Sunlight floods the vast, sweeping Australian Outback, the landscape like an abstract artwork from atop. But in the midst of the raw desolate beauty of the inlands rises a new species: the undead.
“Cargo,” from the producers of “Babadook” and which premiered at this month’s Tribeca Film Festival, is an unconventional zombie movie, employing more familial drama than horror-suspense. It’s reminiscent of “A Quiet Place,” where the film immediately opens to a post-apocalyptic world and quickly unveils as a survivalist drama.
No explanation of the origins of the “virus.” But we know from the emergency zombie-attack kits scattered about that the pandemic has been going on for a while now. Andy (Martin Freeman) and wife Kay (Susie Porter), with their baby Rosie, are some of the few left behind, surviving by looting abandoned living spaces.
When Kay gets bitten, it’s a tragedy. But when Andy gets infected, too, it’s the start of a frantic journey to protect Rosie (played by adorable twins Lily Anne McPherson-Dobbins and Rosie Marlee Jane McPherson-Dobbins), a baby that you instantly fall in love with at first sight.
In “Cargo,” the infected do not immediately turn. They’ve got 48 hours left, going through stages of the disease and showing brutal, fascinating symptoms, rendering the movie a semi-medical suspense à la “Outbreak.”
A social commentary on greed and exploitation through the abominable Vic (Anthony Hayes), a character worse than the unthinking zombies—plus the inclusion of Aboriginal culture and the state of the Indigenous people in times of Doomsday—provides a thicker emotional layer to an otherwise overused horror genre.
The heart of the film is its emotional weight. As the dying Andy carries Rosie on his back, along with the helpful Aborigine girl, Thoomi (Simone Landers), it’s a heartbreaking sight. Freeman, although struggling with the Aussie accent, connects emotionally with his expressive, vulnerable countenance.
“Cargo” is overall a beautifully restrained and sophisticated drama, more substantial than the current fares at the cineplex. It may not be a groundbreaking horror, but it thrills and twists the heart.
3.5 out of 5 stars
Now streaming on Netflix (premiered May 18, 2018)
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