Over the last couple of years, zombie movies have emerged to become the next big thing in the movie industry.
Today, if you want to grab more public attention, all you’ve got to do is to get a bunch of creative guys to create some visual effects and design a horror looking walking cadaver.
Yes, good visual effects and walking cadaver helps in the creation of zombie movies, but what differentiates a good zombie movie from a bad one is the emotional trigger.
A high-quality zombie movie doesn’t just showcase walking cadaver, but it tells a story — a good story that lets the audience connect at an emotional level.
The audience has to feel and live in the moment. There should be an attention spike every step of the way. And you’d do this in such a way that would make them believe the story you’re telling.
Here’s where Cargo comes into play.
Cargo isn’t just another movie that displays some excellent visual effects and great cosmetics, but it tells an intriguing story — a story that would make you have a rethink about life, family, and love.
This Netflix show is redefining the creation model of zombie movies. And the creators did a fantastic job at adding some good twist everywhere in the film.
Cargo — The Cast
Directed by Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke, Cargo isn’t just another movie with good enough actors. The film has a group of creative and high-end actors.
Some of the notable actors in the movie include Martin Freeman (as Andy Rose), Anthony Hayes (as Vic Carter), Caren Pistorius (as Lorraine Cassidy), Kris McQuade (as Etta), Susie Porter (as Kay Caine), David Gulpilil (as the Clever man, Daku), Simone Landers (as Thoomi), Bruce Carter (as Willie), and Natasha Wanganeen (as Josie).
With these lines of actors, you’re sure of having a great TV show time.
Cargo — The Story
Here’s the spoiler you’ve been waiting for…
Cargo tells the story of a dad and his little daughter on their quest to find safety and freedom in a world dominated by zombies.
Just like most movies in the zombie genre, Cargo shows a world that’s infected by a virus. And anyone who contracts the virus would be transformed into a zombie within 48 hours.
The Rose family, comprised of Andy and his wife Kay with their little daughter Rosie are relatively safe from the outside world.
However, things changed by a series of dramatic events as Kay became infected with the virus.
Discovering the infection status of his wife, Andy sets out with his family in search of a cure for the virus.
As they wandered around, the issue became complicated — and through a series of thrilling events, Kay became fully transformed into a zombie while the turned Kay bites Andy.
Here’s the thing… the creators of Cargo tried to add the spice of urgency into the movie. And with the infection of Andy, the usual tempo of the film changed.
Everything became a race against time as Andy launched out to find a safe place for his infant daughter and probably get a cure for himself.
On his long and arduous quest to find a safe place for his little daughter, Andy met dozens of other healthy humans like Thoomi, Etta, Vic, Lorraine, and lots of other people.
Aside from the Rose family, other people are still living free from the virus — and you’d encounter them in the course of the movie. Most of these people live as small tribes and kinsmen.
Thoomi, a member of a small tribe excludes herself from her tribesmen to secure her turned father (a zombie). Her actions led to her separation from her mother who was actively searching for her.
On his quest to find a haven and a cure for his infection, Andy met Etta.
Andy nurtured the thought of handling Rosie over to Etta, but Etta persuaded him to keep on with his journey without leaving his daughter behind.
Still, on the journey, Andy met with another team — Vic and Lorraine. And their encounter quickly turned sour.
Vic and Lorraine who were cohabiting in a shelter formed a partial productive partnership with Andy which was short-lived. During this short period, they embarked on a brief rampage where they killed dozens of zombies and recovered valuable items from these creatures.
Vic had a unique system of capturing zombies. Usually, he would cage healthy humans and use them as a bait to attract zombies.
His tactics of capturing zombies didn’t settle down well with Andy. And this uneasiness becomes more pronounced when he saw Thoomi in Vic’s cage.
By a series of unfortunate events, Andy was also locked up in Vic’s cage, but he worked out an escape plan with Thoomi — They worked their way back to the shelter where Vic shoots at them. And in the process, Lorraine was killed.
The next morning, Thoomi searched for her zombified father and found him dead. Though the discovery caused little tension between her and Andy, they continued on their quest as one unit.
Things got kind of weird when they met a family of four — the father offered Andy a revolver after he has used it to kill himself and his family.
Several events played out as Andy nursed the thoughts of taking his life with the revolver. This time, Thoomi was able to dissuade him from such suicidal thoughts.
The creators added spice of surprise as Andy and Thoomi reencountered Vic in a train tunnel. The two men fought, and Vic was able to get hold of the revolver. Armed with the weapon, he shot Andy.
Now, Andy’s time is running out, and he’s at the brink of his transformation. With the little time left, he got a verbal assurance from Thoomi that his little daughter Rosie would be safe. Afterwards, he prepared for his transformation and life as a zombie.
Towards the end of the movie, Thoomi caught up with her mother who was marching with the Aboriginal warriors. Finally assured of his daughter’s safety, Andy was killed and put out of his misery.
The movie had an emotional ending as Thoomi, and her mother inspects Rosie and read a Thank You inscription on her stomach.
Cargo — What You Should Know
The zombie genre has been one of the leading genres in the movie industry.
Why?
Because people tend to like and appreciate a touch of misery and horror in a movie.
With a group of creative guys and eye-catching costume, you’d be able to design some creatures that would generate a high number of eyeballs on your show.
However, the zombie genre fell quickly down the lane as more producers and directors seem to repeat the same storyline — a world of chaos infected by a mysterious virus with people running away from zombies for survival.
Furthermore, the spice of creativity and suspense have also faded away in most zombie movies.
Although there are dozens of lapses in this genre, the creators of Cargo did a fantastic job in delivering a movie that not only showcases superb creativity in terms of costume designs, but it also tells a great story.
By watching the Cargo, you’d notice that the story is the hook. And it’s the main feature that’d keep you glued to the show.
Here’s the thing — some may argue that Cargo is a shadow of its mini-movie — but that’s not true.
First, the mini-movie is less than ten minutes long — no depth, no suspense — just a little bit of creativity, good enough storyline, and cool costumes.
Don’t get it wrong — the mini-movie is fascinating. In a little over seven minutes, you’d get to watch a story of a man and his infant daughter as they struggle for survival in a desolate world.
With the full movie, the creators were able to add some little bit of mystery, suspense, rivalry, and depth to spice up the whole action.
Furthermore, you’d see some behavioural science introduced in the movie.
For instance, unlike the zombies in other movies, the zombies (or diggers) in Cargo bury their heads in the sand — This twist is unique as Cargo is the only zombie apocalypse movie to add that twist to their plot.
Conclusion — Is It Worth Watching
Here’s the thing — zombie apocalypse movies are everywhere in the market. But what differentiates Cargo from the rest is the emotional connection you’d get when watching the movie.
The movie doesn’t just showcase some beautiful costumes, but it shows the different behavioural pattern of people.
For instance, Vic has a behavioural complex, and he usually takes valuables from the zombies. His primary motive is to be at the top when things get back to normal.
Furthermore, you’d get to see the gradual yet painful transformation of humans to zombies.
If you’re a zombie lover, and you’d want to have a mix of adventure, mystery, suspense, and thrill, then Cargo is a must-watch.
