The Revenant (I) (2009) User Reviews

Super meets Fido

[DisturbedPixie · 7/10 · 22 September 2012]

Remember how gritty and darkly funny Super was, with that message that one person really can be heroic...or just insane while taking out the bad guys? Remember how Fido with it's campy comedy made you root for the zombie... who seemed to be an overall great guy? Smash that together and you get The Revenant.

The pacing is not the best, but it has a good story with a great ending reminiscent of the Worst Case Scenario Promo Trailers (they never got enough funding to make that movie). Plus it has some very memorable moments thanks largely due to the acting of the two leads. Some of the dialog and character choices were a little cheesy and maybe unrealistic, but the rest makes up for those short comings.

Just to keep in mind, I can't really call this a zombie film, because it seems way closer to a vampire film, but it has the gross moments you'd expect from a zombie comedy and doesn't really remind me of any vampire films. There is a slightly drawn out scene that claims he is both, which I would dismiss due to the misleading "facts" provided, but I'm sure zombie fans can appreciate much of the film.

undiscovered gem

[Rob-O-Cop · 7/10 · 15 December 2011]

while we get bombarded with plenty of low budget junk it seems we can still miss something with real genius in it. This is one of the missed ones it seems. Well acted, well scripted, keeps the story moving, and gives us a new and interesting take on a tired genre. The special effects were also top notch and although you were aware this was a movie done on a tight low budget when the fx kicked in they went above and beyond the call. Top notch stuff. I also really liked the tone the lead actor got. A perfect balance and he delivered some really touching moments. So why didn't we get to see this movie in wider release. Studio politics? Who knows. Very worth the effort to track this one down and tell your friends. This is the sort of indie film making we need to encourage and support.

Not a bad watch ...

[nevermind_87 · 7/10 · 20 September 2012]

I usually avoid Zombie movies unless I am in the mood for a B grader. I went into watching this with the intent of watching a decent B grader - was pleasantly surprised.

It starts off as a B grader with the scene in Iraq with some very cheesy dialogues on ethics but from there on transforms into a pretty decent watch.

You can think of it as The Boondock Saints meets Shaun of the dead. However, its much less whackier than Boondock and much less zombier than Shaun.

Not a bad watch overall watch - has its moments - but has uneven pacing which sort of affects the overall tempo and prevents you from completely getting into it.

THE REVENANT caught everyone by surprise!

[eduroca · 11 October 2009]

I am still blown away. Imagine the scene: Sitges Fantastic Film Festival in Spain. Last weekend, with the Zombie Night Marathon, already a festival classic. And the first movie of the night is "The Revennt". Nobody knows what it's about. Nobody knows a damn thing about it and the festival director introduces it as a long movie. OK, whatever, we'll sit through it...

BAM! In these marathons people normally cheer, applaud, shout and whatnot. I never saw it done more than with this film. We were all laughing our guts out every five minutes with every new situation and scene. Damn, what a movie. Talk about having fun in a movie theatre.

The two main actors were superb, the storyline coherent, the situations hilarious and what's even bettr: at some points it has some sadness tones to it which makes it even a deeper, richer movie. Just on ething: it was featured in the Zombie Night in the festival, but it is not a zombie movie in the classic sense of the word. Like a reviewer said before me, think the "Deathdream" kind of zombie.

I can only thank the director/writer for making this one. This has to become a cult classic, it has all the elements of dark humor (and the gore, too) that all the genre lovers like. GREAT MOVIE!

Beware of the ...

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 2 February 2012]

I don't usually do a background check on movies. Neither before I watch them nor after that. But just when I was about to write my review I realized this movie was from 2009, but only just played on a 2011 Fantasy Film Festival in Germany. There must be a reason for this clearly. And there is. There seems to be two different cuts of the movie. And while another reviewer who watched this in 2009, talked about this becoming a cult classic, I think the re-edited version I got to see, won't get that far.

Of course when I did watch it in cinemas, I just thought that the filmmakers had lost control and didn't mix their movie right. Just when you think the movie is going great, there comes a scene that almost puts into a full stop. The pacing is all over the place and the best you can say about some jokes is: "They tried". Which is not a good thing at all. Quite the opposite, you can feel how hard they try sometime to be cool, instead of just being. It seems that certain scenes have been inserted to satisfy certain demographics ... What a shame/scam ...

Hopefully there will be a version where you can watch the original (alternate?) cut of the movie. Until then, this is decent, but not as good as Deadheads

Gun toting zombies take charge in The Revenant

[rgblakey · 7/10 · 22 September 2012]

With the zombie craze in high gear there is a new addition to the genre all the time. A few of them try to step away from the Romero rules and deliver something different, but sadly most of them don't work all that well. The Revenant trailers showcase a more action oriented approach to this genre that looked fun and promised to deliver, but can it live up to the promises or will it decompose faster than it can feed?

The Revenant follows a soldier killed in Iraq who awakens from his grave as the undead. With the help from his best friend they realize his more than just a zombie, but instead a revenant, an articulated zombie that needs to drink blood to survive or begin to decompose. This dark comedy is one of the few outside of both Shaun and Juan of the Dead that really work with this direction in the genre. With this film though it keeps the comedy, but is more of an action film, with the revenant's of this film becoming gun toting vigilantes wreaking havoc for good and to get the blood they need to survive. The film has a bit of a slow start at first, but once it gets going it delivers on almost every action. There are a few cheesy performances, but most everyone else does a good job. Leads Anders and Wylde have great chemistry together and really seem to be having a great time. They make sure to not shy away from the gore here keeping the blood flowing and making sure the characters stay covered in it on some level for most of the film. The story here is pretty simple, but adds just enough depth to keep it moving and fun, while adding a decent little twist at the end that could deliver some sort of sequel.

The Revenant is a great addition to the zombie genre really brining a fresh and fun new take on the undead. No, this isn't the only time something like this has been done, but this one works better than most. Fans of Alias will love getting to see Anders just totally unleash to create another memorable character to his resume. If you like zombies, then this is a movie you should not miss.

http://www.examiner.com/movie-in-dallas/bobby-blakey

good acting saved this flick

[trashgang · 7/10 · 24 April 2013]

On the promotion it was written, really funny really gory. Can't say that I agree with that. Not that it was a bad flick but i didn't have to laugh a lot throughout this flick. My only moment of a smile was the dildo scene. But was it gory. Not even that but the effects were great.

This isn't your normal zombie flick. It's been seen from the point of a zombie this time who just can't die. First it all looks great to be a zombie and yes they can help society by killing scum but after a while things go out of hand and questions come in about why walking around like an undead.

As I said, the effects were very good as did the acting by David Anders (the zombie) and Chris Wylde (as his friend Joey). It never bored me because you want to know what is going on but maybe clocking in at two hours is a bit too long. Nevertheless a nice entry in the zombie genre. But not as gory as stated and funny, not for me.

Gore 1,5/5 Nudity 1/5 Effects 4/5 Story 3,5/5 Comedy 0/5

Unpleasant, Unfunny, Not Scary

[claudio_carvalho · 4/10 · 2 May 2014]

In Basra, Iraq, the American soldier Bart Gregory (David Anders) is ambushed and murdered by the locals. On the night after his funeral, he awakes in his grave and goes to the house of his best friend, the pothead Joey Luebner (Chris Wylde), who does not understand in what Bart has turned into. They unsuccessfully go to a hospital and at dawn, Bart faints and Joey calls his friend, the nurse Mathilda (Jacy King) to help him. They realize that Bart is a revenant, a combination of zombie and vampire, since he needs to drink blood to hold and recover the decomposition of his body. They decide to kill thieves, drug dealers and rapists to get their blood, drugs, weapons and money and they are called Vigilante Gunslingers by the press. One night, Joey is deadly wounded by a criminal and Bart turns him into a revenant. But when Bart's girlfriend Janet (Louise Griffiths) convinces him to turn her into a revenant, the friendship of Joey and Bart is affected.

"The Revenant" is an overrated, unpleasant, unfunny and not scary comedy. The movie is too long and the lead characters are unpleasant and gross. Most of the situations are neither funny as a comedy nor scary as horror. The hype around this movie can not be reasonably explained, unless the director has many friends. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "O Morto Vivo" ("The Living Dead")

This is a film that deserves more credit than it gets

[paulholborn · 9/10 · 28 December 2012]

My son found this film & recommended that I watch, having been a fan of David Anders from Heros as Adam Monroe & being a fan of the Zombie genre I had high hopes.

I wasn't let down, this film was brilliantly entertaining & the ending totally unexpected! Anders & Wylde work brilliantly together & D. Kerry Prior's script is a great new take on the zombie genre which other film makers should take note of. This film is up there with Shaun Of The Dead, The Vagrant & a host of other films, most of which never get the credit they deserve.

A true future classic

Surprisingly good

[grantss · 7/10 · 22 September 2015]

Surprisingly good. Not your average horror movie at all (being good gives that away already). Sort of a zombie-stoner-bromance-action- comedy-horror movie. Kind of Shaun of the Dead, but a lot darker and grittier.

Original, interesting and often hilarious. Could have been even better. From a point it could have gone in many directions, and it chooses a direction which ultimately leads down a dead-end path. This leaves the ending to be rather contrived and unsatisfactory. However, what comes before then is very entertaining.

Good performances from Chris Wylde and David Anders in the lead roles.

Might have started out as a great idea...

[paul_haakonsen · 5/10 · 24 December 2011]

It was with some interest that I sat down to watch this movie. Initially I had no prior knowledge about it and just accidentally came across it while browsing through suggested movies according to my recent purchase history on Amazon. And "The Revenant" popped up, so I gave it a go.

The movie sort of combines your typical zombie lore with vampire lore, making it a very strange, although interesting, combination. The main character Bart dies in war and comes back as a decomposing vampiric creature, who needs blood to stay "alive" and to keep himself from rotting away. Initially he starts off robbing a blood bank, then moves on to the lowest scum of society, but events twists and things escalates from there.

For me "The Revenant" was a fairly mediocre movie, as there was nothing overly unique in the storyline. The effects were good and the make-up were good, but that was hardly enough to raise the movie from mediocrity. I wasn't bored with the movie, nor was I overly entertained; hence mediocrity.

Combining the lore of two iconic movie monsters was perhaps a good idea, but somehow I just think those two should be kept apart. Vampires work well enough on their own, and so do zombies. Combining them was unique, yes, but for me, it didn't really come off as a super great plot idea.

From about halfway through, the movie does pick itself up in pace and intensity. However, it never gets to raise itself above mediocrity for some reason. Perhaps I am just too old fashioned and prefer zombies being zombies.

Having seen "The Revenant" now, I can check it off on my watch-list. However, I can say that this is not a movie that I will be making into a second watching, it just didn't have that much value. "The Revenant" might be worth checking out for you if you are a fan of vampires and/or zombies, just be warned that neither is really represented in the traditional way they are seen in movies, fiction, literature, etc.

Best indie horror I've seen in years

[the_bulb · 10/10 · 17 August 2009]

Last night I watched The Revenant at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival, and it was clear the film took everyone by surprise. Going into the screening armed only with what I saw in the trailer, I wasn't looking forward to much; I feel that I should make it clear to anyone interested in seeing this film - the trailer for The Revenant represents the film in only the most superficial way. Yes, it is a buddy movie; yes, one of the buddies is undead; and yes, there is sarcastic dialogue and gun-play - but those just building blocks to what is, as a whole, a fantastic and sincere film which doesn't let itself get stuck in a box. What impressed me most about The Revenant was it never felt like it was trying to be cool. It was never trying to imitate, or appeal to a specific market. Granted, it does deal with supernatural elements; even so I would strain to call it specifically a horror film. The characters acted honestly and with a sense of realism that is too often neglected in the genre as of late. I enjoyed watching them make decisions and think for themselves - these were real characters, and real friends. The director was introduced as a special effects artists, who has worked on such films as The Abyss, Bubba Ho-Tep, and the Phantasm series - which is both impressive and unfortunate. Watching The Revenant, he's definitely not just a special effects artist taking a stab at directing; this is a film handled was great confidence and ability, marking a start to what will hopefully be a prosperous career. It would be a great shame if The Revenant just winds up playing the festival circuit and falling into obscurity. Someone needs to pick this thing up, it's gold.

So frustratingly close.

[jayperry92 · 6/10 · 19 September 2011]

It's sad to see a film with a fairly original concept executed so horribly. so many good idea's wasted on a half baked buddy 'comedy'. David Anders performance as Bart was very well done, as was Louise Griffiths as Janet. However Chris Wylde's performance as joey was extremely weak, frustrating and unnecessary. I felt his character let down the film the most. The effects were shockingly good in parts for the budget and its fair to say the ending of the film was refreshingly powerful. Overall though the film seemed fairly disconnected, the comedy and the drama didn't flow very well and the film just kind of Left me thinking how good it could have been if different directions were taken.

Neither funny nor scary, but watchable

[vargpojke · 5/10 · 6 August 2012]

I don't really know why this is labeled as a horror comedy when it's neither funny nor scary. And that's not me trying to be clever or saying that only my kind of humor is comedy worthy. There's a lot of movies that aren't funny which I would still labeled as a comedy, just because it at least tries to be. But The Revenant doesn't really do that. Sure, it has it's (kinda) funny moments, but so has Titanic, and I wouldn't refer to Titanic a comedy. Titanic is actually scarier as well, now when I think about it. Maybe you should just skip this one and rent Titanic instead.

It is watchable though, and the makeup and effects are really well done, to be fair. And the acting isn't horrible. Storywise, it's a little slow in the beginning, and far too long. But I sat put 'til the end, and anything you'll watch 'til the credits deserves at least a 5/10. And that's what this is. Nor good or bad. Just, okay.

Great Movie

[KimJPrice · 17 May 2009]

I just saw a rough cut tonight and this is an excellent film and will definitely become a cult classic.

It is very funny, with an interesting story and good acting. I loved it!

This is kind of a "buddy" vampire movie and there is some great interaction between the two main "buddy" characters.

There is a lot of humor, which makes this a very fun film, but there is plenty of blood and guts too.

This film is an interesting (and very realistic) take on the Vampire's viewpoint.

Campy and sure to be a cult classic

[scottmannen1 · 7/10 · 28 September 2012]

This definitely turned out to be a non-typical vampire movie. While this one starts out very funny the story suddenly becomes very serious and dark. The acting was decent enough and the story was mediocre at best. I guess the bottom line is that for a vampire film fan like myself I found the movie entertaining and a good way to kill a few hours. THe movie is a bit long and at times the story seemed to drag on in certain areas. The film goes from being funny to being dead serious. It mixes in vampire lore mixed with some zombie plague. The real challenge I found with this movie is discovering where the heck did the vampire disease start from and how? Its evident that the protagonist gets infected at the very beginning of the movie, but what is the story of those who infected him and why hadn't the disease spread further in Afganistan where the initial infection takes place? Decent movie!

In the right mood and the right company

[osj2507 · 6/10 · 12 September 2015]

Strange, funny, weird, crazy, cult and a whole lot more are the words I could put on this, but above all something very different from what I have seen before.

This is a bit too long, almost two hours, had it been a shorter one, then it might have held the standard all the way, but there was too much fuzz in the middle and towards the end.

It is a strange movie, fun and weird, but all in all I think you have to be in the right mood and the right company to fully appreciate this one. One wrote that she saw it at Toronto After Dark film festival and I can only image that to be the right audience and the right place to show it :)

Great bunch of delightful fun

[killercharm · 7/10 · 4 July 2022]

Two sillies turn vigilante when the one comes back from the dead needing to drink human blood to keep fresh. When they realize he has to kill somebody to live they opt to kill the very guys who keep robbing them demmit! From there they go out and seek criminals and kill them mid-crime in order to save the victim and drink the blood of the bad guys.

Garbage !!

[med77_99 · 3/10 · 30 April 2012]

I was provoked by all the positive reviews on here of this film to write my own review.

reading review titles like " A cult classic " really gets into my nerves, this movie was really boring, badly acted and silly.

the plot was very shallow, and had no goal or target, no meaning. the concept itself was ridiculous and silly, a zombie vigilante, who comes back from the dead to kill bad people and eat them !! just didn't work.

Acting was mediocre, and the pace was slow and boring. I started to fast forward the film just to see how this garbage ended ? i was curious if it had a certain goal in the end, but nothing !!

take my advice on this one, and stay away from this movie.

moebardi.blogspot.com/

I have not been this excited about a movie in a long time

[nzalewski · 10/10 · 28 September 2012]

I know there are a lot of us out there that claim overall movie fandom and to me, it's not measured by how many movies you own or how many you've seen. In most cases, it's what a movie invokes after you watch it. After seeing the trailer and being overly anxious, I finally watched "The Revenant" and to say it blew my mind would be an understatement. To pigeon hole it as just a horror/comedy doesn't really do it justice either. D. Kerry Prior has taken a great concept and through the superb storytelling and visual aesthetics has brought this terrific movie full circle. The end really justifies all that the characters would be put through. You really buy into actors Chris Wylde and David Anders as friends and the conversations feel very real. I have been telling everyone I know about this movie because I think it is one that can be enjoyed across genres and needs to be seen.

Deserves more credit

[mumu420yhboi · 7/10 · 11 September 2023]

There are plenty of bad low budget films, especially in horror films. Although this isn't a proper horror film it can still be in that category with all the gore and zombie film elements. The special effects were great with the make up on the zombie/vampire creatures looked really good, I liked the addition of the eyes. And the mexican guy that came back to life with his face eaten by fish looked fantastic.

The pacing of the film is slightly off but the movie does pick up in the second half, turning into a sort of action film with killing montages.

The comedy in the film is good although I feel like could of had more, It could of used more physical comedy just like at the start of the film when the main character gets hit with a metal bat, it fitted well into the style of the film.

I also really liked the ending of the film, setting up a possible sequel (that will probably never happen). During the film I couldn't figure out how it is going to end, something that would give me a satisfying ending but it managed to do just that.

Overall a good, fun watch and considering its unique approach to the whole rising from the dead idea it definitely deserves more credit.

Worst acting and most unsurprising storyline ever

[mad_hseldon · 1/10 · 22 March 2012]

I bought this on DVD last week, enticed by the awards and quotes like "the legitimate Braindead successor" etc. on the box. In my opinion I have been tricked into buying a film not worthy of a single coin from my wallet.

I have seen B movies and found some that I really like, so I'm able to look past a bit of bad acting, however when "The Revenant"'s girlfriend attempts to cry over losing him when she finds him out of the grave and in his mate's bedroom actually brought tears to my eyes. Tears of pain. The only piece of acting in this entire film is the nurse defending her fridge of blood. She must have felt lonely on set.

After an hour of watching this, I tried to express what had happened so far and couldn't make more than a single sentence out of it.

I'll stop bashing it now and leave with my personal verdict: spare yourself, spend the 2 hours you might have been watching this film clipping Grandpa's toenails or selling daisies for charity.

Best movie you may never see! Lets change that!

[zebular · 10/10 · 15 February 2012]

Alright just to let it be known I'm not a frequent poster on IMDb BUT I absolutely had to exclaim how good this film is. I would def say its Boondock Saints with zombie like protagonists but its much more than that. Its got humor, gore, the ending is AMAZING and when a guy's living head is laying there trying to talk they have the most imaginative way of being able to understand what he's trying to say (my favorite part of the movie and you'll agree when you watch this!). If you've been gnawing at the bit to see this movie I can tell you you can find it on the net but for the love of god if you CAN buy it DO IT! Films like this really need your support! My rating for this movie is 9/10 The only reason I knocked it down a point is because of one of the actress' acting or lack there of. Shes a friend of the main characters and her acting skills are pretty horrific everyone else in the film are pretty convincing.

WATCH IT, BUY IT, RECOMMEND IT, POST IT, LINK IT, LIVE IT, BREATHE IT AND FOR GOD SAKES AT LEAST GIVE IT A CHANCE!

A Gem I Was Expecting A Lot Less From

[icocleric · 7/10 · 12 April 2022]

It was pretty slow to start, and overall the film was a bit too long, some editing would have done wonders for this film. However it had some great moments, and I enjoyed it a lot. Its unusual in the sense he is not quite vampire, not quite zombie.

It's a bit weird, it is a horror comedy which I can enjoy a lot, but it's also got that bromance buddy cop feeling to it for the middle section of the film, when the two main characters end up fighting crime, then feeding on the blood. Like a vampire.

Then the ending gets a bit dark, and grim. But I think it's a good end.

Worst movie ever

[rebecca-byfield-275-958915 · 1/10 · 25 January 2012]

Having read the reviews of this, I actually thought I was getting a good movie. What a major disappointment. The only interesting parts were the ones I fell asleep through. Worst acting ever (seems the producers were only trying to cash in on David Anders semi-fame from his role on Vampire Diaries) and worst plot line in the history of vampire movies. It was kind of like watching a fatal accident unfold. The longer I watched, the worse it got until I actually had to turn it off. The whole vibrator on the severed head scene - just plain stupid. I have no issue with swearing or sex in movies, but in The Revenant, it was so over the top it just made it laughable. I mean how many times can you say F*&K in one sentence? I think The Revenant broke a world record on unnecessary crudity. The kindest thing the producers could have done for us is chop the movies head off and saved us all two hours of our life.