Phase 7 Movie Review

Survival. Thriller. Comedy.

Three words about a film that typically don’t go together, but in this film, it does. This movie had unbound potential to top even [REC] in depth, frights and intensity, but it remained unusually subdued.

Cast

Daniel Hendler stars as Coco, the main protagonist and husband to Pipi. Pipi, the pregnant wife, is played by Jazmin Stuart. Yayo Guirdi stars as Horacio, the paranoid man living inside the apartment complex. Federico Luppi plays Zanutto, the old soldier and main antagonist of the film.

Plot

Inside a quarantined apartment complex in Argentina, Coco and Pipi seek to survive as their neighbors become increasingly volatile. The neighbors compete for food, medicine and weapons as the world around them succumbs to a mysterious flu pandemic. Coco is forced to rely on Horacio for assistance, but soon, he realizes death changes people around him. And death is a more potent instigator than the depletion of resources.

Review

This movie is potentially a tale of two halves. The first half of the film is very slow as the film introduces the residents of the apartment complex, their intentions and their personalities. The first half had some obvious comedic moments, but that soon dissipated. As the second half begun, however, the intensity and action increased as Zanutto posed a threat to everyone in the apartment. As the killings increased, Coco and Horacio had to rely on each other to survive. However, their survival instincts can only last so far.

Like other Spanish movies that commented on the dangers of war, this movie continuously had former President George Bush reiterate that all countries should work together in times of crisis in a speech on the television sets. However, within the apartment complex, it was a different story as each resident fought for survival. Working together lasted only so far as resources dwindle and people begin dying. As these deaths continue, both Coco and Horacio were unusually indifferent to the situation. Their indifference did not elicit any sympathy from me and removed any sympathy for them as protagonists of the film.

Verdict (Out of 10)

This movie had great potential, but it never took off the ground. It is a 6 out of 10.