Review of The Girl with All the Gifts (2016) by Cath O — 30 Sep 2016

Terrific low budget British zombie thriller that is one of the most unsettling films I've seen in a while. I also loved that this is a film where I could not predict what would happen. I think I've been so used to Hollywood films, with the usual build up/climax/ aftermath structure, something like this film is a real breath of fresh air.

We meet Melanie, a young girl kept under unusual conditions in an underground military bunker/ prison. What is going on? Who is she? Why is Gemma Arterton teaching her and her fellow student? Well we know zombies are coming but the reveal of the world situation is done really well, before the film then becomes a sort of road trip across a post Apocalyptic Britain, complete with abandoned British shops. Paddy Considine and Glenn Close round out the adult cast, but look out for young Sennia Nanua who is remarkable as the titular girl.

Genuinely scary zombies and a rather bleak film, but highly original and gripping and a great example of what can be done on a pretty tiny budget (around £4 million) filmed in the West Midlands. It gets a little daft at the end, but is definitely worth checking out.