Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead *** (2014, Jay Gallagher, Bianca Bradey, Leon Burchill) – Movie Review

Jay Gallagher stars as resilient mechanic and family man Barry. whose life is torn apart on a zombie apocalypse. Bianca Bradey plays his exceedingly tough sister Brooke, who is kidnapped by a team of sinister gas-mask-wearing soldiers and then experimented on by a psychotic doctor (Berynn Schwerdt).

Barry teams up with fellow survivor Benny (Leon Burchill) to battle through hordes of flesh-eating monsters in the harsh Australian bushland to stay alive and find Brooke.

Co-writer director Kiah Roache-Turner’s Aussie movie is splatter and laughs all the way, as the humans try to tackle the might of the evil living dead. Some of it is amateurish, in the best sense, and some of it is hilarious.

It’s all pretty well done, on what must be a low budget, and moved along fast and (disreputable) fun. It’s a welcome addition to the ranks of hit zomcoms. It looks like they must had a ball making it, and audiences can have a hoot, too.

There’s not much acting required but the performers do have to know how to raise and time their laughs, which they do perfectly. Roache-Turner  gets the tone just right, the other essential ingredient. It is quite nasty and disgusting in places, of course.

The movie took four years to finish as director Kiah Roache-Turner, co-author Tristan Roache-Turner, cast and crew could only work at weekends.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Movie Review

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