by If there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that, at least when it comes to horror films, you can’t trust any kind of indie film awards. I’ve seen some truly terrible movies that received high commendations when they really didn’t deserve it. That’s why I wasn’t really interested in The Last Ones. This zombie film had a list of awards and nominations right in its trailer, and it’s one of those try-hard films that’s black and white for no good reason. Despite my initial hesitation I’ll never turn down a decent looking zombie film and this case was no different. The Last Ones is actually pretty enjoyable, but it still has some major issues that make it a little hard to watch at times.
Our story begins at the very beginning of the zombie apocalypse. We have our main character John trying to go about his normal day by day as the people begin to get sick and die. He seems immune to the virus, and in the last days of humanity meets fellow survivor Michael as they take shelter in the shed on his family’s property. When they emerge they find an empty town, that is, until night fall when flesh eating zombies roam the streets.
John and Michael survive together for months. Michael takes care of most of the day to day chores such as planting crops and killing the undead while John keeps mostly to himself drinking his days away. John one day offers to go to the local store to get supplies and run the generator but while there something Earth shattering happens; he encounters a young woman named Karina. He takes her back to the house and introduces her to a skeptical Michael. The beginnings of a romance start between our protagonist and the, as far as he knows, last living woman in the entire world. Tensions rise as she one day overhears the two discussing the zombies and doesn’t seem to have any idea that they even exist. She quickly begins to distrust the two thus raising tensions in the trio.
I’ll start by addressing the elephant in the room. The acting in this film is absolutely dreadful. There isn’t a single line delivered with any semblance of experience or emotion. The three main actors give their dialogue as if they’re half asleep and reading from the script. They all sound terribly bored by the whole thing. If their job was to pretend they’re doing their taxes then they succeeded. With that said it doesn’t break the film. Normally I’m a stickler for this sort of thing but in this case it adds to the weird atmosphere. The script is also pretty bad with the characters saying each other’s names too often and some of the lines are pretty awkward in composition. This too isn’t a big issue because it adds to the atmosphere.
This is one of those horror films that relies almost entirely on its big twist ending, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised with how the story wraps up. It’s a unique take on the zombie apocalypse story and I didn’t see it coming until it was spelled out for me. The rest of the film leading up to this big reveal doesn’t fare quite as well, but I thought it was decently entertaining. The pacing is a bit slow so I don’t imagine a lot of people will give it a fair shake. To make matters worse the black and white filter makes the scenery very drab. It’s largely unnecessary and I don’t think adds anything to the experience, but it did distract me from many of the film’s flaws. The soundtrack is very repetitive but it’s ominous and original enough that it manages to enhance the atmosphere and give the Last Ones a distinct flavor all its own.
If you’re looking for something that will make you jump out of your seat then the Last Ones will only disappoint you. Not only is the story a slow build consisting of far too many scenes wherein the characters waste time exploring rooms, but there just isn’t a lot of action to be honest. You only see the zombies a handful of times in this short film, and outside of one scene, we only get one at a time. There’s absolutely no jump scares with plenty of set up allowed to set up the action, and the undead doesn’t have much on-screen presence. They’re silent, move slow, and there’s almost no violence in this film. The make-up effects for them is pretty decent, but I really think the black and white filter covers up a lot of the blemishes we would have otherwise seen with such a low budget film. It has great atmosphere, but the Last Ones just isn’t all that scary.
The Last Ones is a decent indie horror film. I’m just glad I’m not being subjected to another found footage film, and an actual effort to storyboard with props and sets is welcome in the indie scene. Unfortunately the horror elements are pretty weak. You’ll be hard pressed to find more than a few different zombies, there’s almost no blood, and the violence is also very low. The acting will also be a tough sell for many people with actors who have about as much personality as cardboard, and deliver lines with the same level of enthusiasm as if they’re waiting at the DMV. What the film does have is atmosphere, and it delivers in spades. The make-up effects aren’t half bad either, and the big plot twist toward the end was actually pretty decent. This movie is just over an hour long so it’s not a huge commitment; I recommend checking it out if you’re a fan of the horror genre.
Pros
- Great atmosphere
- Genuinely interesting twist
Cons
- Horrible acting
- Black and white filter makes no sense
- Bad script
