WYRMWOOD

Director: Kiah Roache-Turner
Writers: Kiah Roache-Turner,  Tristan Roache-Turner
Stars: Jay Gallagher, Bianca Bradey, Leon Burchill
Strength: Story, originality within an overused concept
Weakness: Acting and direction
Runtime: 98 minutes
Rating: 2.5/5

Plot: Barry is a talented mechanic and family man whose life is torn apart on the eve of a zombie apocalypse. His sister, Brooke, is kidnapped by a sinister team of gas-mask wearing soldiers & experimented on by a psychotic doctor. While Brooke plans her escape Barry goes out on the road to find her & teams up with Benny, a fellow survivor - together they must arm themselves and prepare to battle their way through hordes of flesh-eating monsters in a harsh Australian bushland.
Review: Wyrmwood is an Aussie take on the popular Zombie apocalypse genre. But it's done with a few original twists thrown in. Zombies invade the Australian Outback in this brain-splattered, Mad Max-meets-the-undead thrill ride. When an apocalyptic event turns everyone around Barry-including his wife and daughter-into marauding zombies, he arms himself to the teeth, soups up his car, and hits the road in order to rescue his sister from a deranged, disco-dancing mad doctor. It's a very down to earth production that incorporates a lot of very Australian cultural elements. Mateship (Australian for friendship), plain talking, a love of beer, fast customized vehicles and the handyman, "can do" attitude, are elements frequently employed in this film. Bianca Bradey gives a good performance, but Jay Gallagher as the lead character does not pull his weight as well. The zombie action is reasonable and the story line is engaging, but Wyrmwood is, however, somewhat let down by failed attempts at humour, stunted character development and no real direction, in terms of where the story is supposed to lead us. The end result is a rather disjointed, unimpressive film, that leaves you feeling it should have delivered more. Watch it if you love gore-filled zombie films and have time for some brainless fun.

Reviewed by Mohammad Haque