Carriers (2009) Reviews

• Decent Thriller

  Raage2009-09-04

  It's hard for me to precisely categorize this movie. Drama? Sure. Thriller? For sure. Horror? Mmm, I don't think so. It's funny, because it's hard not to label the movie horror, seeing as how it deals with a grotesque infection, that spreads worldwide terror and brings civilization to its knees. However, the infected aren't the antagonists here. Once you've been infected, you're basically already dead. Ultimately I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. After reading other comments here, it seems the general consensus is that the pace is too sluggish. I'd have to agree that it was a long 90 minutes, but as someone who is prone to falling asleep during movies, especially after an 8 hour shift, my interest was effortlessly sustained throughout the movie. The production values here are top notch. I was never bothered by bad acting (or at least too bad). The cast fit my tastes, maybe only falling short with Piper Perabo, but that would only be nit-picking. The photography wasn't jaw-dropping, or even slightly innovative, but it was still more than adequate. What actually impressed me most was the writing. There are some real gems in there, but mentioning them would be spoiling some great scenes. I seemed to sense some anti-religious or religious undertones, however I honestly can't decide which. I suppose that's what I liked so much about it, the morality was left quite vague. Anyway, a solid effort. It's possibly lacking some more gore, and action, but that also could have just made it tasteless. I would recommend this to anyone who's a fan of biological horror, but I'd say ultimately you should see it for the story, and not the action.

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• First of all, this is NOT a horror film.

  Mori2009-12-07

  Second this is NOT a zombie film. So don't be fooled by the idiotic marketing of this fine little gem. What this is, is a deliberately paced drama about a group of survivors in a world plagued with a virus that's pretty much killed everyone and the hard decisions they have to make on their way. It could be a companion piece to The Road almost, a sort of prequel set a few years before. While it is "slow" it only clocks in about 84 minutes which is far too short in my opinion and I wanted more really. Something tells me that the film was originally much longer but cut down by the producers to please the teens who all seem to hate it anyway. Good film, crap marketing.

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• Not a horror film???

  weasl-729-3106822016-08-02

  Warning, Spoilers ahead! Please don't read this if you haven't enjoyed the film yet. Several reviewers have said this is not a horror flick, but I have to disagree strongly. Leaving a good man and his sick daughter behind because she had to pee? Shooting a couple old ladies because they wouldn't give you their gas because they were just trying to survive too? Kicking your own infected girlfriend out on the side of the road to almost certain death? Mind, she became infected because of overwhelming compassion for a sick child. Then, if that is not enough, the younger brother character (Danny) must ultimately shoot his, admittedly repellent older brother character (Brian). And all of these terrible acts are committed by normally law- abiding people who would not dream of doing anything close unless their very lives depended on it? I imagined myself in the situation with my own little brother. How much horror do you people want? This film delivers a boatload if you can drum up a modicum of empathy. That said, it is certainly more of a thinking person's movie than your average slasher fan's.

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• Frightening In Its Timing

  Kashmirgrey2009-10-24

  We are warned that the rules are simple: 1. Avoid populated areas at all costs. 2. If you come in contact with other people, assume they have it. 3. The virus can survive on surfaces up to 24 hours so never touch anything that is not disinfected. 4. The sick are already dead and they cannot be saved. Easy enough, huh? A deadly avian flu pandemic has swept across the country leaving a multitude of bodies in its wake. Two bothers, Danny and Brian, along with their female companions, Bobby and Kate, are making a beeline across country to the west coast where they hope to find solace from a world in rotting decay. It's along the way, however, that they are confronted with their worst horrors: making moral choices in a world void of conscience. If loving your loved ones meant cracking the seal and becoming vulnerable to a diseased death, could you do it or would you opt for life and cast those you hold dear aside? At first take, the question seems like a no-brainer, however Carriers complicates the question in an uncomfortable manner. It's a game of fetch and flinch in a dog eat dog world. An unnerving and powerful film, Carriers is not legendary, but it does leave a nasty bite... That is, if you begin to dwell too long on its suggestions. It is timely in its sting, what with H1N1 and bird flu and evils scarcely whispered behind closed doors away from the prying lick of government ears. My only major complaint is its rather relatively short length. I wish it would have "digressed" deeper.

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• How do you survive when there's no one around?

  moviesleuth22010-01-04

  Despite its premise, "Carriers" is not a zombie movie (there is a hint that this may be a possible outcome of the unspecified disease, but it's quickly dropped). It's not even a horror movie. There are a few tense moments, but overall, the film is a tragedy. Four young people are traveling together after most of humanity is wiped out after an unexplained outbreak of a fatal, and highly contagious disease: Danny (Lou Taylor Pucci), a would-be Yale student, if it weren't for the epidemic, his brother Brian (Chris Pine), who's a self-proclaimed jerk, Brian's girlfriend, Bobby (Piper Perabo), and another friend, Kate (Emily VanCamp). They're all trying to get to the beach where Danny and Brian vacationed together as kids. To do that, they're following three of Brian's rules: The infected are already dead, and they can't be helped. Always wear a mask around the infected. Wipe anything down that the infected have touched within the last 24 hours. "Carriers" is interesting because it explores something that movies of this ilk leave as an afterthought: how would you function when society has completely vanished? No government, no jobs, no politics? The only rule here is to survive at any cost. It's an interesting question, and film-making brothers Alex and David Pastor pose a few interesting conclusions. The acting is solid, although the characters are only as interesting as the actors who play them. Chris Pine is making a name for himself as the guy who's a complete dick on the surface, but with a heart underneath. Think the beginning of his performance in "Star Trek" taken to the next level. Lou Taylor Pucci, who burst onto the indie film circuit with his performance in "Thumbsucker" (unseen by me), is also good as the brother who is straddling the line between compassion and selfish survival. Piper Pearabo is good as Bobby, whose compassion for others can get her into trouble. Unfortunately, Emily VanCamp, who was terrific in "Black Irish," doesn't have much to do. Special note has to go to Christopher Meloni, who manages to tug the heart as the father of a sick little girl, and his daughter is adorable as well. The problem with this film is I wanted more. I wanted to see more of the little things that people would do without any rules. The film is a very short 87 minutes, so it had some time to spare. This would allow for some character development, which would make this a lot more effective. It's a movie to watch if it's on TV, or if you're interested in exploring a situation, not a zombie movie.

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