015, by IFC Midnight. [4]

Reception

Critical reception for Phase II has been negative and the film holds a rating of 38% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 13 reviews. [5] Metacritic reports a score of 35 out of 100 based on 7 critic reviews, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [6]

Variety criticized the film, stating "Despite a couple of brief closing-credit epilogues suggesting future narrative directions, "Contracted: Phase II" feels too hurriedly conceived to expand on the original's premise in more than perfunctory fashion." [7] Rogerebert.com panned Phase II and compared it unfavorably to its predecessor, writing that "Pointless body horror sequel "Contracted: Phase II" doesn't develop its predecessor's concepts so much as it resolves all of the questions you never needed answered." [8] In contrast The Hollywood Reporter and The New York Times were more positive, [9] and the Times praised Forbe's direction and visual effects. [10]

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References

  1. ↑ Collis, Clark. "Contracted: Phase II director talks about his horror sequel -- and 'surreal' VMAs experience". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  2. ↑ Dickson, Evan (April 17, 2014). "Hold Your Horses, Contracted 2 Still Incubating…". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  3. ↑ Yemato, Jen (December 3, 2014). "Horror Sequel 'Contracted: Phase II' Infects IFC Midnight". Deadline. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  4. ↑ Miska, Brad (July 9, 2015). "Contracted: Phase II Release Date Gets Infected". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  5. ↑ "CONTRACTED: PHASE II (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Contracted: Phase II (2015)". Metacritic. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  7. ↑ Harvey, Dennis (September 9, 2015). "Film Review: 'Contracted: Phase II'". Variety. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  8. ↑ Abrams, Simon. "CONTRACTED: PHASE II". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  9. ↑ Scheck, Frank (September 2, 2015). "'Contracted: Phase II': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  10. ↑ Webster, Andy (September 3, 2015). "Review: In 'Contracted: Phase II' Misfortune Multiples an Encounter at a Time". The New York Times. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
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