A nostalgic pleasure

Rating: 6/10 (15 March 2020)

I remember how fond I was of this one when I first saw it at the cinema and for purely nostalgic and personal reasons it deserves an extra star! It focuses on married couple Elliot and Alma (Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel) and father and daughter Julian and Jess (John Leguizamo and Ashlyn Sanchez) evacuating away from a rapidly spreading plague in which the afflicted are forced to commit suicide. Watching it again years later, it has lost its edge that I remember so well; but there are elements in it that I think still make it worth watching. The premise itself is quite a good one and I think explored pretty well with a very jarring opening sequence and the symptoms of the infected repeating themselves and walking backwards is still quite chilling. It is relentlessly violent at times and I admire that about it; it takes its subject and goes full throttle with it. James Newton Howard produces another memorable and spooky soundtrack; I haven't heard another one quite like it and the main theme has stuck with me all these years! On another watch, I realised just how great Zooey Deschanel is in it; I think it's her best performance and that's saying a lot considering she's good in anything she's in! John Leguizamo's delivery of the line 'Don't take my daughters hand unless you mean it.' still gives me shivers and perfectly encapsulates the desperation and intense mentality everyone would have during an epidemic like this. If you're expecting a good twist or big reveal at the end you'll be sorely disappointed but I think the randomness and mystery of it all is what M Night was going for; personally I didn't mind it but I understand how it may frustrate some viewers. Despite its flaws, it's a pleasure of mine due to the aspects I've mentioned and there are a couple moments of awkwardly delivered dialogue that are hilarious