I've never been a big fan of horror movies, probably because I've found real life to be scary enough that I didn't need the frightning parts squeezed into a tighter format. And it always brings to mind the inevitability of mortality which is a less than uplifting topic to start with. But I've found myself drawn to watching Dawn of the Dead (2004) on TV lately. So I started to wonder why.
The reason is it's just a plain well made movie. It's not life altering or deep, but sets up its premise early and follows it logically and mixes realism with fantasy effectively. Dawn of the Dead is a remake of a 70's horror classic about survivors of a fast spreading Zombie disease barracading themselves inside a Shopping Mall. The disease is spread by Zombie bites, that is if they don't eat you completely first. Like many movies of this type, the Zombie virus can be taken as a metaphor for SARS, AIDs, etc. The remaining humans hole up in a shopping mall where they fight against Zombies and each other to stay alive.
I've read the original was an indictment against modern consumerism but there's none of that in the remake. The film takes many different angles: the moral indifference of death, the pull between survivalism and decadence. For example, the mall security guards subject the remaining humans to their own form of martial law to try to stay safe. Dawn also has a demented sense of humor, such as the survivors shooting Zombies in the head based on if they look like famous actors.
No, there's no depth here. Just a thrill ride of exploding heads, snapping Zombies and an able cast (Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames) that is able to handle the tonal shifts with ease. All the while, the dread builds to the hopelessness of their situation. Dawn of the Dead will never win best picture but is a more than competent horror movie workout.
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