Dr. Adam Vargas (Rubén Guevara) and his neighbor Johnny (Leonidas Urbina) thought shit would be peaceful as fuck in their small town… but a fast spreading virus is coming their way pronto from the strife-torn urban jungles of Venezuela (not to date this review, but this is some timely-ass shit as I write these wicked words).
Anyway, said virus turns people into flesh hungry pseudo-zombies (think those featured in Lenzi’s 1980 classic Nightmare City or it’s highly derivative, more well-known kissin’ cousin; Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later) and wouldn’t you know it; our heroes find themselves balls deep in Zombietown as they set off across on a fright filled journey to retrieve Vargas’ son from his grandmother’s house!
So, as you can imagine, Infection drops us into some very familiar terror territory; we get our (kinda) zombie apocalypse, a small group that tries to survive the hungry hordes… hell, we even get pointed social commentary ala George A. Romero’s walking dead oeuvre.
That’s not to say that there is nothing to praise with this one; especially in the world building department. Unlike a lot of pictures in this crowded genre, Infection follows the rise of the plague in question as we see just how this horrible happening begins, and how it spreads, all presented in an effectively measured slow-burn pace. This extra depth makes the unbelievable disease seem very plausible, while reality makes it’s spread seem like just another Tuesday (again, as I am writing this we are balls deep in corona craziness).
As for that social commentary mentioned up yonder, that adds to the realism department too, as Venezuela is presented in it’s decaying, graffiti strewn, politically unsure reality in gritty detail… which makes the corpses and chaos seem like the logical next step in the evolution of current events in the country.
While not a re-invention of the wheel, Infection nevertheless offers some solid “zombie” apocalypse-style fun, as well as offering something with a tad more gravitas and mythology, and is well worth slappin’ your eerie eyeballs upon!
