Connect with us

Film

Tribeca Film Festival 2018: ‘Cargo’ Shows a Thrilling, Touching Zombie Apocalypse

Cargo does well by not trying too hard

The first Australian Netflix Original feature film, Cargo, is an amazing genre-defying zombie movie set in the Australian Outback. After a global pandemic, straight-laced Andy (Martin Freeman) is trying to keep his wife and infant daughter, Rosie, alive on their houseboat, avoiding land at all costs. But because terrible danger lurks around any corner in a zombie apocalypse, things quickly go horribly wrong. With a fresh zombie bite, Andy has forty-eight hours to travel on foot to find refuge for Rosie while staving off his illness. Along the way, he meets Thoomi (Simone Landers), an Aboriginal girl whose people are the only ones succeeding at survival.

Cargo is a tight, thrilling ride — quite an accomplishment given everything it packs in. Andy is lost in the Outback, racing the clock, becoming undead, fighting off zombies and even more dangerous humans, all while struggling with parenthood, environmental abuse, fallout, and cultural tensions. What this big collection of storylines creates is a nail-biting, emotionally stirring meditation on family and humanity. Cargo points clearly to environmental destruction as the cause of the pandemic, and takes a wide view on what it means to stop being a person. We travel 104 minutes with Andy, who is desperately figuring out how to avoid the horrific, unthinkable consequences of being a father who turns into a mindless flesh eater. Though everything is going from bad to worse, he’s still dedicated to creating a fun, joyful environment for his daughter, often giving her a big sweet smile in the middle of a zombie battle. By the end, I completely loved him. That primal, universal act of caring for that innocent, helpless baby is the one thing that keeps Andy human.

Thoomi’s story is interwoven beautifully as she cares for her infected father. She navigates her own crisis to find the Elder she believes will cure her father and navigates the treacherous terrain of kidnappers who use Aboriginal people to bait the zombies. It’s clear who brought the pandemic to her land, but then there’s this desperate father and his baby. Cargo does well by not trying too hard here. It puts them together in these catastrophic circumstances and gives space to unfold organically.

What could have been a frantic, forgettable gore-fest is actually a deeply touching allegory, using the zombie metaphor in ways that are far more chilling than things that go bump in the night. Cargo stayed with me long after, and I honestly can’t stop thinking about it. I never thought I’d cry at a zombie movie, but Cargo had me in absolute tears. The gorgeous cinematography captures the vast beauty of the Outback, and the lush, original soundtrack is truly outstanding.  Kudos to Martin Freeman for holding his own with that incredible scene-stealing baby. That was likely the hardest part of his job.

Ivy Lofberg

The Tribeca Film Festival runs April 18 to April 29. Visit the official Tribeca Film Festival website for more info.

Written By

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Facebook

Trending

Aaliyah’s Brother “Rashad Haughton” Claims She Would’ve Been “Biggest Star In The World”

Celebrity

2025 Oscar nominations predictions: See contenders for Best Picture and acting, from Demi Moore to Wicked

Celebrity

Mia Khalifa dating history

Celebrity

The Weeknd Donates $1 Million to Los Angeles Wildfire Relief Efforts

Celebrity

Skilla Baby Offers To Cover Costs Of Celebration Of Life For Missing Teen, Na’Ziyah Harris

Celebrity

Rachael Kirkconnell says ‘everything was fine’ the night before her breakup with Bachelor star Matt James

Celebrity

Jim Jones Finally Drops Cam’ron Diss “JOMO” After Weeks Of Intense Online Beef

Celebrity

Trevor Noah Returns to Host 2025 Grammy Awards

Celebrity

Who is Bree Purganan? The untold story of Jalen Green’s mom

Celebrity

Box Office: ‘Dog Man’ Shows Bite With $36 Million Opening Weekend

Film

Cynthia Nixon’s 3 Children: All About Seph, Charles and Max

Celebrity

Why Steven Spielberg Is Disappointed With Vin Diesel

Film

Mac Miller’s “Balloonerism” Review

Celebrity

‘Together’ Review: Dave Franco and Alison Brie Are a Couple Falling Apart (and Fusing) in a Looney-Tunes Bash About the Body Horror of Love

Film

Rabbit Trap Review: Dev Patel Stars In A Blend Of Cosmic And Folk Horror

Film

Nike Air Foamposite One “Galaxy” Drops This February

Reviews

Connect