Critic Reviews

From Romero’s original zombie series to the films it inspired, this type of horror succeeds when it laces its scares with biting social commentary, and “Cargo” utilizes this formula to great success.

Nevertheless Cargo is a very strong, at times stirring achievement: a zombie film with soul and pathos.

If human resilience remains paramount in zombie films, Cargo goes a step further; here, recognising and redressing the divisive mistakes of the past is more important than merely surviving.

The Australian setting brings a fresh, and epic, quality to this now done-to-death genre, and the directors introduce a few nice new kinks to the zombie mythology, notably a desire on the part of the undead to literally — and hauntingly — bury their heads in the sand. But the real treat is Freeman.

Given how many zombie stories are basically elaborate wish-fulfillment video games, about blowing away targets, hoarding supplies, and finding a safe spot, Cargo’s quiet acknowledgement that suicide might be a kind option for the infected feels revelatory and even dangerous.

Co-directors Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke (the latter of whom wrote the screenplay) sacrifice some tension with their more character-based approach, but the cumulative effect is emotionally powerful.

Radiating not only paternal devotion but also a blunt matter-of-factness that amplifies as his situation becomes more dire, Freeman’s empathetic turn makes Andy an endearing center of attention, and the film — even for those who’ve seen its source material — a heartfelt entry in the overstuffed genre.

Perhaps the highest compliment I can pay it is that I think George A. Romero himself would have liked it.

In terms of performance, Freeman generates about all the emotion this nearly one-man show puts out. At first, Andy’s mission is protection and self-reservation, but Freeman captures the process of shifting priorities marvelously, making Andy’s transition from worried improviser to adapted martyr all the more pleasing to experience.

Cargo makes the mistake of benching its menace, banishing the undead to blurred shots on the horizon, while doggedly pursuing its theme.