Movie Review

I seem to be on a bit of an indie film kick at the moment…

Which is great because I’m discovering hidden gems like this one. The Girl with All the Gifts is an award winning film based on the bestselling novel of the same name by M.R. Carey. 

The Girl with All the Gifts (Release Date: January 2017)

In a dystopian near future, humanity has been ravaged by a mysterious fungal disease. The afflicted are robbed of all free will and turned into flesh-eating ‘hungries’. Humankind’s only hope is a small group of hybrid children who crave human flesh but retain the ability to think and feel. The children go to school at an army base in rural Britain, where they’re subjected to cruel experiments by Dr. Caroline Caldwell (Glenn Close). School teacher Helen Justineau (Gemma Arterton) grows particularly close to an exceptional girl named Melanie (Sennia Nanua), thus forming a special bond. But when the base is invaded, the trio escape with the assistance of Sgt. Eddie Parks (Paddy Considine) and embark on a perilous journey of survival, during which Melanie must come to terms with who she is.

Starring:  Gemma Arterton, Glenn Close, Dominique Tipper, and  Sennia Nanua

Director:  Colm McCarthy

Rating/ Runtime: R 1 hr 51

Movie Trailer

My Thoughts…

Very interesting… I would say that this was created more as a think piece than a scare fest. Sure there are zombies or “Hungries” as they’re called, but really this film is about a young girl who possesses very special attributes. Characteristics that make the viewer question what makes a being human and do the usual ethical norms society adheres to, still matter when civilization breaks down?

I can see why, this film won so many awards. Not only do we have heavy weight, Glenn Close, portray a character unlike anything she has ever done (hard-nosed, militant doctor), we have a lovely, young actress (Sennia) deliver a powerful performance under circumstances that are not child-friendly in any way.

I enjoyed watching a dystopian, “zombie” movie that made me think throughout, instead of just mindlessly watching the usual gore and chaos. Though, there’s a time for that too.

Give it a try, I think you’ll enjoy it too. It’s very different.

Rating… B

IMDb

Netflix