Stake Land (2010)

You have already settled for an average zombie flick at best, and then some film you have never heard of comes along and proves above average exists. I’m genuinely surprised Stake Land has managed to stay below the radar, because it’s a really good movie. Human survivors face a zombie-vampire hybrid, where your brains are at risk after sunset. Additionally, there are unfriendly groups of humans waiting to prey on you. It’s a nice setup.

What Stake Land manages to do is tell a compelling story, deliver competent acting, and somehow stretch their budget to make the landscape look the way it’s supposed to after society has fallen. I never felt like I was watching a B movie, despite the group of unknown actors. Had they cast a couple mega stars in the lead roles, this would have been a huge hit.

The style resembles that of The Walking Dead series, with a bit of Zombieland’s social dynamic thrown in. I liked how they gave the audience glimpses of the outbreak through old newspapers or magazines lying around. Pacing was just right—dramatic elements mixed with plenty of zombie slaughter. Makes up for the hundred or so average zombie films I've had to sift through before finding this one.

Rating: B-