Not even bad in a good way

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

I only write reviews of movies with low rating, which actually are not that bad. Give them a chance!I didn't expect much of this movie, and at the end I realized it is just as I expected - watchable low-budget movie about apocalypse. I like movies about apocalypse and post-apocalypse, so that is the main reason why I watched it. If it was other genre, I would probably quit, but I managed to stay awake till the end.This is not a great film, it is slow and boring sometimes, but if you like post-apocalyptic movies you might enjoy it. Story is OK, nothing special, but yet different than other similar movies. Acting is fine, too.5/10

Chrysalis is an intriguing little low budget horror that manages a different sort of twist on the traditional zombie tale...which is not such an easy feat, considering the saturation of the sub-genre these days. Discussing it, however, is essentially a spoiler- as it is only revealed in the final twist of the film.The film basically takes place 25 years into a zombie apocalypse, which dawned on the masses in the form of a virus that was released during a string of terrorist attacks that went down simultaneously across the globe. Canned food and ammunition ran out long ago...and survivors are beginning to dwindle.We find ourselves following a relatively young couple (which is pertinent because of how far into the aftermath we are)- Josh & Penn- who have been on their own, scavenging, for some time. They are the sole remnants of formerly larger group whom did not make it this far. They live in an old abandoned building.Eventually another pair of people make their way into the building the young couple has been squatting. The guy get's bitten on his way in, and is forced into exile (before he turns); but they bring in the woman, and share what little food they have with her.This woman- Ariba- tells them that she is trying to rendezvous with her group that had been forced to split up; and also recounts a story about how she was born amidst the onset of "the infection" (as they call it).Turns out she was also bitten at one point. But her father quickly "cut out" the infected area before it spread. She still seems to be infected, though it hasn't yet turned her or made her zombie insatiable.This is where the twist comes in...--SPOILER--...apparently she is in some way acting as a lure for the zombies- whom are drawn to her like moths to a flame. In the end, not only are they drawn to her via some sort of pheromone or something...but she also seems to be the SOURCE of the infection...or at least it's cause...as if it was divinely sanctioned for her to perish, as her survival rendered it necessary to unleash a zombie apocalypse upon the world to take her out...or something like that. Kinda hard to say, as you are left to piece together the details for yourself.This film essentially relies on it's locations, which make perfect backdrops for 25 years into the zombie apocalypse. This allowed the whole thing to retain a polished quality on what was clearly a low budget. The acting is fair. I've seen some complaints, but I don't think they are warranted. I suppose a bit more background info on the characters could have been desired; but it was certainly not required. As the conclusion rolled around I found myself feeling quite attached to them. The gore is limited, and the action sparse, but that plays into the storyline- as they have set it up.My only beef with this film would be that it didn't offer any explanation as to why one person's death would stave off a 25 years running zombie apocalypse. I mean, that is a bit implausible and absurd. Certainly some sort of explanation could have been tied in somehow. It would have made the ending feel less forced.That being said, however, it's not a terrible film for what it is.5.5 out of 10.

This movie is enjoyable beginning to end. One of the reviewers complained that it's low budget, and it is, so don't expect a $200 million blockbuster. It's beautifully shot, well written and acted, suspenseful without being too gory, and you actually learn and care about the characters.I watched Chrysalis for the first time in a movie theater, and I could feel and hear the entire audience reacting to the scares and emotional moments. The character development is real, and one of the things that makes this movie stand out.If you're looking for a post-apocalypse movie that actually feels post- apocalypse, and characters who talk to each other instead of just screaming and running all the time, then you should watch Chrysalis. If you want to watch World War Z, then go watch World War Z.

A friend highly recommended Chrysalis to me and based on the trailers I had extremely high expectations (especially since I'm a fan of The Walking Dead and pretty much all zombie movies), but I was not disappointed! I didn't even make it two minutes into the movie before I had to rewind and re-watch the opening scene again because it was just so cool. No spoilers, but it made me cry, for real. And of course it made me jump (it wouldn't be a zombie movie without at least a few of those good scares). About halfway through I accurately predicted part of the ending, but not all of it. The characters were interesting and I felt sympathy for them (and angry at them) at different points throughout. The actor who plays Josh was fantastic. I'd love to see more of his movies.But the best part of Chrysalis was absolutely the look of it. The abandoned buildings it was shot in and the darkness of some of the shots, with nothing but a flashlight or single lantern illuminating them… it was seriously incredible. Didn't seem like a low-budget indie film at all with all the different shots and the way they were cut together. I remember one shot of some hanging icicles that was particularly beautiful. The whole movie has a really beautiful, artistic feel to it, especially a point near the end that I won't spoil here, but that you'll definitely know when you see. I felt transported into the mind of one of the characters, like I could see exactly what they were seeing and feel what they were feeling in that moment. So good!! I watched it on my laptop and can't wait to get my hands on a DVD so I can enjoy it again on a much bigger screen.