The Spanish-language
thriller Infección
is a Venezuelan zombie movie that feels very timely. Originally
completed in 2018, it was intended as a critique of the Venezuelan
government. However, for those of us who know nothing about what it
is like in Venezuela, it could play a little bit differently. It was
made in a time when words like “quarantine,” “isolation,”
“contagion” and “immunity” were not regular parts of the
global vocabulary. It is now being seen in a world where an easily
spread virus wreaking havoc can no longer be considered fantasy for
any of us. In that sense, it works in a way it was not necessarily
planned to.
It
also works fairly well as a “realistic” zombie movie, with a
slight emphasis on drama over horror. It is more about the human cost
of a deadly epidemic than it is gore. Though it has that, too. It is
not always successful, but it has a purpose lacking in a lot of
similar productions. It is that purpose that makes it worth seeing.
On the surface, it will feel familiar to fans of the genre. Look
closer and it is an effectively made entry with some quality stuff
hiding inside.
The
story follows a doctor as he makes his way through the city at the
start of the outbreak, in an effort to find his young son. Neither
the doctor nor the strangers he allies himself with during his
journey stand out. They are the usual types; desperate, undeveloped
caricatures, trying to stay alive. The zombies are just mindless
obstacles, made mildly more threatening because of how fast they are.
These are not the shuffling hordes we are used to. They sprint in
pursuit of their prey, upping the constant sense of danger.
Director/producer/cowriter Flavio Pedota has a consistently dark
vision for this world.
In
his feature directorial debut, Pedota has more on his mind than
zombie mayhem. He uses a genre with a rich history of satire to go
after a government he is clearly displeased with. I do not know much
about Venezuela, but that did not hurt my enjoyment of what he is
trying to do. He is not subtle, so some of his commentary is obvious
even if you are unaware of what he was specifically targeting. His
anger feeds into the fear and panic his characters must deal with in
order to survive.
He
keeps things fast-moving, including only the smallest amount of plot
needed to give his characters motivation. He stages the action
sequences decently enough, yet there is no attempt at fancy
choreography or creative deaths. As horror, it is so-so. As a picture
of a country in turmoil seen through a horror lens, it is quite
interesting.
Then
there is the unexpected connection to what is going on around the
globe in 2020. Most, if not all, zombie movies contain parallels to
what we are currently experiencing. The fact that Infección
was made shortly before any of this started makes it extra impactful.
There were a few moments that caused me to shake my head in wonder at
Pedota’s inadvertent prescience. Audiences would have had a
different reaction to Infección
a year ago. In that way, it goes from being an okay genre entry with
strong political undertones to something more affecting.
-Ben Pivoz
