‘END TIMES’ TAKES THE PANDEMIC & ADDS A TERROR-FUELED ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE TO THE MIX IN THIS NEW HORROR MOVIE
Zombie movies have been a big part of the horror genre for a long time. Thanks to George A. Romero and his “Night of the Living Dead” films, we have a plethora of zombie films inspired by this amazing franchise, and many more continuing to hit the theaters soon. Not only that, apocalypse horror films have been right up there with zombie movies as a popular sub-genre in horror movies. We have had some great ones in the years previously such as “Cloverfield” and “I Am Legend” that have graced our screens. Personally, I love these sub-genres both so much (granted ‘Found Footage Horror’ is top tier in my opinion but these are still way good), so when a new one comes out that blends the zombie and apocalypse horror storylines together, I will be first in line to watch.
Recently I had the chance to watch the zombie apocalypse horror movie “End Times”. The movie stars Jamie Bernadette, Craig Stark, Dominique Swain, Jessica Morris, Kaiwi Lyman, Dan Buran, Sadie Katz, Stefanie Estes, and more very talented people who contributed their acting skills on screen. The movie is written and directed by Jim Towns, as well as by the production company The Asylum (the makers of “Sharknado”). It was produced by Jamie Bernadette, Jim Towns, and Craig Star. The synopsis for this movie is as follows:
“End Times follows a pair of mismatched travelers, Claire and Freddie (portrayed by Jamie Bernadette and Craig Stark), as they try to escape a deadly pandemic that has turned Los Angeles into a zombie-infested wasteland. Claire is a privileged young suburbanite ill-equipped to survive in this hostile new landscape until she meets Freddie, a retired soldier who lost his daughter to the virus. As they travel together to reach the perimeter, Freddie teaches Claire the skills that will enable her to survive, and the uneasy partnership between the two grows into something more akin to a father/daughter relationship. Before they can reach safety, the two will have to escape the brutal gangs, cannibals, cults, and the undead.”
Going into watching this movie I wasn’t sure what to expect. A dystopian end-of-the-world-themed movie with zombies has been done a few times, but I will say shortly after starting my viewing of it I was very impressed at the unique way this movie went on. Right off the bat I was super impressed with the cinematography of this movie. If you have read some of my articles before, I tend to have quite an appreciation for horror movies using their own cinematographic spin on the way that they tell their stories. With this movie in particular, the way that they set up the cinematography was pretty impressive. For the type of movie it is slated as, the cinematography of this movie has a big budget value. It is crisp, great on the eyes and pulls at my heartstrings as an artistic individual. Each movie is like a blank canvas and the cinematography is the brush strokes you make to really “wow” people with your final product. This movie did that in a way that would make Bob Ross envious.
From start to finish, the movie had this gloomy essence about it that really made you feel the dread and despair of living in this zombie-infested world where there wasn’t much hope for survival. Also, the way that each character was framed when they were on screen was very well done. Some movies can forget the main focal point when it comes to their on-screen actors or even the background actors. With this movie, they didn’t skip a beat to make sure they were focused on the actors in a way that didn’t take away from the focus of the storyline and the world they created. If you are framing your main characters perfectly (this is even more true of course in a horror movie), then you are making sure that your target audience isn’t missing a single cue or those fun “Easter eggs” that directors/filmmakers like to leave for us fans.
Courtesy of Jamie Bernadette’s Instagram (@jamiebernadette)
I was also very impressed with the chemistry and friendship that happens with our main characters Claire and Freddie (portrayed by Jamie Bernadette and Craig Stark). You could tell there was a love and kinship there that wasn’t forced, nor shoved into your face to make sure you were on the same page. Sure, some movies put that friendship or love out there in a very obvious way but the way “End Times” did it felt that it wasn’t your cookie-cutter love/friendship you would typically see on screen. At first, it did clearly seem there were some combative issues with them but with any great story about friendship it has to build over time to make you appreciate the characters you are watching.
I also enjoyed that there was a lot of screen time with the main characters and it didn’t feel too distracting when a side character came into the storyline, nor did it seem forced when they did. This very much has a “The Walking Dead” meets “Last of Us” with a touch of “Zombieland” to it. There is a lot of drama, horror, hardship, and agony that keeps you on the edge of your seat with each passing minute.
Courtesy of Jamie Bernadette’s Instagram (@jamiebernadette)
There is even a plot within the third act that has to deal with a cult trying to create their own Utopia among the devastation that has happened within this zombie-filled world. The cult leader Hayden (portrayed by Kaiwi Lyman) has some weird “Hugh Hefner” "-like environment that he is setting up with him being the only male among a sea of females. Some of them include Breanne (portrayed by Stefanie Estes), Deirdre (portrayed by Sadie Katz), and Stella (portrayed by Jessica Morris) who, among others are his followers welcoming Claire into their lifestyle of praise, pleasure, and welcoming nature of protection from the outside world.
This seems like a typical cult at first with them getting her to drink the so-called “cult Kool-Aide” with talks of love and safety. With this happening it causes Claire and Freddie to cut ties for a bit before Claire realizes that she has made a terrible mistake not continuing on with her protective companion. I really did love this part of the movie, as well as the twist that comes with the cult’s way of “staying pure” from the disease of the outside world. It was pretty intense, tragic, and overall insane.
Not only that, I really did enjoy the parts of the movie with the classic “strong-willed hero type” with the “sidekick in training” aspects when it comes to Freddie helping Claire learn the ways of protecting herself from the living and dead threats that could attack them at any moment. There really are a lot of crazy things that happen along the way that really sucked me into this movie (like I mentioned the cult part of the story and of course there is a very terrifying situation with Claire that could be triggering for some. Fair warning on that but it is still an enjoyable movie) and I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen in the final moments of the movie.
Truly, the final moment of this movie is pretty crazy and (no spoilers of course) a bit of a sad happenstance that was very unexpected. Note to mention, the way they spoke of the way the pandemic turned people into zombies was pretty original and gave that extra sense of real-life terror thanks to COVID-19. It goes without saying that I really enjoyed how this whole movie unfolded. It was a highly intense rollercoaster that made me want to be super attentive so that I didn’t miss a moment of important plot points. This is a high recommendation for me and something I would suggest you watch whether you are a fan of these sub-genres or not.
Courtesy of Joanne J. Chew’s Instagram (@joannejchew)
“End Times” from The Asylum is now available on VOD. Be sure to check this out to prepare for the upcoming Halloween season and make sure you keep up on updates of all things horror, here at Macabre Daily.
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