Tribeca Reviews: Foreign Zombie Flicks: THE NIGHT EATS THE WORLD & CARGO

It’s clear that the zombie subgenre of horror has become oversaturated in recent years, with TV shows like The Walking Dead entering its 9th season, the Resident Evil series with more sequels than I can count, films like World War Z, and a multitude of others. Many of these tend to blend together or otherwise feel bland; yet every once in awhile, such as with a film like 2016’s Train to Busan, the genre is revitalized once again.

Both The Night Eats the World from France and Cargo from Australia deal with the subject of zombies, though each not only approaches the subject in their own way, but they remarkably feel original when compared to the genre as a whole. Perhaps, as indicated by both films, the public’s fascination with these monsters isn’t letting up anytime soon.

The Night Eats the World (Dominique Rocher)

The Night Eats the World begins in the manner of many zombie films. Sam (Anders Danielsen Lie) is a musician who has recently broken up with his girlfriend. In the hopes of receiving his tapes back from her, he visits her apartment during a party, but after falling asleep in a vacant room he wakes the next morning to find that the apartment has emptied and that there is blood all over the walls. Bewildered and terrified, he attempts to exit the place, only to be abruptly attacked by two bloodthirsty zombies. He soon realizes that the building is surrounded by these creatures, and that he will have to somehow survive indoors, perhaps indefinitely.

The Night Eats the World is minimal on tension, though it does have a few nail-biting moments towards its conclusion. But where the film really triumphs is in its singular portrayal of a man who knows he will likely die alone. He slowly starts to lose his mind despite keeping a busy daily schedule, yet at the same time feels consoled by simple acts such as creating music out of household objects and getting to know the people of the building through gazing at pictures and listening to recordings of them. The highlights of the film come when Sam attempts to connect with the adorably undead Alfred (Denis Lavant), who had become trapped in the building’s elevator before becoming infected.

The world of Dominique Rocher‘s film is quite claustrophobic despite being set in the vastness of Paris, which can be seen during one of its many shots of Sam standing isolated on the apartment’s roof while surrounded by an eerily quiet city. Yet, there is something comforting about it as well, showing how one man’s strength of will is somehow enough, and how his hopes of reaching out with his fellow man keeps him going even after he knows they have gone. Anders Danielsen Lie is a charming presence as Sam, able to keep the audience’s attention despite being the only non-zombie character for much of the film.

Part I Am Legend and part All is Lost, The Night Eats the World is an endearing, tragic, and above all entertaining watch. 

Cargo (Ben Howling & Yolanda Ramke)

Based on a short of the same name also directed by Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke, Cargo takes place in the outback of Australia. The film begins on the back of a virus outbreak, which causes people to slowly become mindless zombies over the course of 48 hours. Andy Rose (Martin Freeman) and his wife Kay Caine (Susie Porter), along with their infant daughter, attempt to survive in a houseboat, though an attack soon leaves both of them infected.

After Kay has died, Andy now has 48 hours to somehow ensure that his young daughter is safe. After run-ins with the psychotic Vic (Anthony Hayes) and others, he realizes that a young girl named Thoomi (Simone Landers) may be his only hope, as she knows of an Aboriginal tribe that is able to survive.

In contrast to The Night Eats the World, Cargo is often big on tension, from its opening scene. It utilizes its vast outback setting with wide overhead shots to create a sense of impending danger. Yet, it is often the people that are more of a threat than the zombies themselves. Vic, menacingly played by Anthony Hayes, stands at odds with Andy due to their wildly varied approaches at survival in the zombie apocalypse.

Andy, in contrast to the selfish Vic, fights for more than himself, since he knows that his infection will slowly eat away at him, and that he is attempting to find salvation for his daughter alone. Martin Freeman, known mostly for franchise work, here plays one of his more sensitive and tragic roles, portraying a father who tries everything he can to save his infant daughter, knowing all the while that he is doomed.

Howling and Ramke‘s film was originally a seven-minute short, with only the rough outline of a story. The full-length version is, fittingly, much more fleshed-out, with background for its setting and characters, yet still containing the same basic framework. At times, though, Cargo does feel like it is unnecessarily stretching itself out, with a few extraneous moments and exchanges that don’t add much to its overall effect. It’s occasionally off-putting, yet not so much so that the film is damaged too greatly.

In Cargo, love knows no bounds, and that’s a pretty powerful message no matter how you spin it.

Conclusion

To conclude, both The Night Eats the World and Cargo, despite their differing styles and approaches, both manage to bring fresh meat (and brains) to the zombie film. Perhaps, as is indicated by their both being from outside the United States, it is the filmmakers’ unique world perspectives that make their visions stand out.

Whether empathizing with Sam while he roams his apartment complex alone in The Night Eats the World or admiring Andy’s unwavering desire to save his infant daughter in Cargo, there is much to love and admire about these films. I cannot wait to see what each filmmaker manages to cook up next.

What are your thoughts on the films mentioned? Are you a fan of the zombie sub-genre of horror?