The Rezort review: Best described as Jurassic Park with Zombies…
The Rezort review by Kat Hughes, FrightFest 2016.
The ReZort Review
Imagine a world post-zombie outbreak and the mind instantly conjures up images of desolate wastelands with survivors constantly under threat from zombies. This is not the case in The ReZort. Set after a vicious zombie outbreak, the world has not crumbled. We still have modern technology, electricity, water and resorts. The most famous resort being one that enables patrons to shoot real life zombies that have been rounded up. Set on a picturesque tropical island, for a fee you can pay to stay and slaughter zombies all day long.
Melanie (Jessica De Gouw) has not taken the transition back to normal life well. Haunted by her father and the darker times, she is urged to visit the resort by her therapist. Joined by her boyfriend Lewis (Martin McCann), someone who coped a little too well in the dark days, the duo are ready for Melanie’s rehabilitation. Unfortunately their stay at the establishment coincides with an attack by an underground activist organisation who believe that zombies have rights too. With the security defences breached, Melanie and Lewis, along with a random group of fellow tourists (which includes Dougray Scott‘s Archer), must battle to survive. But will anyone make it off of the island?
The ReZort Review
Given the popularity of The Walking Dead it’s no surprise that this year’s Horror Channel Frightfest is flooded with zombie-related movies. The ReZort fortunately stands out from the group as it offers a new spin on the well-worn genre. In addition to the post-apocalypse landscape subverting the expected, it also offers up some interesting arguments for zombie-life rights. They may be deranged monsters, but they are sick people who not in control of their bodies. Do they really deserve to be hunted down for sport?
The ReZort Review
The ReZort tries really hard, but is let down by a limited budget and a couple of under-developed stock characters. It also suffers a bit from the old adage of biting off more than it can chew. Not content with the zombie safari aspect, or the zombie rights viewpoint, it also adds another layer involving refugees. The short run time makes it near impossible for all strands to be properly explored. It does however, offer us huge possibilities for a potential sequel.
Essentially, The ReZort is Jurassic Park with zombies. And who doesn’t love Jurassic Park? The ReZort might not be perfect, but is well worth a look.
The ReZort forms part of this year’s Frightfest programme.
