Must See Movie...

Absolutely the worst movie.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

The movie is worth repeated viewing, because it not only delivers terrifying (and gory) fight for survival scenes; as the story unfolds, I appreciate the different perspectives of each character. Koodos to the cast and good chemistry, especially the genuine bond between the school teacher and the hybrid / half human "hungry" girl, Melanie. There are many dialogues and fight / flight situations that challenged or changed the characters' view about each other: what defines a human, and more importantly, humanity. The pace and atmosphere effectively alternate between eerie suspense, shocking violence, and brief, contemplative dialogues. The action scenes in this movie reminded me of the frentic atmosphere in 28 Days later; and the interactions between the infected "hungries" and the non-infected characters reminded me of the pathos and moral dilemma presented in District 9. When there is an out-break, there really isn't a line between "us" and "them". We're all in the same boat, depending on the situation.

This movie is best going into with as little fore knowledge as possible, because when someone tells you the genre of this movie, your preconceptions will almost certainly skew your expectations and experience.This is not a typical movie in its genre. It's a lot smarter and more thought provoking. While there are thrills, and lots of suspense, it's done in a much better way that is of service to the characters and the story, creating a slow build of dread rather than cheap jump scares.A very good movie with excellent acting and casting. Sennia Nanua, who plays Melanie also did a phenomenal job, Gemma Arterton was solid as the protective and caring teacher Helen Justineau. Glenn Close was also good as the Doctor prepared to do almost anything to find a cure for the disease.The whole cast did a very good job and the music complimented rather than overpowered the movie.Worth seeing and I have watched it more than once.

Take John Wyndham's 'The Day of the Triffids' and 'The Midwich Cuckoos' and cross it with George A. Romero's 'Day of the Dead' and you end up with 'The Girl with All the Gifts'. Sounds fun right??? However this film takes itself way to seriously, to take any levity from people turning into mushrooms or tribes of feral, grunting 'Beyond the Thunderdome' 10 y'o's... running a mock in central London. The cinematography is flat, cheep and uninteresting, the music annoying and Paddy Considine is (as always) underused.With a better Director and Writer you could take M R Carey's Novel and turn it into something really interesting, fun and poignant. Sadly this falls way short.

First half of the movie is an effective setup for an interesting look at a zombie apocalypse. But sadly the writing quickly descends into stereotypical dumb horror movie tropes. Then it turns into an episode of the "The Tribe". I never knew it was possible for an actor to "grunt" unconvincingly, but that is on display here. A lot. Some great people in the cast (Close, Arterton and the mighty Considine) but sadly let down by a bad script. The last scene made me laugh out loud it was so cheesy.