Cargo - Movie Review

I talked about it in my last review and I talked about it in my Kingdom review, but this'll be the last time (at least in a long while) I'll say it: Zombies are overdone. But this time I'm speaking of a origin sense. It's either some chemicals or virus that starts it off and all zombie media has to eventually involve a massive horde of the head coming at you. But this week took me for a loop with zombies though and delved into themes that were unorthodox with the genre. That film is Cargo, an Australian film about Andy Rose who, with his wife, Kay, and their daughter, Rosie, are trying to survive a zombie apocalypse in the Australian outback and find a home for their daughter. But very soon his wife and then he himself is bit and it's a race against the clock to get his daughter to somebody, anybody, who can keep her safe.

It's as simple as that everyone. But this film surprised me in that it dove into some themes I wasn't expecting like the culture of the natives of Australia and the destruction of said culture by some outsiders. If you're looking for gunfights and hordes of the undead coming at you then you're not going to get it with this film. This film is more tame in terms of violence, but has some deeper meaning to it than most zombie flicks. I believe the film is supposed to feel beautiful to watch and interpret. I had my moments of fear for the characters, but was less than other zombie media as the film gave me more room to breath and relax. That though can be a negative to some people who want lots of shooting and violence and to be honest I kind of was hoping for a bit more action. Just a bit though.

Martin Freeman as the main character, Andy Rose, was great! While I've not found him as the best actor out there I generally liked him in whatever he's done and here he puts on well-crafted performance. There was a charm to him that made him likeable beyond just being a father protecting a family. I could tell he was caring for his wife and daughter, with his wife and him having great chemistry, but he also stood on his own some as his own character. The daughter is just a little baby, but he kept her on his mind and made sure her safety was on top of his to do list. He struggled and suffered and there was real journey for him.

Other than Andy Rose though the rest of the cast didn't hit as strongly. Not saying they were bad in the film, it was just how they were written in felt odd since most often in a zombie movie/ post apocalyptic movie you focus heavily on a small group or a few characters. Here though some characters were sprinkled in for a few scenes and their presence feels very minimal. I feel like some viewers who aren't as attentive might be like wonder who certain people are we or if we see them again on the screen. A film that gets this better would be The Road with Viggo Mortenson and Kodi Smit-McPhee, where it there were less characters, but a stronger sense of importance to who was on screen. I didn't get to know the other characters as well as Andy, so I was somewhat disappointed. Saying that though the variety in the cast was great! Really enjoyed seeing different ethnicities throughout the movie.

One of the huge parts of the film was seeing how the native Australians dealt with the undead, which had some unique qualities to them like how they had honey-like goo gush out of their eyes and mouth when the sickness finally took them and how they buried their faces into the sand when quiet and docile. The natives were very well equipped to fight the undead, using spears and home made tools to kill them, along with use their own powders to fog the senses of the zombies. There were moments in the film where we saw a specific group making fires to draw in the undead, then kill them off as they got closer. That's excellent right there. They also buried their deceased loved ones in trees because the zombies like to stick their heads in the ground (which I found a very interesting concept).

Now I do think the film was a little empty in certain ways. First the environment. Now that can't really be helped because it's in the outback, which is not barren, but so vast it can feel that way. But the movie also felt a little empty in terms of danger. We find out that there are med kits specifically for the zombie outbreak, but only for use after you're bit. In the kit there are watches that have a two day countdown because that's genuinely how long it takes for the virus to take full effect, but at times it never felt a sense of urgency. Also, this is the outback of Australia, full of lots of dangerous animals from venomous snakes and spiders to hulking crocodiles that can crush your bones in their jaws with no effort. I never seen saw a Kangaroo hopping about, one of the most iconic animals of Australia. There is also the scorching heat and the very barren, lifeless country. It's not just the undead you have to deal with during the apocalypse, but the elements and wildlife as well, especially in Australia where everything tries to kill you.

It's that second act, after Andy has been bitten but before the effects of the bite start to get serious, where the movie felt slow and at times dull. Not too many, but Andy kept stopping and lingering at certain places when its a race against the clock. The Road also did this better by having a more direct and focused goal in mind for the father figure. Also, relating to the last paragraph, without any of the wildlife or the weather of Australia being a serious problem to our hero I feel like there's not much danger about. Yes, there is a time limit on Andy, but there is also no clear direction and I feel without that direction there's no clear goal or end point.

Now to end on a positive I do find the cinematography to be great. I could tell what was going on with side and focused shots as well as be able to pause and see good composition in said shots. Geoffrey Simpson was great behind the camera and the way film was shot felt kind of peaceful, yet also tense at times when the dangers were happening. I especially like the night shots in the movie, things were very clear in the dark while not using fake lights to keep things visible. I also really enjoyed the way the tribal scenes were shot with the natives, they were very mystical in quality and those scenes especially raised my interest in the film.

Cargo was an odd and interesting film. I did enjoy it and it brought out some emotions within me, but I feel it could have been stronger. It might however not be my cup of tea and that's okay because there will be other people out there that would enjoy it more. Even so though I thought the way the film was directed, how it wasn't an action movie, but more of a drama movie was a good idea. If you're not much of a zombie fan, but want something with a little horror, then Cargo will be for you.

Tentative Score: 7.5/10

Definitive Score: 7/10

This, along with Train to Busan, shows that there is hope for more well-written zombie media instead of just the usual shooter/ action media they're continually portrayed in.