Art imitates life or is it the other way round?
Opening with an aerial shot (supplied by drone) which is reminiscent of The Shining’s helicopter shots in the opening drive to the hotel, Project Z knows exactly what it is doing as a group of film students make their way in a campervan to an old motel in the mountains. But there’s a twist here: Project Z is a found footage movie by way of Norway as zombies descend onto the shoot and all hell breaks loose.
It’s one hell of a wild and moody ride, which cinefiles - especially those with a sweet tooth for zombie flicks - are going to love.
Subtle and charming, Project Z takes its time with the characters, allowing the crew and the actors in the movie to worm their way into your consciousness. There’s no rush here to get to the creepy crawlies which I appreciate. Sure, sure, there’s a couple of close calls involving meteors and a landslide, but nothing really tips the hat as this found footage film plays out like a true making-of featurette . . . until the zombies are unleashed.
The crew - consisting of director Julie (Eili Harboe), her assistant Marie (Regina Tucker), and cameraman Felix (Vebjørn Enger), and crewmember Leon (Jonis Josef) - are, originally, all onboard this project to make the ultimate character-driven zombie flick. They’ve picked the perfect place as the atmosphere, while wet and rainy, is the toppermost of mood.
But there are issues with the actors. Iben (Iben Akerlie), the leading actress, is having an affair with Julie’s boyfriend, Arthur (Arthur Berning) would rather do a Spike Lee joint, and Dennis (Dennis Storhøi, who starred in The 13th Warrior with Antonio Banderas) won’t stop talking about Mr. Banderas. Yes, the lines between reality and fantasy really are blurred in this fun film.
Written and directed by Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken, Project Z is an easy watch as it embraces the zaniness of the crew, complete with a musical sequence, sprinkles in a little otherworldly chaos on their way to the motel, and then goes completely apeshit with the situations and produces something that is as lively as it is fun and contagious as a creature is revealed, meteorites exploited, and - suddenly - ZOMBIES!
Or is it all just part of the movie?!
Presented by Dark Star Pictures, Project Z crashlands On Demand and Digital platforms on November 3rd.
MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 89 mins
Director: Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken
Writer: Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken
Cast: Eili Harboe; Regina Tucker; Vebjørn Enger
Genre: Horror
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Theatrical Distributor: Dark Star Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date: November 3, 2023
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: A group of film students take three unemployed actors to a disused motel in the Norwegian mountains to make zombie films.
