In the realm of horror, zombies have traditionally been associated with chilling dread. A terror gradually crescendoing in the pit of your stomach, an impending catastrophe that you are helpless against. On these parameters, Thea Hvistendahl’s 'Handling the Undead’ serves as an excellent new-age zombie film. It categorically veers from the explosive novelty of speed, instead basking in the insidious slowness of terror.
Defined aptly as a “drama with horror elements,” Hvistendahl's film provides her own spin on classic horror scenarios while exploring three interconnected storylines. The film excels in its minimalist style with little dialogue, overcast lighting, and a series of powerfully composed tableaus.
The primary intrigue comes from a simple question: How would society respond realistically if the dead rose from the graves? The film brilliantly couples practical reactions to a freak electromagnetic event with the evocative tug of grief and desperate longing for lost loved ones.
When the characters respond to their newly-resurrected loved ones, their interactions are infused with sorrow, desperation, and irrationality. The happiness from a reunion with a 'deceased' loved one shadows a challenging truth: the unsettling reality that their loved ones are back from the depths of death.
In addition to excellent performances, the film takes viewers on a moving journey of frozen grief and false hope, unraveling over approximately 97 somber minutes. The characters' optimism proves to be a doomed endeavor, providing a poignant backdrop for the interaction between the grieving humans and their resurrected loved ones.
Despite its measured pace, Hvistendahl's 'Handling the Undead' becomes engaging and sometimes bewitching, effectively using prolonged shots and building tension. Although it sometimes falls flat and threatens to break the carefully constructed atmosphere, these instances are occasional, and the film maintains its firm grip. Shedding conventional fast-paced action, 'Handling the Undead' presents a fresh perspective on zombies, reserving it exclusively for those with a taste for slow-burn horror.
