Since I’ve got my Netflix subscription a couple of years ago, the amount of horror I watch has been steadily growing, simply because it’s my favourite background “noise” when I do scientific research (I know, academics are a weird bunch). Most of the time the offer is nothing worth a mention and even less a review (also because it’s pretty much copycat stuff – more about it in a future post) but once in a while I stumble upon something that attracts a blip of interest. The Rezort – also dubbed Jurassic Park Z – is one of them, and the moniker full applies – because this is pretty much what it is, downfall included.
But let’s go with order. This is the movie synopsis (from Rotten Tomatoes): “DAY ONE: RELAX. DAY TWO: HUNT. DAY THREE: RUN. Following a near-apocalyptic zombie outbreak, humans are once again in control. If an occasional rogue zombie finds its way into everyday life, it is quickly disposed of by the authorities. In this day and age, people know how to handle “Zee’s”. The latest craze is the Zombie Safari – Zafari – a chance to go out and shoot the un-dead in the wild. The ultimate blood sport experience, and for many the ultimate therapeutic revenge following the losses su!ered during the outbreak. Little do the vacationers realise they’re actually in a highly controlled environment, where the zombies are always kept at a safe shooting distance. Nothing is left to chance, nothing is unplanned.”
Good things about the movie: the concept – interesting – and a gripping start, one that manages to glue you to the screen. 
Then the scene abruptly changes, and swoop down to what happens a few years later and that constitutes the main story, protagonists included.
So far, so good. But here the BS factor starts sipping in – unfortunately, I must add – and you end up with unrealistic side characters and even ludicrous episodes. One of the zombies, for example, allegedly recognises somebody she has already seen and goes for a vendetta. Problem is, the whole point of being a zombie is that you have no longer a functioning brain. So, the whole thing doesn’t hold, and it detracts to the overall credibility of the story.
Moreover, some of the zombie-hunters are so obnoxious that you find yourself rooting for the other side. Yes, because the impavid hunters actually shoot and even harass zombies that can’t fight back. Guess what, the poor bastards are in chains – and this is the moment you actually start wanting them free, reasonably famished and rightly furious, like a pack of caged velociraptors.
Do I recommend The Rezort? It depends. If you are a die-hard zombie fan and have religiously watched all Walking Dead seasons, yes, definitively. Otherwise you may well give it a pass.
Here’s for the official trailer, while a good review has appeared on Fangoria, Toronto After Dark festival.