A small group of survivors in post-apocalyptic Australia seek shelter from a zombie-esque infection that has spread like a plague….sure; the story sounds familiar, but don’t write it off just yet.
Screening at this year’s Revelation Perth International Film Festival is homegrown flick PLAGUE. Shot in Victoria, it is the directorial debut of Nick Kozakis and Kosta Ouzas who get oodles of brownie points for determination: They funded the entire project themselves, scraping together a $130,000 budget.
The story is simple (and not overly original), following a small band of survivors battling not only the ‘infected’ who feast on human flesh, but also the individual agendas of group members who will do anything to survive.
There are some quality scares, though the tension amongst survivors is the main focus here. Don’t expect action-packed horror.
You would never guess this flick was made for so little money. Visually, PLAGUE looks fantastic. Full marks for composition, lighting and special effects, which equal any mainstream studio-backed film.
Shot in 15 days, back to back, I cannot express my admiration for the cast and crew. While the acting ability in the small (and mostly inexperienced) cast varies from good to average, and while some parts of the script are a little clunky dialogue-wise, it’s an impressive achievement.
Tense, scary and visually impressive, PLAGUE is a great example of the talent present in upcoming Aussie filmmakers. I rate it 6 stars.
Find information on Revelation Festival PLAGUE screenings here:
