User reviews

Having watched many zombie films of all different types over the years, I am happy to say that Wyrmwood is an interesting take on the genre. I can't say too much about why I like this film and I would suggest going into it without doing much research into it.

What I will say is that there is a decent amount of action and some very unique and creative twists on the zombie phenomena. Some of these work better than others, though to be fair the film has a somewhat playful dynamic so the unorthodox creative liberties will be appreciated fans who enjoy a bit of silliness.

The bizarre plot devices and comically stoic characters like Frank (Keith Agius) contrast well with the always sombre lead Barry (Jay Gallagher). That said, the character development of Benny is a bit problematic. What starts out as cringe-inducing stereotyping quickly moves to what might be construed as racism. It could be the case that this is an attempt at a deeper social commentary on the genre or Australian film, but that might be a stretch given the overall tone of the film.

The practical effects are decent and the use of CG, while not perfect, doesn't take away from the experience. There are some gory shots but these are nothing that more skirmish viewers wont be able to handle if they are familiar with the genre.

There isn't really too much in the way of character development and the plot is fairly light, but the pacing and the way the film jumps between a couple of different story lines makes the film enjoyable to watch.

One of the things that makes this film stand out is the somewhat surreal and often mysterious cast of characters. It might be the case that the filmmakers left the characters underdeveloped on purpose. Either way the somewhat larger than life characters work well with the overall ambiance of the piece, especially when reflecting on a certain theme revealed by Frank. The Doctor in particular stands out (just how long has it been since the dead started rising again?).

In the end viewers are likely to be left with some unanswered questions, but it is forgivable if we take this to be a slightly different zombie universe than we are used to. Ultimately Wyrmwood is a fun and enjoyable film that will be particularly enjoyable for zombie fans, partially because it unapologetically refuses to be held back by the unspoken rules of the genre.

Although the film is not perfect, I salute the filmmakers for taking some risks and ultimately producing an interesting take on an otherwise tired genre.

Wow! Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead is a glorious achievement for which I send out my thanks and congratulations to all involved. Not only does it deliver 98 minutes of pure, wicked entertainment but manages to do so with uncommon pace, humour, style and energy.

With deft cinematics, competent CGI, solid acting and buckets of gore it has a stand-out quality that's rare and hard to bottle - especially on a modest budget. There are after all few genres that can boast such a catalogue of pure stinkers as can 'the zombie flick.' The storyline isn't necessarily one to explore too deeply but that doesn't really matter. This movie revels in its' own nonsensical journey. Bizarre characters and zombies are hurled at us non-stop, with a side-order of break-neck road chaos and a good few laughs - this viewer was left sated.

Somewhat in the spirit of such splatterfests as Feast (2005) or The Rage (2007), Wyrmwood doesn't take itself seriously but it's abundantly clear that the film making process was. Serious talent is on display here and I for one will be keeping an eye on the Roache-Turners to see what's next.

**geek alert**

As a working photographer myself I must mention the pleasing and somewhat unconventional style of cinematography - particularly the use of wide-angle. I thought the grading, editing and post production generally to be superb. I was surprised and overjoyed to later discover via IMDb that this was in fact shot using the Canon 5D (presumably Mk III). Amazing results. I had presumed this was shot on Reds.

I finished this movie about an hour ago and already I can't wait to see Wyrmwood 2! Great stuff! 7/10

The plot of this movie was very neat and well orchestrated.I felt each one of the characters roles fit perfect.The writers and directors went above and beyond what i felt was a normal movie script and for having no real budget made this well planned movie. Wyrmwood is a good movie if you like a zombie action movie with a actual plot and great camera work.I did enjoy the idea behind the zombies special power and with each person in the crew taking a hit.The use of slow-mo during this movie is well placed and did not take away from the movie and acting at all.Watching this movie with a friend or a loved one is recommended for the laughs.

It was a thrill ride just like Mad Max Fury Road, with a team of strangers teaming up to survive the Zombie apocalypse that's going down. One of the best and craziest Zombie movies I've seen. It's exactly the roller coaster I would expect from the land down under.

Unlike Fury Road, however, the story is lacking. It's not a good ridiculous it's more of a stupid ridiculous

The filmmakers make it seem like the story is unimportant, which is true. No one needs to know why Zombies exist only that they do and Wyrmwood totally goes out there with the genre.

The weak story does not overshadow the amazing action, set designs and costumes in the movie, as well as the ensemble cast.

It was so much fun to watch.

Okay this is the best zombie action I've seen in some of time; whereas The Battery was hip and careful, this is sloppy, has verve and gleefully throws itself around, it has a carpenter's love for things you can build with your hands that I like and just an overall air of messily practical filmmaking in the best spirit of Evil Dead and Braindead that just wants to revel in blood it throws up.

And this means that it doesn't try to make too much sense. A zombie apocalypse has taken place overnight following a meteorite shower, but the mythos is schematic and unserious, we see a few soldiers roaming the countryside in a van and a deranged scientist conducting zombie experiments in the back but this is so we can have these characters roaming around. The notion of a girl who comes to control zombies and emotive moments here and there I could do without.

And New Zealand is the ideal backdrop for the appeal this aimed to have; we see no cities and no cohesive social fabric being torn, there are only roads through sparse New Zealand bush, a garage here, a tunnel there, forests, so it all adds to that feeling of a bunch of young people letting loose with no larger narrative in mind other than the adventure of making up things in the wild.

Creativity here is not intellectual or really concerned with style, or bogged down in somber atmosphere; it is practical and freewheeling, the joy of splashing blood on a floor, slipping on it and filming the goof, what Raimi and Jackson did so well once upon a time. By the end the only fault I see is that they didn't push this gory slipperiness more, that they didn't make the sparse setting more iconic (Evil Dead and Braindead, and really every horror classic, are rooted in extremely memorable space) but this is still horror I endorse.

It's great to see not only the spirit of DIY filmmaking but Ozploitation cinema alive and well in the form of the Roache-Turner brothers (Kiah the director, Tristan his co-writer) blood filled and over the top zombie carnage horror/actioner Wyrmwood: The Road of the Dead, a film that was clearly a labour of love for these aspiring filmmakers and a film that in recent months has grown quite the reputation on the festival circuit that has seen the filmmaking duo well and truly become the next big thing in the local industry.

Filmed from my understanding over a number of years on a budget that was more than likely made up of family, friends and everyone else in between, there is no questioning that this is an unpolished film but at the same time a film that you can't help but appreciate on a level where you understand that the limitations set before the filmmakers failed to derail a film that is at its core a hugely energetic and often fantastically inventive tale. While we all know that the zombie genre of film and TV has virtually been done to (pardon the pun) death over many years Wrymwood has enough OTT ideas, violence and the Aussie humour we all know and love to keep us glued to our zombie guts covered seats for it's pretty quick fire 90 or so minute run time and in an age of films that look to cover up there budgetary flaws it's a joy to see Wyrmwood reveal in its roots.

Every part of Wyrmwood feels as though it could've been made in your backyard and in anything but a negative it gives the overall sense that this is a film that is truly its own beast. It's glorious to see the Roache-Turner brothers use the locales at their disposal to great effort from the wilderness through the "road of the dead" this is a tale that feels Australian and benefits from it while the movies performances range from impressive through to never passing acting school yet it doesn't bring the film down, it in fact brings it to a new level of enjoyable even though what your witnessing is akin to watching a friends high school media production.

With some off the wall ideas (mind controlling zombie hordes, zombie blood as a new source of fuel, just to name a few) and with an impressively constructed yet whole heartedly home grown production Wrymwood is indeed a film in a league all of its own. There are myriad problems with the film, mainly some downright lame scripting and some pretty lacklustre acting but when things click in this blood splattered ride they certainly work to a very high level. On the back of this effort you'd suggest that the Roache-Turner brothers most certainly do have a career ahead of them that hopefully sees them given a much bigger stash of play money that would no doubt see them craft some wickedly inventive and entertaining cinematic moments.

3 pieces of steak to the face out of 5

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It's a good zombie movie if you're into zombie movies.

The plot isn't that great, the girl's magical powers in later scenes was never explained, and that Leon guy was annoying. However, the movie is entertaining.

The zombies are quite strong, fast, and human-to-zombie morph is extremely fast. There's a lot of unnecessary gore. (Gore doesn't make a movie for me personally) Although it didn't add to the film, it didn't subtract from it either.

It's best to just describe this as a morbid roller-coaster ride that most zombie fans will enjoy. It kept my attention all the way through...

WYRMWOOD is a high energy zombie flick from Australia that combines the road movie genre with a classic zombie apocalypse outbreak type horror yarn. It has a little of the verve of VERSUS but in the end I found it quite predictable and a little overwhelming.

What's clear from the outset is that this is one step up from being an amateur film. The look of the zombies is cheap, especially with those Halloween party contact lenses, although there's copious gore to help make up for this. The acting is of a generally poor quality, but the film goes for a semi-serious approach so that doesn't matter too much.

What WYRMWOOD does offer is action in spades. There's barely any plot, just a handful of characters battling both zombies and some sinister scientists bent on human experimentation. None of it made much sense to me, but the director works hard to infuse his film with vibrancy and momentum, and he does succeed in part.

Before the multitude of the crappy zombie movies you've seen lately, back in the day in 1992, Australia was producing a zombie movie that remains cool even today, made by a little known New Zealander called Peter Jackson. It mixed zombies with comedy, original ideas and wacky Aussie characters.

23 years later Wyrmwood is an obvious homage to Braindead, but adding a few elements of its own. The main character, almost a dead ringer for Bruce Campbell in The Evil Dead, is trying to get to his sister's place in the middle of a zombie plague. Not only are there zombies everywhere, but petrol has become not flammable. The only solution: rig a car to the gasses that zombies breath out and make an armored truck running on zombies. Meanwhile, the sister is being captured by sadistic psychopath military types in order to experiment on her.

There are many references to cult films, like The Evil Dead and Mad Max, and the ending of the film leaves a lot of place for sequels. This is not a perfect film, but considering that it is an Australian zombie movie made with unknown actors and probably a low budget, there was no chance it could have been. Instead we are treated to a wonderfully original film, made by people who clearly enjoyed playing with the genre and love the same movies that we do.

Bottom line: more than anything, this is a fun film. If you liked Braindead or The Evil Dead you will like this one as well. It opens an interesting idea, also used in the season finale of Z Nation, of the zombie whisperer. People die or live based on luck more than anything and it is refreshing to see this in an era when nobody ever dies, for fear of antagonizing the viewers. I recommend it, I enjoyed watching the film!

What I like from smaller budget movies are the fact that the cast and directors find different take on a genre.

Without spoiling any part of the movie I will simply sum it up in one sentence.

This movie is like a hybrid child of Mad Max, Shaun of the Dead and Bad Taste.

Don't view this in anticipation of outstanding acting or cinematography , as it doesn't try. This movie is just a fun take on a line of recent zombie flicks.

7/10

If not for the bountiful blood and gore action sequences this movie would be atrocious. It's a fun romp if you keep your expectations low. Mind control over zombies? Think Z-Nation. Zombie nitrus for a speedy get away? Kinda cool idea (although short lived). All in all this is a terrible movie, but sometimes even the bad ones can be a fun watch.

The script comes off as a bit far-fetched at times and some if the CGI is downright comical. However, nothing prepared me for the atmosphere Wyrmwood created. Whoever was responsible for costumes and props did a knockout job, absolute best work I have seen in recent zombie flicks. The sweat poured into minute details makes this film a must see for anyone who enjoys zombie culture. Wouldn't be surprised to see a cult following.

With that said, the script is a little devoid of direction. The director knew what this film was about and didn't try to make it into something it wasn't. You should be ready to sit down and watch characters doing quite literally whatever comes next as a zombie apocalypse unfolds. I didn't recognize a single actor in the film, but I was blown away by the work they put into their roles. You could tell everyone involved just wanted to make a great movie.

Entertaining, exciting, and funny, could not recommend enough.

Wyrmwood is a Aussie take on the popular apocalypse, Zombie genre. It's a very down to earth production, that incorporates a lot of very Australian cultural elements. Mateship (Australian for friendship), plain talking, a love of beer, fast customized vehicles and the handyman, "can do" attitude, are frequently employed in this film.

The zombie action is reasonable and the story line does include some genuine originality. Wyrmwood is, however, somewhat let down by failed attempts at humour, stunted character development and no real direction, in terms of where the story is supposed to lead us. The end result, is a rather disjointed, lifeless film (no pun intended), that leaves you feeling it should have delivered more.

Five out of ten from me.

This is an inventive and darkly humorous zombie film that may turn off some purists who think zombie films should adhere to a set list of rules. But if you like your zombie movies to evolve new styles and have fun with old clichés, then you just might enjoy it. It is gory and over the top with energetic editing, perhaps to a fault. The dialogue is mostly amusing with a few parts that fall flat. The reason why I rated it a 6/10 is because I felt it lost momentum. It had a lot of fun and interesting elements but they didn't come together as a whole as well. The second half of the movie I was less engaged. It's hard to pinpoint exactly the reason, but the characters and the writing are likely the culprits.

When I started watching Wyrmwood I expected a trashy splatter movie. Which I am not a fan of, but the high rating made me curious. I was in for a good surprise. If you can get past the first few minutes without stopping the movie, you will discover that behind the occasionally gory and rather cheap violence it hides an interesting story, likable characters (even the villains) and some really good acting.

I've seen "blockbusters" with more shallow characters than this small 160k $ project. The story features elements of both comedy and horror, reminding me of "The Evil Dead" a bit, but it has its serious moments too.

I read that it's the first movie from Director Roache-Turner and I hope to see more like that in the future. Wyrmwood proves that a movie doesn't have to cost a fortune to keep up with famous competitors.

I hadn't heard of this film when I watched it so had no expectations, but I'm glad I gave it a go as the cast and director have delivered a real treat.

This is the story of Barry and his sister Brooke, battling Zombies and the military in the Australian Bush.

It was only at the end I realised I had no real idea of why the zombies had arrived or why the military were acting the way they were, but this lack of exposition actually made the film a more enjoyable experience, leaving me to enjoy the visuals all the more.

And for me the look and feel of this film is what makes it a cut above most other low budget zombie films out there.

It owes a lot to mad Max in feel, but manages to be it's own story.

One of my pet hates in Zombie films is wooden acting,but here the cast really deliver. I liked the lead characters and wanted to know more.

I'm not a fan of CGI effects when you can notice them and that was the case here with some of the blood but that is just a small thing and may have been down to budget and time

All in all though this was a fun ride and I do hope we I get to see more of Barry and Brooke.

"Wyrmwood" was a tremendous hit at indie-festivals, in horror magazines and on genre websites it's often referred to as the best zombie movie of the past decade, and even around here you'll mainly find user-comments that are almost exclusively favorable. All of the above were additional indicators for me to be even more skeptical. Chances are big it'll be a disappointment, and in my humbly insignificant meaning there already are far too many "unique" zombie movies, anyways.

Throughout the first half of the film, it seemed as if my concerns and skepticism were more than justified. "Wyrmwood" is hardly more remarkable than 99.9% of every zombie movie ever made. The gore-effects are dreadfully computer-engineered, the camerawork is shaky, the editing is rough, etc. All the horrible clichés are present in the screenplay as well. Of course, the hero loses his beloved wife and daughter to the virus outbreak. Evidently, the military is involved and plays a filthy role. And as a matter of course, there are small groups of drinking buddies entrenching themselves in sheds and turn zombie hunting into a sort of sport.

Luckily for them, the undoubtedly devoted creators Kiah and Tristan Roache-Turner manage to come up with a couple of slick and original plot elements that make the rest of the movie more endurable. The undead produce a sort of gas in their mouth that functions as fuel, the survivors go "Mad Max" with an impressively armored truck and the sexy female lead has a sort of telepathic connection with the zombies. It's still not good enough to speak of a horror triumph, but at least it's solid entertainment.

*note: review subject line borrowed from the Dire Straits song "Heavy Fuel".

It was very entertaining indeed. As far as Zombie apocalypse movies go this was quite enjoyable to watch. The effects were good and it kept you guessing along the way as to what might happen next. I love Zombie movies and this was a very decent effort and acting was good as well. The characters were likable and quite funny to watch. Some of the things they do and/or find seemed pretty far-fetched but once you get into it you don't really care just because it was enthralling to watch anyway. Some parts seemed as if it was inspired by the Purge Anarchy but not to a point that you'd mind. If anything it kinda leaves you wanting for some more. I would love to see what happens next!

I didn't know it was a comedy! I wasn't expecting one. So i thought it is one of those zombie action movies like resident evil, all start and end the same but this is way much different. The comic element has given this film a nice edge over the others. Its a film based on a zombie apocalypse, end of the world type situation where some selected few are left, some are good, some are crazy and some are just confused. All of their paths cross each other and the story goes on. There were times when i thought they are just going with it and they do not know what to do after one scene but it catches up in the end. Action scenes are well synchronized with hardcore music and dark comic one liners are all over it. Sure, watch it, its not just another zombie movie.

It was quite refreshing to hear some timely scripted Australian humour coming through in this movie however the storyline development and blunt eradication of some key characters had me feeling genre confused!

The concept of a zombie apocalypse is one we have seen numerous times before. Wyrmwood tackled this with elements of humour, combined with a decent amount of gore as well as a surprising element of drama. This concoction of genres worked well for this film to a certain extent, however too many times in this movie, humorous scenes were followed by soul- searching depressing scenes and I felt that the vibe of the movie as a whole was never really consistent.

We quickly understand that there are two stories being portrayed, one of those who are struggling survivors and one of those who see's the lead female character being held hostage for what appears to be government experiments. We understand what is happening in both stories, however I feel like the back-story surrounding the female lead and the government officials was left completely underdeveloped. Though we could visually appreciate what was being delivered, we never learnt why or by who and therefore could never fully reason with what half of the film was actually trying to depict. Unfortunately the last piece of this film revolves around that second storyline and the government officials and with absolutely no back-story we were left wondering why what was happening, was actually happening.

For a zombie film, maybe viewers don't question things like that. Perhaps the element of uncertainty was exactly what the producers were trying to harness - the depiction of authority as being secretive and evil without reason was quite possibly a brilliant way of highlighting what reality could be like if such an outbreak were to occur. It is for this possibility and element of 'uncertainty' that I really do commend the film if that was what they were going for - though for me, I really do like backstories to be divulged by the end of the film.

The gore and special effects in this movie must also be commended as they were done extremely well, nothing was left to the imagination in this department which will please many viewers set out on seeing the next Zombie film.

I give this movie a 5/10 it was VERY enjoyable and I would recommend it, however personally it was missing some key elements.

Wyrmwood just doesn't take the time for overdone social criticism, nor stops on boring character development and social interactions.

It goes straight for the big shots instead, and it does it greatly. A lot of action, great camera work, a lot of gore (the ideal measure for a zombie flick), and the right touch of comic reliefs makes this movie a gem that has nothing to envy on the referents of the genre, like Resident Evil. Except of course the presence of Milla Jovovich :p

I was greatly surprised by the quality of this film, I can only argue on some unexpected (and unnecessary) low blows, and a script that seems too crazy sometimes. But if you can let that pass and just go with the flow, I guarantee you'll certainly enjoy this one.

Finally back to the good old days of comedy mixed with zombie horror. Thank you Australia for bringing it to us (again). Last time this occurred was from New Zealand with a then unknown (not to me) named Peter Jackson. After his brilliant "Bad Taste" and even better "Dead Alive" (Braindead) the genre seemed to fall on it's head. Sure "Warm Bodies" and "The Walking Dead" are great in their own merits, the comedy/zombie movie was lost, until now. This movie pays tribute to the best of what was out there before it, and instills its ow fresh ideas as well. So onto the story. Zombies, not sure why, but around. A small group of survivors tell their stories before deciding to rescue the main characters sister (Brooke). No need for names, all unknowns. But Brooke as been captured and is being tested upon to save the human race (although seems like by trying that they are also creating the zombie problem) So off the ragtags go after building a car that runs on the breath of the zombies. Did I mention gas (petrol) no longer burns, but the zombies breath does? This leads to an almost "Mad Max" type of war on the zombies. All of this leads to a great deal of entertainment, gore, and amusing one-liners. If you are a fan of the genre, you for sure will love this. If not, you most likely will enjoy it, maybe not as much as me. Good news, the end leaves a sequel wide open, and a quick search on IMDb brought up a rumored part 2. I cannot wait. Keep the cast, keep the crew and all involved. You have to learn something from those such as Romero,Jackson, and currently the likes of the Soska sisters, once you have found the talent that makes it work, stick with them.