Chrysalis

Plot synopsis:
In the near future Paris, lieutenant David Hoffman from the European Police is chasing down Bulgarian human trafficker Dimitri Nicolov, along with his police partner and wife, Sarah. During the ensuing shoot-out, Sarah is killed by Nicolov and David is injured. Some time later, David is brought back to active service and given a new partner, Marie, the niece of a high-ranking Intelligence officer. They investigate the body of an illegal immigrant, Tatiana, found with strange marks under her eye from what looks like an eye-lid retractor, and her brain cooked by electrical shocks.
In the meantime, a young woman named Manon, who's been involved in a car accident, is being nursed to health at the hi-tech clinic directed by her mother, Professor Brügen. Manon seems to have issues recovering her memories after the incident. She has also the same marks under her eye.
David and Marie manages to link the dead girl to Nicolov, and one of David's informants tell them where to find him, and that Tatiana had a sister named Elena. A stakeout leads to Nicolov's capture, but once at the precinct the criminal attempts to escape and David is forced to kill him to save Marie's life. However, unbeknown to David, the autopsy reveals that the man was not Nicolov at all, but his twin brother. Later at David's apartment, the real Nicolov shows up and kidnaps him. Nicolov brings David to Brügen, who's revealed to be his accomplice. The machine she's using to help Manon recover her memories is a secret army prototype stolen by Nicolov, a technique called "Chrysalis" that allows to digitize and extract a subject's memory, store it away, or erase it completely.
Nicolov forces Brügen to erase David's memory and then he abandons him on the street as a vengeance for the death of his brother. David's found three days later, with no recollection of any event from his past, including Sarah's death, which was haunting him. Marie is tasked by the chief of police Miller, and by her uncle, to babysit David and try to get his memory back by making him relive past traumas, a method that is known to counter the effects of the machine. This kind of traumatic memory is also what's preventing Manon from completing the process, to her mother's increasing chagrin.
Marie disobeys the orders and chooses to bring David back to speed on the Nicolov case. The two of them end put the pieces together and follow the leads to Chrysalis and the clinic. When she sees David, Professor Brügen is worried their operation will be exposed, and orders Nicolov to take care of him. However, in the ensuing confrontation, David ends up killing Nicolov for good.
In the meantime, Manon has found out the real Manon's badly burned body; she never actually recovered from the car crash, and is kept alive only to allow for her memories to be harvested and transferred into Manon's brain. Shocked, she's going to take her own life by jumping from the top of the clinic's building, but David stops her. He tells her he also lost his memories and identity, but he knows who she is: her name is Elena, Tatiana's missing sister: the trauma she was reliving was of being kidnapped as a replacement for Manon, while the drawings she kept making on her notebook were a part of her past identity.
The situation at the clinic escalates when one Intelligence agent shows up and kills both Brügen and what was left of her daughter. Trying to clean up the mess, he attempts to dispatch David and Marie too, but he's overpowered. The two of them find out the agent, and by extension, the Intelligence, was in cahoots with Brügen and Nicolov, who was former Bulgarian secret service. Marie delivers the file to her uncle, bitterly accepting the inevitable cover-up, but threatening to expose him if any harm should ever incur to her or David. Then she meets with David to say goodbye, as he chose not to restore the painful memories of his old life, and instead to go off the grid with Elena as his protector/father figure.

Tags: suspenseful, violence

Review:
I really enjoyed this film, I was pleasantly surprised.If you are after gratuitous gore, and amazing special effects, then maybe it's not for you.The acting is fairly solid, with a few cringe worthy moments, but over all pretty convincing.
It's a horror flick done right, I was heavily invested in the characters, and felt anxious when they were faced with dangers.This is by far one of the better low budget, apocalyptic films made in recent times, beautifully shot, brooding score, and likable characters.If you liked films like The Road, or Stake land, I think you will enjoy this..
This movie is enjoyable beginning to end.
One of the reviewers complained that it's low budget, and it is, so don't expect a $200 million blockbuster.
It's beautifully shot, well written and acted, suspenseful without being too gory, and you actually learn and care about the characters.I watched Chrysalis for the first time in a movie theater, and I could feel and hear the entire audience reacting to the scares and emotional moments.
The character development is real, and one of the things that makes this movie stand out.If you're looking for a post-apocalypse movie that actually feels post- apocalypse, and characters who talk to each other instead of just screaming and running all the time, then you should watch Chrysalis.
Newsflash, this was a low budget movie.I definitely enjoyed the scenery.
But, really, there are only 3 that had to be developed.I couldn't figure out where it was filmed, but it was most definitely a good location to film this movie.
It made me jump at times, which is what a movie of this caliber is supposed to do.
Overall, considering it was a low budget movie, it was well done.
Nice to see that movies of this caliber gets played.
Low Budget film......
This film is horrible, it's amateurish, bad acting, even worse special effect.
Low budget film at it's worst.
I'm not sure what movie the above reviewer was watching, giving it a 9/10.
It seems to be a trend that low budge movies are getting buffered by fan boys and people attached to the film to make it appear to be a quality film.
It's pretty frustrating as a movie watcher to think you are going to watch a quality movie only to end up with this horrible, low budget, low quality movie..
Hey all, Just a quick review here to say, WOW, what an intriguing movie.
I seen the review score prior to watching this movie, which did throw me off a bit and as a result I was quite sceptical before watching.
No 'AAA' Hollywood budget here but credit where credit is due, this movie is worth a watch and more!
If you are looking for suspense, horror, intrigue and a well directed script this is the movie for you In my opinion this is definitely a 7.7/10!!!!
A severely underrated movie, ignore the low scores give it a view, you will not be disappointed!.
I don't know why the hate for this movie I thought it was quite good.
I suspect spamming by insiders and their minions who don't want creative new blood interfering with their gravy train of big budget Hollywood garbage films.
Some elements of The Road and Blair Witch project but with the best post apocalyptic scenes I think I have even seen in a movie.
OK, the zombie thing is getting stale as of 2014 but with Ebola going around this movie is also timely.
I thought acting was good or at least good enough to put you into the scenes with the actors.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I was pleased to discover that this was a pretty decent zombie movie - very well made for a low budget production.
The film revolves around three main characters who are struggling to survive in a postapocalyptic world.
There are certainly parts where the plot drags on a bit, but overall, the story moves along nicely and has an interesting twist at the end.
After a screening of Chrysalis, a friend asked me if I liked the horror film genre.
That question sparked the perfect place to begin this review, because I've never been a genre-specific film-goer.
Generally speaking, though, I don't like modern horror films and tend to avoid them because they're predictable, lack characterization, and celebrate gore more than good writing.
Tension is more important than spectacle.Written by Ben Kurstin and directed by John Klein, the story centers almost exclusively on three characters, Josh (Cole Simon) and Penelope (Sara Gorsky), who are partners, and Abira (Tanya Thai McBride), whom they meet toward the beginning of the film, who promises to lead them to a settlement of people, i.e., relative safety.
Murderous, zombie-like cannibals roam the landscape and are a constant threat.
One of the delights of the plot is the way it unfolds its internal history organically through the characters as they proceed, so I won't spoil the details here.Chrysalis is remarkable in that it stridently avoids the pitfalls of its genre.
In this way, it reminded me less of a zombie movie and more of The Grey, in which a pack of wolves pursue a band of plane crash survivors.
But, since it will be classified as a "zombie movie," it's refreshing to report that the cannibals in Chrysalis aren't monsters; they're human.
This is how zombie-type characters are used best, when they force us to examine what makes us human.The the sense of dread is established early in the film, and the story maintains it throughout, growing it, nurturing it, so that the moments of action become cathartic payoffs.
Impressively, the action has consequences when it does come, which is unheard of in most horror films.
Much of the violence happens out of frame and is sold through context and sound effects, which allows the audience to manufacture far more evocative images than special effects could.The heart of this movie is a touching love story.
Josh and Penelope move together seamlessly in the way only a couple that has been together a long time can.
The genius of the film is that the audience is allowed the time to ally with Josh and Penelope and their struggle before Abira is introduced, so that we empathize with their curiosity and their caution.
Establishing and tracking shots, like a beautifully composed vista, or an intimate, dripping still life, let the crumbling buildings and exposed rebar swallow the characters whole.
This is a beautifully shot film whose images linger long after the lights come up..
I was more than surprised by the quality of this movie, especially when I found out the previous title was "Battle Apocalypse." I'm glad they changed it to Chrysalis, because a serious drama benefits from a serious (and not overdone) metaphor.
I don't have any real complaints - this isn't an action or horror film, though action and horror both play a part.
This is a very human film, driven around the nuances of character and relationship, and to boot is much more hopeful than most of the post- apocalyptic genre.
I'm very glad I saw this movie, and hope the filmmakers make many more.Much more solid and assured than most indie films, this might be the best one I've seen at any film festival..
Good story, great scares, INCREDIBLE cinematography!.
A friend highly recommended Chrysalis to me and based on the trailers I had extremely high expectations (especially since I'm a fan of The Walking Dead and pretty much all zombie movies), but I was not disappointed!
I didn't even make it two minutes into the movie before I had to rewind and re-watch the opening scene again because it was just so cool.
And of course it made me jump (it wouldn't be a zombie movie without at least a few of those good scares).
I'd love to see more of his movies.But the best part of Chrysalis was absolutely the look of it.
Didn't seem like a low-budget indie film at all with all the different shots and the way they were cut together.
The whole movie has a really beautiful, artistic feel to it, especially a point near the end that I won't spoil here, but that you'll definitely know when you see.
I felt transported into the mind of one of the characters, like I could see exactly what they were seeing and feel what they were feeling in that moment.
Perfect Balance/Human story/Realistic Zombie Bashing w/o Gratuitous Gore.
Had to review this film since the rating is so much lower then it deserves to be.The quality of this independent lower budget movie is absolutely OUTSTANDING.
The cinematography, editing, sound, score, to the acting and special effects are close to ga-zillion dollar budgeted Hollywood films.It may be considered slow paced by some,(this movie is more along the lines of the film "The Road") It was perfect for me.
I good human story in the setting of apocalyptic survival.
With characters I cared about mixed in with some really good zombie monster bashing, without gratuitous gore.
At the end have you told a story or have you mainly filmed people running around a warehouse?
There are some OK scenes if all you want is to see people running away from zombies through a warehouse.
Myself, I would like a bit of story with that.
At the end of the movie no story has been told.
Watch it if you like post-apocalyptic films.
I only write reviews of movies with low rating, which actually are not that bad.
Give them a chance!I didn't expect much of this movie, and at the end I realized it is just as I expected - watchable low-budget movie about apocalypse.
I like movies about apocalypse and post-apocalypse, so that is the main reason why I watched it.
If it was other genre, I would probably quit, but I managed to stay awake till the end.This is not a great film, it is slow and boring sometimes, but if you like post-apocalyptic movies you might enjoy it.
Story is OK, nothing special, but yet different than other similar movies.
Three survivors of a zombie/infected apocalypse find themselves holed up in an old, abandoned building - zero marks for originality!
This film is as much a drama as it is horror, a lot of the running time focuses on the relationships & interactions between the three.
Many zombie fans will feel short changed.
Having said that there is some zombie action, plus a brief sex scene to liven things up (nice hooters!).
Three survivors of a zombie style apocalypse are holed up in a large, abandoned building.
This film focuses more on the relationships & interactions of the three rather than the infected, so is as much a drama as it is horror.
Your typical zombie fan will feel somewhat short changed.
This Z-Apocalypse movie is a lot better than most of the other low budget films in the genre.
(The first time I saw this film was a few years ago when IMDB still had message boards, and the comments being left kinda ticked me off as they really were undeserved).
The film starts with a young couple trying to get by in a desolate environment.
They come across another survivor and slowly all hell starts to break loose, but the movie ends on a satisfying tone.
It's not perfect, but as someone who has seen hundreds of zombie films, I appreciate movies that try to do something a little different than the typical "run for your life" theme in this genre.
If you're looking for adrenaline and explosives, this is not that film.
Very good zombie movie that brings in new ideas for the genre.
The beginning was a little slow, but because the film was rich in characterization, that's gonna happen.
I have to say that if you're looking for a movie with zombies, zombies everywhere, this isn't it.
This has zombies, walkers, biters, infected, whatever you want to call them, but the main focus is the character development.For low budget - according to IMDb.com, it cost $35,000, they did a great job on making the sets look like they are from an apocalypse.
I've seen movies with much bigger budgets that had much worse results, so give this one a try.
There wasn't a weak link in the acting, writing or directing IMO, except the one sex scene, which was kinda out of place and unnecessary, but the girl did have nice breasts.
Just that it took away the feeling of urgency that they had for getting out of that place.The actors all looked like the world sat on them and kicked them to the side of the road, and that's how they should appear since it's an apocalyptic situation.
When Abira was asked if she'd eaten, her response was "Today?" Showing that eating every day was not a usual event for these characters.Towards the end, Abira tells Josh and Penelope that the zombies are chasing them because of her.
However, I don't know why the zombies wanted her over anyone else.
That needed a bit more explaining.And no, I had nothing to do with this movie other than being an audience member.Many zombie movies are done in an action-adventure way, like Dawn of the Dead.
If that's your speed for zombie movies, then this probably won't be for you.
However, if you like movies that - again - are rich in character development, along with some zombie moments that are scary, you should give this a try.
I don't think anything touches The Walking Dead in the zombie genre, another that does great character development, but this doesn't try to.
They simply had a story to tell, and I think they did a great job telling it.As an indie-movie maker wannabe, I have a ton of respect for those who have a story, are willing to chase their dreams, and do what they can to bring those dreams to life on film.
One thing I didn't like about the film was the title.
I understand what they were getting at, because I assume they named it after the Chrysalis butterfly, but they should've given it a catchier name that has to do with zombies or an apocalypse.
Seems Like A lot Of People Didn't "Get" This Film..
Chrysalis is an intriguing little low budget horror that manages a different sort of twist on the traditional zombie tale...which is not such an easy feat, considering the saturation of the sub-genre these days.
Canned food and ammunition ran out long ago...and survivors are beginning to dwindle.We find ourselves following a relatively young couple (which is pertinent because of how far into the aftermath we are)- Josh & Penn- who have been on their own, scavenging, for some time.
The guy get's bitten on his way in, and is forced into exile (before he turns); but they bring in the woman, and share what little food they have with her.This woman- Ariba- tells them that she is trying to rendezvous with her group that had been forced to split up; and also recounts a story about how she was born amidst the onset of "the infection" (as they call it).Turns out she was also bitten at one point.
She still seems to be infected, though it hasn't yet turned her or made her zombie insatiable.This is where the twist comes in...--SPOILER--...apparently she is in some way acting as a lure for the zombies- whom are drawn to her like moths to a flame.
In the end, not only are they drawn to her via some sort of pheromone or something...but she also seems to be the SOURCE of the infection...or at least it's cause...as if it was divinely sanctioned for her to perish, as her survival rendered it necessary to unleash a zombie apocalypse upon the world to take her out...or something like that.
Kinda hard to say, as you are left to piece together the details for yourself.This film essentially relies on it's locations, which make perfect backdrops for 25 years into the zombie apocalypse.
This allowed the whole thing to retain a polished quality on what was clearly a low budget.
The gore is limited, and the action sparse, but that plays into the storyline- as they have set it up.My only beef with this film would be that it didn't offer any explanation as to why one person's death would stave off a 25 years running zombie apocalypse.
It would have made the ending feel less forced.That being said, however, it's not a terrible film for what it is.5.5 out of 10..
Enjoyable, low-budget horror/zombie flick.
The budget was probably minuscule and they made do without all the flashy effects and gore that seem so prevalent in what passes for horror movies these days.What you get for your time is a character study.
Josh, Penelope and Abira are a simple group of survivors just trying to stay alive.
Yet despite this simplistic plot, the story remains interesting throughout.Admittedly, the ending was rather inevitable, but it was still entertaining nonetheless.If you're looking for The Walking Dead, or something similar to Romero's movies, you'll be disappointed.
Lower your expectations and just enjoy it for what it tries, and succeeds, to be - a small tale set against a larger backdrop.EDIT: So, this movie has been re-titled Battle Apocalypse (which is a really lame title, to be honest) and given a DVD release.
Nothing could be further from the reality of this film and it is disappointing to see them trying such a marketing tactic just to sell a few lousy DVDs.SUMMARY: Worth a watch if you're tired of 'save the world' heroes doing impossible things and surviving impossible odds.
I think there's a lot of talent wrapped up in "Chrysalis" that has yet to flower, but I can only recommend it to genre completists and followers of low budget indies.