I just watched The Hive as part of a one-night-only Fathom theater event. This movie had almost no marketing, which will have made it an incredible moment for those lucky enough to see it on the big screen.
I am a big fan of the zombie genre, and The Hive pays homage to Romero's classic use of the genre to focus on human struggles and social constructs within the breakdown of society. There are running themes of individual experience vs. the collective consciousness and isolation vs. the soma-driven release of free will, that hold strong without coming off as preachy or pedantic. There is a bit of a slow burn here, which leave you wondering if the character-development will be worth it, but the plot is tight, and everything becomes relevant within well written climax.
Considering the low budget, the gore/make-up effects are excellent, and never take you out of the moment. There are some lighting choices that come together as truly gritty and spectacular. For the horror fans out there, I would more classify this one as more of a gruesome psych-thriller, with more dark humor and creeping insanity than pop-outs and cheap scares.
There are definite moments where the acting fell, and where the writing betrays an intelligent audience (a tight plot doesn't need so much spoken internal dialogue), but overall a must VOD, and worth finding the time if Fathom does a second release in theaters. Find it. See it. You won't be disappointed.
I am a big fan of the zombie genre, and The Hive pays homage to Romero's classic use of the genre to focus on human struggles and social constructs within the breakdown of society. There are running themes of individual experience vs. the collective consciousness and isolation vs. the soma-driven release of free will, that hold strong without coming off as preachy or pedantic. There is a bit of a slow burn here, which leave you wondering if the character-development will be worth it, but the plot is tight, and everything becomes relevant within well written climax.
Considering the low budget, the gore/make-up effects are excellent, and never take you out of the moment. There are some lighting choices that come together as truly gritty and spectacular. For the horror fans out there, I would more classify this one as more of a gruesome psych-thriller, with more dark humor and creeping insanity than pop-outs and cheap scares.
There are definite moments where the acting fell, and where the writing betrays an intelligent audience (a tight plot doesn't need so much spoken internal dialogue), but overall a must VOD, and worth finding the time if Fathom does a second release in theaters. Find it. See it. You won't be disappointed.