The Battery (2012)

As zombie movies go, The Battery is a peculiar case. There is very little action, nor is there an excess of blood or gore. The film is quite conservative in these areas, instead finding its strength in dialogue and compelling character dynamics.

The title of the film is the blueprint by which our characters operate. Together, they form a two-part system, each part reliant on the other. Discordance between our lead duo complicates the function of this battery at times.

Ben scavenges what remains of civilization while Mickey sits and listens to music on a walkman, burning through precious batteries. Ben is adjusting to the world around him with a fairly practical outlook that doesn't leave much room for remembering "the good old times". Mickey, on the other hand, still plays scratch offs, can't get over an old girlfriend, and is skeptical about needing to develop survival skills.

But even in their dysfunction, the battery remains intact. Without Ben's oversight and protection, Mickey would likely die in the wilderness. But without Mickey, Ben would consign himself totally to the new world; he may effectively survive, but the old Ben would die and the new Ben would be, as Mickey puts it, a "cave man".

While their story is intriguing, it should be said that it does drag in places. Also, while the minimalism and dialogue-driven nature of the film are strengths, the film remains too uneventful for its own good.

Our zombie makeup is inconsistent, with some looking quite cheap, while others were done in a way which fit with the minimalism of the film.

There is a subplot involving "The Orchard" which clearly details a certain location, but it remains at the periphery of our story; we never go there or learn much about it. This is disappointing as the prospect of our duo interacting with more humans is a compelling one, even if the Orchard is an authoritarian entity as loosely described.

Despite being a bit mild and made on a shoestring budget, The Battery delivers a decent story and some funny character moments. Zombie fans would do well to give it a watch.