Day Zero | |
---|---|
![]() Official release poster | |
Directed by | Joey De Guzman |
Written by | Ays De Guzman |
Produced by |
|
Starring |
|
Cinematography | Moises Zee |
Edited by | Joey De Guzman Brian Gonzalez |
Music by | Malek Lopez Erwin Romulo |
Production companies |
|
Distributed by |
|
Release date |
|
Running time | 82 minutes |
Country | Philippines |
Language | Filipino |
Day Zero is a 2022 Philippine action zombie film written by Ays De Guzman and directed by Joey De Guzman. It stars Brandon Vera, Pepe Herrera and Mary Jean Lastimosa.
Emon (Brandon Vera), has spent the last few years in prison for serious assault. Emon is a former US special forces soldier and has apparently been a model prisoner so has won his parole and is hoping to return home to his wife Sheryl (Mary Jean Lastimosa), and daughter Jane (Freya Fury Montierro), who is deaf, but his hopes are dashed when he's surrounded by other prisoners who attack him when he sticks up for his timid friend Timoy (Pepe Herrera) at which point his release is cancelled. As it turns out, that doesn't matter very much because of an outbreak of suspected Dengue fever which has mutated causing corpses to come back to life and attack people. The warden apparently had a moment of compassion before becoming a zombie and opened the gates telling the prisoners to escape and allowing Emon and Timoy to try to make their way back to Sheryl and Jane.
Emon must reclaim his role as a father by becoming a man who can protect his family even if it's true that it's the same self-destructive forces, his capacity for violence, which enable him to do so. Even the warden had remarked on Emon's intimidating physicality admitting that it's unsurprising the other inmates largely leave him alone while his attempt to impress Sheryl by telling her how some guys hassling Timoy had walked away when they saw him coming backfires as she sees it as evidence that he really hasn't changed and is still wedded to a destructive code of masculinity founded on dominance and violence. The implications of the fact he learned these skills as a member of the US military otherwise goes largely uncritiqued as does the presence of heavy weaponry including an assault rifle in the home of a local police officer.
Police chief Oscar (Joey Marquez) later becomes a secondary enemy after turning on some of the other survivors when someone close to him is zombified though it's Sheryl, not Emon, who must eventually contend with him. The two men present conflicting visions of fatherhood, one protective and the vengeful prepared to kill a child just to get revenge against her father. In any case, Emon must learn to channel his violence in a more positive direction by killing as many of the zombified locals as possible to clear a path for Sheryl and Jane to escape the apartment building where the family have become trapped. Though he may eventually be able to reclaim his paternity, it's also true the problematic violence that allows him to do so may prevent him from reintegrating into his family in a more “normal” post-outbreak world.
In an interview Brandon Vera said that they shoot the film when the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines has started.
He said:
Man, we shot that during COVID. And it was about a virus that turns people into zombies. So the timing of it was, you know kinda perfect. It was a really cool shoot, I worked with an amazing young director.
“I worked with a crazy crazy stuntman crew. They were so good that they made me wanna [step] up my game even more. We started drilling on set so many more times than necessary. These guys could do amazing things. My favorite part about this film, it’s a zombie film, yes everybody knows about zombie films but this one’s different.” [1]
The film was premiered at Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival on July 3, 2022, [2] Toronto After Dark Film Festival on October 21, 2022, [3] Obscura Film Festival Berlin on October 22, 2022, [4] and Imagine Film Festival on October 28, 2022.
It was released worldwide at Amazon Prime Video on September 28, 2022.
Don Anelli of Asian Movie Pulse gave the film a mixed review and said: Wholly enjoyable as an action/horror hybrid, “Day Zero” is a serviceable genre effort that doesn't have too many issues and is a perfect vehicle for its main star to emerge as the action hero he's presented to be. Give it a look if you're a fan of these kinds of genre hybrids, are a big zombie genre fanatic, or appreciate Asian horror. [5]
Andrew Heskins of Eastern Kicks gave the film 3 star out of 5 star and said: It's unclear whether the title Day Zero is a statement of intent – though I'm not sure where it would go next – or just a desperate attempt to get a day (the curse of Romero again!) and a ‘Z’ in there. It really doesn't seem to relate to the period the film takes place in, which might have been a good angle. Ultimately, it's a solid genre film that doesn't take up too much of your time, and has some great action sequences, but it really doesn't bring anything new to the genre. [6]
Year | Awards | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | Obscura Film Festival | Best Feature Film | Day Zero | Won | [7] |
Braindead is a 1992 New Zealand zombie comedy splatter film directed by Peter Jackson, produced by Jim Booth, and written by Stephen Sinclair, Fran Walsh, and Jackson based on an original story idea by Sinclair. It stars Timothy Balme, Diana Peñalver, Elizabeth Moody and Ian Watkin. The plot follows Lionel, a young man living in South Wellington with his strict mother Vera. After Lionel becomes romantically entangled with a girl named Paquita, Vera is bitten by a hybrid rat-monkey creature and begins to transform into a zombie, while also infecting swathes of the city's populace.
28 Days Later is a 2002 British post-apocalyptic horror film directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland. It stars Cillian Murphy as a bicycle courier who awakens from a coma to discover the accidental release of a highly contagious, aggression-inducing virus has caused the breakdown of society. Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston, Megan Burns, and Brendan Gleeson appear in supporting roles.
A scream queen is an actress who is prominent and influential in horror films, either through a notable appearance or recurring roles. A scream king is the male equivalent. Notable female examples include Barbara Steele, Sandra Peabody, Linda Blair, Olivia Hussey, Marilyn Burns, Neve Campbell, Daria Nicolodi, Dee Wallace, Jamie Lee Curtis, Heather Langenkamp, Shawnee Smith, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Linnea Quigley.
Dawn of the Dead is a 2004 action horror film directed by Zack Snyder in his feature directorial debut, with a screenplay by James Gunn. A remake of George A. Romero's 1978 film of the same name, it stars an ensemble cast that includes Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Jake Weber, and Mekhi Phifer, with Scott Reiniger, Tom Savini, and Ken Foree from the original film appearing in cameos. Set in Milwaukee, the film follows a group of survivors who try to survive a zombie apocalypse holed up in a suburban shopping mall.
Graydon Creed is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Brandon Peterson and first appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #299. He is the "baseline human" son of Sabretooth and Mystique.
Shaun of the Dead is a 2004 British romantic zombie comedy film directed by Edgar Wright, who co-wrote it with Simon Pegg. The film stars Pegg as Shaun, a downtrodden London salesman who gets caught alongside his loved ones in a zombie apocalypse. It also stars Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran, Bill Nighy, and Penelope Wilton. It is the first instalment in Wright and Pegg's Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, followed by Hot Fuzz (2007) and The World's End (2013), both of which also star Pegg and Frost.
The Crow: Salvation is a 2000 American superhero film directed by Bharat Nalluri. Starring Eric Mabius as Alex Corvis and the third installment of The Crow film series, based on the comic book character of the same name by James O'Barr. After its distributor cancelled the intended wide theatrical release due to The Crow: City of Angels' negative critical reception, The Crow: Salvation was released direct-to-video after a limited theatrical run.
Wild Zero is a 1999 Japanese comedy horror film directed by Tetsuro Takeuchi. It stars Masashi Endō as Ace, a fan of the Japanese rock power trio Guitar Wolf. After assisting the group, the band's eponymous vocalist makes Ace his blood brother and gives him a whistle to blow during times of trouble. Ace later meets Tobio during a gas station robbery. The group later find themselves in the middle of a zombie outbreak.
Hell of the Living Dead is a 1980 Italian horror film directed by Bruno Mattei. The film is set in a laboratory in Papua New Guinea that releases a dangerous chemical, turning the technicians and locals into zombies. A French news reporter and her crew land on the island to investigate.
Burial Ground is an Italian grindhouse zombie movie directed by Andrea Bianchi. It is one of several films released under the alternative title of Zombie 3.
Dead & Breakfast is a 2004 musical zombie comedy film directed by Matthew Leutwyler starring Ever Carradine, Gina Philips, Erik Palladino, Bianca Lawson, Jeremy Sisto and Oz Perkins. The film premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival and went on to win over a dozen awards. It was also nominated for a Saturn Award.
The Revenant is a 2009 dark comedy/horror film written and directed by Kerry Prior and starring David Anders and Chris Wylde. The film was shot in Los Angeles, California.
The Lords of Salem is a 2012 supernatural horror film written, produced, and directed by Rob Zombie. It stars Sheri Moon Zombie, Bruce Davison, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Ken Foree, Patricia Quinn, Dee Wallace, María Conchita Alonso, Judy Geeson, and Meg Foster. The plot focuses on a troubled female disc jockey in Salem, Massachusetts, whose life becomes entangled with a coven of ancient Satan-worshipping women.
Necropolis Awakened is a 2002 American action-horror film written and directed by Garrett White. It stars Duke White, Brandon White, and Garrett White in multiple roles. An evil corporation bent on world domination begins their genetic experimentation in a small Oregon town, but they find unexpected resistance from an alcoholic veteran.
The Walking Deceased, originally titled Walking with the Dead, is a 2015 comedy horror film directed by Scott Dow and written by Tim Ogletree. It stars Ogletree, Joey Oglesby, Dave Sheridan, Troy Ogletree, Sophie Taylor Ali, Danielle Garcia, Andrew Pozza, and Mason Dakota Galyon as survivors of a zombie apocalypse who attempt to locate a safe haven.
DOTGA: Da One That Ghost Away is a 2018 Filipino horror comedy film directed by Tony Y. Reyes and starring Ryan Bang, Kim Chiu, Enzo Pineda and the duo of Maymay Entrata and Edward Barber in their second film after Loving in Tandem (2017). It was released by Star Cinema on April 18, 2018, in cinemas.
Brightburn is a 2019 American superhero horror film directed by David Yarovesky, written by Brian and Mark Gunn, and produced by James Gunn and Kenneth Huang. Starring Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, Jackson A. Dunn, Matt Jones and Meredith Hagner, the plot follows Brandon Breyer, a young boy of extraterrestrial origin reared on Earth who discovers he has superpowers, using them with dark intentions. The film was produced and financed by Screen Gems, Stage 6 Films, The H Collective and Troll Court Entertainment.
Blood Quantum is a 2019 Canadian horror film written, directed, and edited by Jeff Barnaby and starring Michael Greyeyes, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Forrest Goodluck, Kiowa Gordon, Brandon Oakes, Olivia Scriven, Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs, and Gary Farmer. The film depicts the effects of a zombie uprising on a First Nations reserve whose residents are immune to contracting the plague because of their indigenous heritage, but must still cope with the consequences of its effects on the world around them, including white refugees seeking shelter on the reserve.
#Alive is a 2020 South Korean post-apocalyptic action horror film directed by Cho Il-hyung. Starring Yoo Ah-in and Park Shin-hye, it is based on the 2019 script Alone by Matt Naylor, who co-adapted his script with Cho. The film revolves around a video game live streamer's struggle for survival as he is forced to stay alone in his apartment in Seoul during a zombie apocalypse. It was released in South Korea on June 24, 2020, and globally via Netflix on September 8, 2020. Critics generally gave positive reviews.
"What If... Zombies?!" is the fifth episode of the first season of the American animated television series What If...?, based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name. It explores what would happen if the events of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018) occurred differently, with members of the Avengers becoming zombies and initiating a worldwide zombie apocalypse, while a group of survivors search for a cure. The episode was written by story editor Matthew Chauncey and directed by Bryan Andrews.