BY RICH CROSS
The makers of no-budget zombie road-movie Strain 100 seem to have a very specific target demographic in mind: anti-vaxers, preppers, oddball conspiracists and supporters of the US gun lobby. While the film’s sensibilities might appeal to some within that niche audience, it’s unlikely that this carelessly executed movie will convince many flag-waving enthusiasts of its virtues.
A romantic camping trip for two couples turns into a bloody nightmare when reanimated cadavers attack. The film’s heroine, Jessie, soon learns that a government-backed flu vaccination programme has infected all recipients with a virus that turns them into zombies. Fleeing for her life with a rag-tag group of other survivors, Jessie encounters other humans battling to stave off the undead hordes. Along the way, many succumb to zombie predation as the body count multiplies. The production values of Strain 100 are woeful, with crude CGI taking the place of most physical effects, while both the lighting balance and sound mix are frequently skewed. Indie-movie fans are often willing to forgive such technical shortcomings when a cheaply-made film delivers in other areas. But that’s not the case here. In the third act, the plot is put on hold to make screentime for real-life YouTube and Instagram firearms fetishists to demonstrate the wisdom of owning a lot of guns (albeit within the fictional veneer of the movie). Things then lurch towards an abrupt non-ending that’s followed by a risible tacked-on coda.
It is possible to make exciting, small-scale zombie flicks which compensate for the lack of money through astute production choices, believable characters and an intelligent script. The producers of Strain 100 show no aspiration to attempt anything as demanding as that.
STRAIN 100 is available now on streaming platforms in the UK and US
