Exit Humanity – (Screamfest) Review

Writer/Director John Geddes leads us straight into the real-life horrors of a bloody Civil War battle, immediately setting the stage for his film, Exit Humanity. The story jumps to six years later as war vet Edward Young arrives home after a hunting trip to find his son missing and his wife has been turned into a walking dead. Edward is forced to kill his wife, then sets out in search of his son in treacherous, zombie-infested woods.

Authenticity is one of the main strengths of Exit Humanity. The forest setting provides beautiful texture and the chilly, wet climate gives the solid cast of actors an honest setting to work from. Present day is beautifully tinted in dull sepia tones while the flashbacks depicting happier times with Edward and his wife and son are brighter and more colorful. The film is anchored in realism, so when the zombies enter the picture, we feel more for Edward and his newfound “family”.

Another standout is the animated sequences beautifully rendered by animator Snezhan Bodurov. The narrative divides into “chapters” of Young’s journal, each with a beautifully animated-drawn graphic and title by Bodurov reminiscent of the animated titles in Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes. A handful of sequences are also animated, giving the film a varied palette of visuals as we see these scenes through the sketch artist eyes of Edward Young.

Actor Mark Gibson’s portrayal of Young is strong and for the most part, heartbreaking. His isolation living in the home surrounded by the memories of his family leads him to capture one of the walking dead and learn what makes these creatures tick. Gibson performs many scenes on his own and we connect with his isolated soul.

In fact, the whole cast is impeccable. Adam Seybold’s Isaac is the first non-zombie that Edward befriends and Jordan Hayes plays Emma the woman who captures Edward’s heart. Dee Wallace plays Eve, the mysterious backwoods witch who holds a secret to the mysterious zombie plague.  Bill Moseley’s General Williams is a crazed ex-Confederate general leading a small band of soldiers hell-bent on finding a cure for the plague by whatever means necessary and Stephen McHattie is his grumbling accomplice, Medic Johnson. The intriguing narration by Brian Cox captivates, as a descendant of Edward Young reading from his journal.

“It’s a very personal story to me and we made this film on a microbudget with literally a group of best friends,” stated writer/director John Geddes as he introduced the screening. What Geddes has crafted with little budget is in fact rich with heart and stands on its own not only as an effective historical drama, but as one of the more memorable, sweeping films in the zombie genre that I’ve seen in years.

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