There's not too terribly much more one can add to the zombie genre, and this movie doesn't bother. What it does is uses the tropes and scope of a zombie apocalypse to tell an intimate tale about sacrifice, parenthood and legacies. And it does this very well, carried by a touching performance from Martin Freeman, consistently demonstrating his depth and skill as an actor. Now the film is filled to the brim with all the expected zombie cliches, tropes, and is far too methodically paced for the ADHD crowds, but Freeman's performance is engaging enough to maintain the audience's attention. Like most zombie films, Cargo is rife with sociopolitical and philosophical commentary, focusing on the nature and effect of colonialism on native cultures and the psyche of a nation. The set and setting is unique, especially considering how many post-apocalyptic zombie landscapes permeate the landscape, The focus on aboriginal Australia offers a refreshingly different perspective with a scope far more on individual humanity and the personal journey than dealing with the nature and execution of the global apocalypse. Horror aficionados might lament the lack of suspense, frights, zombie herds and fairly tame gore, but the tale being told is poignant albeit stretched too far in places. On the whole, offering nothing new, but a nicely told tragedy in an equally beautiful setting carried by a performance that makes up for flaws that might have derailed a lesser film.
Cargo