Review of Stake Land (2010) by Jason P — 25 Jul 2011

Imagine 'The Road' meets '28 days later' and you have a good basic idea of what this is all about.

Another virus - this time Vampirism, as opposed to the default Zombie plague - has swept the earth, leaving humanity devastated and surviving in tiny pockets. Religious cults have sprung up, hailing the Vampires as the 'harbingers of doom from God', and gangs of cannibals roam the land also. All rather sinister and grim, and thats exactly the strength of the film, it doesnt try to 'popcorn it up' with choreographed fight scenes, or anything of the sort, the monsters in this are REAL monsters. The film is gritty, nasty, and devoid of much hope, and any hope there is in it is hard-earned. Any set-pieces are unexpected, as is the film as a whole, with lots of plot-twists and characters that you wouldn't normally see in a film of this genre.

The performances are all excellent and very 'real'.

Ultimately it's a road movie with differences, and although it is hardly fun to watch, true lovers of really, really good horror will love this. Top, top stuff.