The Returned (2013) Reviews

• Zombies as a manageable plague

  moviefansme2014-02-19

  Well-made story of the politics of controlling a plague. This is a thinking man's horror movie: An allegory for HIV/AIDS and similar viral outbreaks, this virus makes its victims into zombies: They're crazed, they spread the virus through biting, and to kill them requires shooting them in the head. But zombies and their gore are rare in this movie. Rather, the focus is on potential zombies, infected people who are kept normal though daily injections. The virus isn't curable, but it is manageable, but only if society supports the victims with expensive drugs, and only as long as each victim is responsible about taking their daily dosage. These factors make the infected a time bomb, a hypothetical that becomes a more urgent reality with rumors that the drug is running out. The story is personalized by Alex and Kate, who show the battle to control the disease, the consequences of not doing so, and the societal impact on their personal lives. Unlike most zombie movies, this one does not focus on the standard action scenes of zombies swarming, eating people, and getting slaughtered with ever more creative head wounds. Nor is this a dystopian future depicting the breakdown of society from a planet overrun by the infected with a few living humans struggling to survive. Rather this horror is psychological: controlling a plague, caring for loved ones, balancing the good of the few with the needs of the many, and the desperate acts this necessitates. Well written and well acted, this is a gem in the horror genre.

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• Very Unsettling

  adam-18942014-02-26

  After a bloody opening, one would expect the rest of the movie to follow the typical shenanigans of a living dead creature fest; however this is not the case. The Returned plays out more like a drama that displays the desperation of Kate and Alex as the supply of a protein (needed to be injected once a day) that keeps one from returning to the living dead becomes scarce. Alex is one of "The Returned' – the label for those who are lucky enough to get the solution within four hours of being infected, and his wife Kate is a doctor who treats the survivors. Overall the movie was very captivating with a top notch cast and a realistic premise of how the response to a shortage of such a protein would be carried out in our society today. The visuals were exquisite, including a few gory scenes. My only criticisms are the ending (which I won't mention specifics here) that seems unnecessary and a moment where a Security Guard is drinking coffee out of an empty cut. Despite these setbacks, it's worth a watch! 8/10

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• Not your typical zombie movie

  smetaxas2014-02-19

  This movie has some bloody scenes but it is not the focus of the movie. The few zombie scenes that are shown are not for shock value but to make the viewer understand the emotional turmoil the characters are facing. Some of the flash back shots could have been left out since they took away from the moment rather than adding to the heightening how you felt. The story that the movie tells is one of interactions between people, how we love defines what we are. The film asks the question, when do we lose our humanity and start to give in to our baser instincts? Kris Holden-Ried and Emily Hampshire make you care for their characters and their struggle. Shawn Doyle and Claudia Bassols play their roles well and have you asking yourself, What would I do? David Tompa has a very small role in the film as the father of a young returned, he does a great job making you feel his characters pain. You may be disappointed if all you are looking for blood. guts and gore; but if you are looking for a well made movie about human struggles then this is the film for you!

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• Great Zombie Movie

  claudio_carvalho2015-08-30

  After a zombie outbreak, the infected people survive due to a vaccine made of the the spinal fluid of dead zombies and they are called "Returned". Dr. Kate (Emily Hampshire) works in a hospital and is responsible for the wing of Returned". There is a rumor that the vaccine is running out and Kate secretly buys vaccines from Eve (Melina Matthews), who is the responsible for the storeroom. Kate's beloved husband, the musician Alex (Kris Holden-Ried), was infected and only Kate and Alex's brother Jacob (Shawn Doyle) and his wife Amber (Claudia Bassols) knows. When the vaccine runs out, the government brings the infected people to quarantine centers while research a synthetic vaccine. However, Alex and Kate flee to Jacob's house in the countryside expecting that Alex survives until the synthetic vaccine becomes reality. But when Alex's wallet is stolen, Kate's last hope is to get some vaccines from the director of the hospital where she works. Will she succeed? "The Returned" is among the best zombie movies with a dramatic and credible story and outstanding direction and performances. The behavior of the human beings feeling despair for the situation with beloved ones is impressive and realistic. The dark conclusion is predictable but also perfect. My vote is eight. Title (Brazil): "Retornados" ("Returned")

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• This horror made me cry.

  supatube2014-03-12

  This movie was amazing. Right off the bat I will point out that IMDb list the genre as Drama/Horror/Thriller and that is exactly what it is. First and foremost it is a Drama. It's very sad and pulls at the right heart strings, which is a first coming from a Horror movie, as I shed a few tears. Mainly because the story touches on a very heavy subject matter in the most palatable way - euthanasia. Whether by ones own hand or another, when is that time to end it because of an incurable situation? How does one say goodbye? And is that just giving up? This film, to some degree, was reminiscent of "Outbreak" where there is an advancing disease, a sad love story, slight doses of action and a scary animal that spreads the disease. However, "Outbreak" was far more literal, not nearly as clever and did not go to the depths that "The Returned" went to. We could make the comparison that the zombie spread is an allegory for HIV. Some might say it is twenty years too late and the stigma is different, those individuals are usually negative because the personal stigma is still attached to those who are positive. So the HIV analogy is more personalised in "Alex", played by Kris Holden-Reid, as a man living with the virus, controlling it and medicating everyday to prevent the virus from taking over. No cure, just a managing program. The film takes the idea of a man living on ARV's to control his condition to that of an 'entertaining' zombie story which, often allows the viewer to think more about the symbolism as apposed to forcing the truth down ones throat. We could focus on the politics where some people are ill and those that are not are so overwhelmed with fear they react to exterminate. Should they be allowed to protect themselves to such a degree? Is extermination an option in terms of preservation? And should the sick live in fear? But it provides a volatile backdrop to the story at hand, creating tension and supplying character motives. The gem of this story is the relationship between "Alex" and "Kate" that only intensifies as the story progresses. It's the new age, grundge version of "Dying Young" where cancer is replaced with zombies and the refusal to go on chemo is replaced with a protein shortage but the love and resistance to say goodbye and let go is the same. This film was unexpected, and I loved every moment it made my brain wheel rotate. 8/10

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