THE RETURNED – The Review

Let’s step back in time for a moment… back to a time when a strange and deadly new virus emerged in our world. This virus would often go undetected at first, sometimes for years, and then strikes its victims with a devastating ferocity. This virus requires its victims to take daily regiments of very expensive retro-viral drugs and there is still no cure for this unfortunate condition.

Let’s now return to the present day. This virus still exists in the real world, but is manageable. What would happen if we suddenly exhausted the world’s supply of this life-saving drug?

THE RETURNED, written by Hatem Khraiche, could very well be an allegory for this frightening hypothetical scenario. In the film, directed by Manuel Carballo, the virus is one that invokes all the typical symptoms of zombism. Yes. I know that’s not a real word… yet. Much like our real world virus, this zombie virus emerged in the 1980s, initially killing tens of thousands of people, but has since been stabilized by a retro-viral drug. This daily injection, referred to as “return protein,” suppresses the virus and allows its victims to live normal lives, so long as they do not miss a single dose.

The return protein is harvested from the bodies of victims who had undergone the retro-viral treatment, but are now deceased. Individuals infected by the virus, whose symptoms are successfully suppressed by the return protein are collectively referred to in the film as “The Returned.” Previously, when mentioned that this retro-viral regiment allows The Returned to live a normal life, my explanation did not properly encompass all the negativity that comes along with that normal life. The Returned are ostracized, feared, hated and eventually targeted by hate groups who seek to eliminate the threat they impose on the human population by any means necessary. For this, The Returned often live in secrecy.

Alex, played by Kris Holden-Reid, is a musician in a relationship with Kate, a leading doctor in the search for a synthesized replacement for the dwindling supply of return protein. Rumors are spreading of the shortage, but Kate, played by Emily Hampshire, knows the truth and is all too familiar with what a severe shortage of return protein would mean to every single member of the population, human and The Returned. The impending chaos surrounding this shortage leads to rising paranoia, as desperation sets in with the clock ticking down… 24 hours and counting until The Returned permanently revert back to mindless, savage killing machines, unless the return protein can be successfully synthesized in time.

With THE RETURN, Manuel Carballo has crafted a thoughtful social thriller that utilizes a far too familiar piece of our own history to facilitate and engaging, emotionally complex horror story. This film is a slow burn, allowing time to contemplate in real time the underlying significance of the story without feeling dull or poorly paced. Little effort is required in developing a connection with our central couple. Alex and Kate are portrayed genuinely, allowing an open door to the characters’ souls. Their humanity is not lost, even when those closest to them repeatedly let them down.

Manuel Carballo delves into the heart of social disintegration. Anarchy is certain to reign in the face of massive numbers of The Returned potentially becoming an overnight threat to humankind’s existence. Carefully woven into THE RETURNED, hints and nods to current events and contemporary issues poke their ugly heads out through the celluloid veil, taunting the viewer to make the correlations without forcing the connection with a heavy hand. This is a smart, serious film that tackles message-driven storytelling in a way that doesn’t leave a sour taste in the mouth.

THE RETURNED is the total package. It’s a zombie flick, but instead of being driven by special effects, it’s driven by character development and a simple but solid plot. The films doesn’t rely on a comedic crutch or the typical excess of gore and carnage to capture its viewer, not that there’s anything wrong with these methods, but this film offers a somber yet refreshing reprieve to the status quo of zombie films. The writing is far above the usual standard for the average horror film, and the acting is equally commendable, but Kris Holden-Ried is especially deserving of praise for carrying the film as one half of the central focus.

All of this and still, like so many films, nothing is ever perfect. While remaining even in tone and scope throughout the first two acts, the later part of the third act does present some concerns. THE RETURNED is such a stable storytelling experience until the ending, or should I say endings, as in plural. It would not be the first, but is certainly amidst the list of films I feel suffers on some level from an indecisive outcome. In other words, the filmmaker seems to have been uncertain with where to end the film, in which THE RETURNED has three distinct points at which ending the film makes sense. The first two potential end points make sense, however the third, and ultimately final ending of the film, fails primarily because it completely shifts the tone of the film into a much darker, less comfortable place for viewers who have just spent an entire feature length film empathizing with its central character.

Sadly, for a film that spent the majority of its time overcoming horror stereotypes eventually succumb to that very crutch in the end. Despite this singular flaw, THE RETURNED is still a highly commendable and worthwhile exception to the genre and deserves an audience.

THE RETURNED will be available in theaters and on Video On Demand (VOD) on Friday, February 14th, 2014

Overall Rating:  3.5 out of 5 Stars