‘When the undead can evolve, no-one is safe’
Extinction – formerly known as Welcome to Harmony – is a 2015 Spanish-French-American-Hungarian science-fiction horror film directed by Miguel Ángel Vivas from a screenplay co-written with Alberto Marini. It should not be confused with the found footage dinosaur film with the same title.
Cast:
Matthew Fox, Jeffrey Donovan, Quinn McColgan, Valeria Vereau, Alex Hafner and Clara Lago.
Release:
The film was released on July 31, 2015 in the United States.
Plot:
After a virus turns people into zombies, a small group of survivors seek refuge in a snow-covered town, believing the virus and all of its monstrous creations had died out. But they only discover the infected had adapted to the environment change, for the worse…
Reviews:
“Director Miguel Ángel Vivas tries to add a family-drama twist to an otherwise standard survival story, but the characters aren’t complex enough (and the secrets aren’t explosive enough) to elevate this beyond a basic zombie flick.” Devan Coggan, Entertainment Weekly
“More filmmakers should treat the zombie subgenre as allegorical, the way George A. Romero intended. But Extinction and Maggie both arrive at the same conclusion about fatherhood, thereby confirming it as a cliché rather than a coincidence.” Martin Tsai, Los Angeles Times
“Extinction stumbles in its efforts to evolve beyond a simple, bloody tale of the zombie apocalypse. Its narrative leans toward the untenable side of melodrama and pushes viewers away when it should be pulling them in for a suspenseful finale.” Rob Hunter, Film School Rejects
“Director Miguel Angel Vivas (Kidnapped) fails to bring any visual flair to the sluggishly paced proceedings, and the CGI effects prove less than convincing. Fox and Donovan, who did far better work on their respective TV shows Lost and Burn Notice, are unable to breathe much life into their stock characters, with the former seeming particularly uncomfortable in his largely non-action role. Far better is child actress McColgan, delivering a well-rounded, naturalistic performance.” Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter
” …at its best moments competent, at its worst risible and downright silly. It very much feels like it’s trying too hard to be a grand and serious work while at the same time using some of the most hoary and overripe tropes of the genre to make its points. Maybe these cinematic elements can never die as they keep coming back again and again. Maybe that is the central ironic conceit of Extinction.” Jason Gorber, Twitch
