I hated this when I first started, but found that I couldn't stop watching. I wound up binge-watching the whole season,. Even when I was frsustrated by the characters, and yelling "Close the door behind you,!" "Shoot for the head!", I still couldn't stop watching. In the end I have to admit it was rather genius. A lot of really well choreographied single-shot chase scenes. People who dissed this series should watch again, just for the way certain long shots were handled. And cleverly executed practical effects. The result puts you in the middle of the action. No time for exposition or lengthy philisophical monologues. The dead are coming! RUN! And the frustrating way people acted...? Well, it's easy to think clearly sitting in your living room. Everybody likes to think they'd be just as smart with the undead on their heels. This was good. I admit, I wound up loving it.
1,938 Reviews
Real zombie apocalypse how it would happen. Feels like 28 days later
bugwyrus24 April 2019
It is completly different from ZNation, even if it is in the same universe and has the same creator and director, It is a horror thriller well made. It has the tension, suspense and almost no drama crap. Imagine you surviving a apocalyptic event, what would you do??? The show is told by the characters perspective, and it happens almost like real time, it is a little slow paced in the beggining but the action scenes are vey well filmed. The actors are not known to the general public, but do a terrific job, showing emotions like fear, anger and terror. The script is simple, you dont get to know a lot of the characters, but you are not supposed to. Peaple in a situation like this woldnt talk that much.
I HAVE to say Fear the Walking dead first season, should have been more like this show. It is survivalism, selfishness what is shown here and it is the truth. The lead character is a little like Madison of FTWD... See this show, and forgive its low budget because there is good directing, and this season deserves at least 3 seasons, for us to know the surviving characters. I Give a 8 out 10 for the effort
gripping survival horror
cherold30 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Black Summer is technically a prequel to the brilliant Z-Nation, but in spirit it's closer to the action and horror of the first season of Walking Dead than to the comedic, over-the-top spirit of Z-Nation.
Season 1 starts with a zombie outbreak in a particular neighborhood, with various characters running pell-mell and occasionally crossing paths. This is a continuous part of the series - people going in the same direction who drift apart and together as circumstances demand.
This multiple POV approach allows the series to try some interesting things, one of the best being a moment where we see the world from the POV of a zombie. It's fascinating to run alongside her and see her intentionality; she's not fully human, but she's not just a killing machine either - she's making decisions. It's wild.
A common complaint of the user reviews here is that there is no character development, but I see this as a feature rather than a bug. This is about people constantly facing horrific death. They're not growing and changing beyond learning to survive and handle weapons. They're not building meaningful relationships - everyone you meet will probably be dead soon.
Instead, the series is almost constant, heart-pounding action. Think of it less as a character-driven drama than a survival-horror video game.
In fact, the series is at its weakest when it takes a breath. Episodes in a diner and involving soldiers are both draggy. And the "Heist" episode is decent but the plot (and the fact that it doesn't make a lot of sense) just get in the way of the adrenaline-fueled action of the best episodes. Simply tossing out episodes 5-7 would have made the season a solid 9/10.
Highly recommended. Looking forward to season 2.
Season 1 starts with a zombie outbreak in a particular neighborhood, with various characters running pell-mell and occasionally crossing paths. This is a continuous part of the series - people going in the same direction who drift apart and together as circumstances demand.
This multiple POV approach allows the series to try some interesting things, one of the best being a moment where we see the world from the POV of a zombie. It's fascinating to run alongside her and see her intentionality; she's not fully human, but she's not just a killing machine either - she's making decisions. It's wild.
A common complaint of the user reviews here is that there is no character development, but I see this as a feature rather than a bug. This is about people constantly facing horrific death. They're not growing and changing beyond learning to survive and handle weapons. They're not building meaningful relationships - everyone you meet will probably be dead soon.
Instead, the series is almost constant, heart-pounding action. Think of it less as a character-driven drama than a survival-horror video game.
In fact, the series is at its weakest when it takes a breath. Episodes in a diner and involving soldiers are both draggy. And the "Heist" episode is decent but the plot (and the fact that it doesn't make a lot of sense) just get in the way of the adrenaline-fueled action of the best episodes. Simply tossing out episodes 5-7 would have made the season a solid 9/10.
Highly recommended. Looking forward to season 2.
Stupidity is the real killer - AGAIN
ashchaya21 June 2021
Why can't soneone write a zombie apocalypse story where most people are of average intelligence or higher? Instead the writers always seem to think the only way to create tension is to make 95% of the main characters as dumb as a box of hair.
I get it that people panic and make wrong or silly decisions at times, but to never learn to close a door behind you, or to have 6 people mow down a single zombie with about 100 rounds and not one is a headshot, even though they've seen that this won't stop them. I mean COME ON.
I get it that people panic and make wrong or silly decisions at times, but to never learn to close a door behind you, or to have 6 people mow down a single zombie with about 100 rounds and not one is a headshot, even though they've seen that this won't stop them. I mean COME ON.
I don't understand all the bad reviews?
HazzaGrazza12 April 2019
Don't let the bad reviews put you off, this is a decent zombie watch! I was entertained throughout and it left me wanting a second season for sure.
It follows a group of strangers through the beginnings of a zombie apocolypse, their individual stories, interactions and ultimately connected stories.
It follows a group of strangers through the beginnings of a zombie apocolypse, their individual stories, interactions and ultimately connected stories.
Be like this show
danieljmacfadden-853607 October 2022
There are plenty of zombie shows and movies but this show did very important things right. It felt like an apocalypse you could be in yourself. The only thing this show lacks is star power, something I don't consider a weakness. It's not on display and that's a good thing. The problem with modern audiences is that when I try to sell them on a show the first thing they ask is "who's in it". My favorite thing about this show is how dangerous the zombies are, because let's face it, shooting a zombie in the head is not easy when it's running at you like a maniac. 'The diner' and 'the heist' from season 1 along with 'card game' from season 2 is some of the best story telling I've seen on a show. This is a gem of a show and worth a look.
Nice error from director
olgaiuliana11 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Decent series with potential except that this error could be easily avoided by the director: ep 4, end of Alone part and beginning of Oasis Part , while Lance is in a random car , he is trying to turn engine on back with fully injured and full of blood hand. What happens next? He find this supermarket where his hand is miraculously healed without any injury at all. How it happened? No one realized it or what?
Some the greatest cinematography, acting and editing ever to bad they forgot to hire a writing and directing team
kodaxmax20 June 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Everything looks great, shots are long easy to follow and give the viewer a fantastic idea of the local environment, your rarely left confused as to which room or building you are in or where each character is. The stunt co-ordination for action scenes is top notch, no obvious extras randomly flailing to look busy, no shaky cam or crossing the 180 degree line to confuse everyone.
Where it falls short is the writing, the world building and character actions especially. The world makes little sense, there seems to be way more healthy humans than zombies, fully stocked grocery stores, weeks or months into an apocalypse, complete with electric motion sensor doors. Wounds are super inconsistent one guy might bleed out from a bullet hitting an artery in his leg, as you would expect, while another does a week long hike, survives a fist fight, fleeing from zombies etc.. with an untreated bullet wound in his gut and suffers only a slight cough.
Characters are mind numbingly stupid, constantly dropping or leaving behind weapons and supplies for no reason. Leaving lights on, windows and doors open and unlocked, sitting around awkwardly staring at each other, when they could be securing the building, sleeping or packing supplies. We see them score consecutive headshots on humans at decent ranges, but seem to always aim at the zombies torsos.
Then theirs the dialogues and boy they might be the worst ive ever seen, generally characters will spend minutes just sitting and staring at each other, and i don't mean we cut to a few minutes later, no, we are subjected watching them do nothing for minutes at a time. In fact, the entirety of episode 7 is just silently following characters around, watching them sleep, have dinner and talk absolute nonsense.
90% of their issues would have been solved if they just communicated, but then the lazy ass writers wouldn't be able to crowbar in the drama of people turning on each other arbitrarily.
This feels like alot of very skilled people from the more technical side of filmmaking got together and made a movie, utterly ignoring the importance of story and characters. If this was a game i would call it a tech demo. Something that will look good on the cameramans resume, but hardly a finished show.
Where it falls short is the writing, the world building and character actions especially. The world makes little sense, there seems to be way more healthy humans than zombies, fully stocked grocery stores, weeks or months into an apocalypse, complete with electric motion sensor doors. Wounds are super inconsistent one guy might bleed out from a bullet hitting an artery in his leg, as you would expect, while another does a week long hike, survives a fist fight, fleeing from zombies etc.. with an untreated bullet wound in his gut and suffers only a slight cough.
Characters are mind numbingly stupid, constantly dropping or leaving behind weapons and supplies for no reason. Leaving lights on, windows and doors open and unlocked, sitting around awkwardly staring at each other, when they could be securing the building, sleeping or packing supplies. We see them score consecutive headshots on humans at decent ranges, but seem to always aim at the zombies torsos.
Then theirs the dialogues and boy they might be the worst ive ever seen, generally characters will spend minutes just sitting and staring at each other, and i don't mean we cut to a few minutes later, no, we are subjected watching them do nothing for minutes at a time. In fact, the entirety of episode 7 is just silently following characters around, watching them sleep, have dinner and talk absolute nonsense.
90% of their issues would have been solved if they just communicated, but then the lazy ass writers wouldn't be able to crowbar in the drama of people turning on each other arbitrarily.
This feels like alot of very skilled people from the more technical side of filmmaking got together and made a movie, utterly ignoring the importance of story and characters. If this was a game i would call it a tech demo. Something that will look good on the cameramans resume, but hardly a finished show.
A gritty on the edge of your seat zombie treat
dominicashdown14 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This is my first IMDB review. I felt compelled to support this series after reading some overly negative reviews which I cannot comprehend. Some say the acting is awful. I disagree. Unlike acting in many higher budget series, the acting here is 'natural' shall we say. Realistic. The lines aren't delivered as actors from drama school. They feel unrehearsed adding to the authentic feeling of chaos and break down of everything. The speech in this series is also limited. That's also a good thing as it doesn't distract the viewer from the atmosphere of uncertainty and paranoia. Similarly to Walking Dead, often the humans are as deadly as the undead. There's not much you want to say to someone trying to kill you! And the atmosphere is awful. There is hardly a moment to relax in this short series. Like the characters themselves, it feels as if you are rushing from one awful circumstance to another with barely a pause to rest. The makers of this have captured the panic and chaos of the breakdown of society really well with fast paced editing and clever camerawork. Of course, the Zombies are similar to other Zombies. But the 28 days later approach is the correct one in this case. The Zombies are rabid, crazed, fast and relentless. It forces the pace of each episode to keep rushing along because you can't afford to stay still very long. Yes, you can pick silly little holes in the story like any sci-fi, horror or fictional themed movies. The one that got me was when they stole a load of guns but seemingly no ammunition. Silly, yes, but forgiveable and when you are in sressful environments it is possibly realistic. I haven't watched Z nation. However, this is how I like my Zombie flicks. Dystopian, gritty, adrenaline-fuelled and intelligently made. Even humorous whilst being horrifying. So, don't let the negative reviews put you off giving this a try.
Very impressed
Volstag12 April 2019
I was quite impressed with this show.
It's centered around the early days of a zombie apocalypse, and those who have to live through it. It adopts an almost documentary style that I found to be particularly effective.
I really enjoy the fact that the characters are always on the run and that no place is safe. The zombie menace is omnipresent and the zombies are actually, you know, deadly and aggressive. Even a lone zombie can be a real handful. It almost feels like a war movie. The characters are clearly shell shocked as the world they used to know collapses around them. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I enjoy the fact that the dialog is minimal, as it better represents the horror these people are living through. In other zombie shows, they'd be drinking lemonade at a farmhouse whilst spending 3/4 of the season endlessly talking about their feelings.
Now granted there is some "cheese", some questionable decision making by the characters, but you can't have a zombie show w/o some of it.
I sincerely hope this continues. It's better than Z-Nation, and miles better than TWD (which I used to love). I have no way of knowing, but appears there's some review "brigading" going on. I'm guessing it's the devoted fans of TWD.
It's centered around the early days of a zombie apocalypse, and those who have to live through it. It adopts an almost documentary style that I found to be particularly effective.
I really enjoy the fact that the characters are always on the run and that no place is safe. The zombie menace is omnipresent and the zombies are actually, you know, deadly and aggressive. Even a lone zombie can be a real handful. It almost feels like a war movie. The characters are clearly shell shocked as the world they used to know collapses around them. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I enjoy the fact that the dialog is minimal, as it better represents the horror these people are living through. In other zombie shows, they'd be drinking lemonade at a farmhouse whilst spending 3/4 of the season endlessly talking about their feelings.
Now granted there is some "cheese", some questionable decision making by the characters, but you can't have a zombie show w/o some of it.
I sincerely hope this continues. It's better than Z-Nation, and miles better than TWD (which I used to love). I have no way of knowing, but appears there's some review "brigading" going on. I'm guessing it's the devoted fans of TWD.
Enjoyed season 1 but in season 2 they all deserved to die.
iGlad20 June 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Season 2 and we don't know what transpired from the end of season 1 however mother and daughter have turned into psychopaths with guns ablazing.
The roaming bands of lunatics with guns are just a bit too much as they all seem to lack any common sense.
The case in point entering the room does one leave their axe at the door?
The dropped supplies surely you'd use the webbing to carry the boxes of supplies but not the damn crate. That was totally illogical.
Crazy mother was going to shoot Boone as he got lost and couldn't find the ski resort. It defies any kind of logic except these people were now savages.
I found it all a bit too much and I do hope there's no season 3.
The roaming bands of lunatics with guns are just a bit too much as they all seem to lack any common sense.
The case in point entering the room does one leave their axe at the door?
The dropped supplies surely you'd use the webbing to carry the boxes of supplies but not the damn crate. That was totally illogical.
Crazy mother was going to shoot Boone as he got lost and couldn't find the ski resort. It defies any kind of logic except these people were now savages.
I found it all a bit too much and I do hope there's no season 3.
Relax, Don't Compare and Just ENJOY
tdwillis-2627313 April 2019
I am a loyal TWD fan so in between seasons to quench that Zombie thirst, I dug and searched and searched and dug and watched literally hundreds of shows in the Zombie/post apocalyptic genra. I'll tell you what there are some pretty terrible ones out there with very few gems. This one is a GEM.
Some critics talk about how the characters are unbelievable stupid and mentions a few plot holes. I certainly can not disagree with those statements. Yet there was so much action going on and the plot moved so quickly that I was able to let those things go easily and not let it hinder the fun I was having in watching the show. I would say that if you are the kind of person that notices details easily and lets them bother you enough to ruin the show then maybe you should skip this one....which really is too bad)
The acting is excellent, comparable to famous and well regarded actors and actresses in Hollywood. The direction was awesome, the sound affects and score was right on and the editing very well done. The camera work and lighting was also top notch...(I have never been a fan of the shaky camera during high action scenes but again this technique was not used so often or sloppily that it bothered me)
I was pleasantly surprised by the many quick twists and turns that came out of no where and kept me glued to the show.
I believe that they have the start of something really good here.....I hope that they listen to the audiences and make those few minor adjustments with the next season to pull this all together on an even higher level.
One of the other MAJOR things I enjoyed was that although there was some serious Zombie ass kicking done, it was done with the PERFECT amount pf blood and violence. In other words the blood/gore/violence/killing was NOT one of the major characters and with as much action as there was, there was not one scene I can recall where it went over board just for the sake of highlighting the violence just for the SLASHER lovers sake.
I binged watched the first season and I am hoping that more people will write some critiques and that the movie makers will take it into consideration....I have HIGH hopes for this show and since TWD is wrapping up quickly we are going to need a replacement. Something in the genra but a little different. Which this one surely is can can be!
Goodie
Tweetienator9 July 2021
Like many reviewers before stated - the production is good, the acting too, and it got some really suspenseful moments, but, and this is almost pretty standard these days, the behavior of the people is sometimes too stupid to believe (for example standing in the middle of a road and screaming for help in the middle of nowhere will not help your matter, I take any bet), and last but not least, to cite Lord of the Flies is an overused and boring approach these days, just saying. Anyway, Black Summer is solid and sometimes even good and beats easy everything TWD and FTWD delivered over the past few years/seasons. If you (still) like to watch zombies (like I do), Black Summer will be a really pleasant surprise and experience.
So stupid
chi_town_fed27 June 2021
This is by far the dumbest plot I've seen in some time. Groups of people simply wandering around killing each other at random. Of course this results in more zombies and fewer comrades to fight them off.
What an utterly stupid plot. Each episode is the same. Either a bunch of talking about nothing or never ending shootouts. I wonder how they manage to carry an endless supply of ammo.
"Hey! Over there! It's a bunch of people!!! Let's go there and shoot them all. Then let's shoot them again when they become zombies." "Wow! That's an excellent idea!!!" "Don't worry. We will miraculously find more ammo along the way no matter where we go." "Also, when they are dead we will have less people to rebuild society." "You are a genius."
What an utterly stupid plot. Each episode is the same. Either a bunch of talking about nothing or never ending shootouts. I wonder how they manage to carry an endless supply of ammo.
"Hey! Over there! It's a bunch of people!!! Let's go there and shoot them all. Then let's shoot them again when they become zombies." "Wow! That's an excellent idea!!!" "Don't worry. We will miraculously find more ammo along the way no matter where we go." "Also, when they are dead we will have less people to rebuild society." "You are a genius."
Kill Em' All!!!
CaptainCookiePuss21 June 2021
Warning: Spoilers
First season was pretty good. I couldn't wait for season 2 as I love the fast running infected type zombies.
The writing for season 2 just seemed bad. There were so many things that didn't make sense. Like why are there two groups of people killing each other for seemingly no reason? Why do characters run away from a single infected when they're holding a gun!? Why would you leave a mecca stocked with food and electricity? That ski lodge was like an oasis in a desert and they want to leave after a single day to find a plane that they don't even know where it goes.
I love the action and enjoy seeing the characters die as they're all pretty annoying. The only one I like is the Korean woman and that's mainly because she doesn't say stupid sht or kill people for literally no reason. I'm hoping the mother and daughter die in season 3!
The writing for season 2 just seemed bad. There were so many things that didn't make sense. Like why are there two groups of people killing each other for seemingly no reason? Why do characters run away from a single infected when they're holding a gun!? Why would you leave a mecca stocked with food and electricity? That ski lodge was like an oasis in a desert and they want to leave after a single day to find a plane that they don't even know where it goes.
I love the action and enjoy seeing the characters die as they're all pretty annoying. The only one I like is the Korean woman and that's mainly because she doesn't say stupid sht or kill people for literally no reason. I'm hoping the mother and daughter die in season 3!
Season 2 - Currency/ The ridge
zatbmmj30 June 2021
Warning: Spoilers
So they found a supply box in the woods and decided to carry that big ass box over the ridge as a group.. they have to push upwards a very steep slope... erm, why don't they proceed to open up the box and take turns carrying the smaller boxes? Wouldn't that make a lot more sense???
Incredibly dark
HillaryK1314 April 2019
Genuinely scary and disconcerting.
This show is the darkest zombie program I have seen. There are no "good guys" like you see in TWD, 28 Days Later, Dawn of the Dead, etc. The characters here are human in the sense of survival at any cost.
The acting, directing, cinematography, all are excellent. Every episode has an atmosphere that is unsettling and terrifying.
I highly recommend looking past the negative reviews and giving this show a chance.
This show is the darkest zombie program I have seen. There are no "good guys" like you see in TWD, 28 Days Later, Dawn of the Dead, etc. The characters here are human in the sense of survival at any cost.
The acting, directing, cinematography, all are excellent. Every episode has an atmosphere that is unsettling and terrifying.
I highly recommend looking past the negative reviews and giving this show a chance.
Not as bad as you'd think
jimj-9765517 April 2019
I wanted to like it, but I just couldn't....
hockler-1808012 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I'm a huge fan of the zombie genre, and I think if you do it right it still hasn't been beaten to death yet. There's still life left in the undead, as far as I'm concerned. But when it's good it's awesome, like the first few seasons of The Walking Dead, and when it's bad it's bloody awful.
The creators of this show have a good cast, and the acting is perfectly fine for a show of this pedigree. Cinematography is great. Suspense-building for the jump-scares that may or may not come are overused, but usually well executed.
But as with most "bad" zombie shows, the problem lies with the scripts -- usually written by Hollywood types who, between tokes of weed, just simply suck at anticipating what human beings actually do in a crisis as they write. They don't know anything about psychology, they don't know anything about guns, they don't know anything about the military -- they just want to make a show that manipulates emotions, often on the level of your average CW programming.
I was only able to watch the first three episodes, and once I saw that last one go full-on Lord of the Flies, I knew I couldn't continue. It was a stunningly stupid premise for how people (in this case children) would behave six weeks into a disaster.
I don't want to include any spoilers, but the show is fraught with unrealistic dialog, reactions, thinking, planning, etc., and it was just painful to watch. The whole point of a survival drama is to examine how people in the modern world adapt to a crisis that takes the modern world away from them. These showrunners did a terrible job at that most important piece of this kind of storytelling.
The creators of this show have a good cast, and the acting is perfectly fine for a show of this pedigree. Cinematography is great. Suspense-building for the jump-scares that may or may not come are overused, but usually well executed.
But as with most "bad" zombie shows, the problem lies with the scripts -- usually written by Hollywood types who, between tokes of weed, just simply suck at anticipating what human beings actually do in a crisis as they write. They don't know anything about psychology, they don't know anything about guns, they don't know anything about the military -- they just want to make a show that manipulates emotions, often on the level of your average CW programming.
I was only able to watch the first three episodes, and once I saw that last one go full-on Lord of the Flies, I knew I couldn't continue. It was a stunningly stupid premise for how people (in this case children) would behave six weeks into a disaster.
I don't want to include any spoilers, but the show is fraught with unrealistic dialog, reactions, thinking, planning, etc., and it was just painful to watch. The whole point of a survival drama is to examine how people in the modern world adapt to a crisis that takes the modern world away from them. These showrunners did a terrible job at that most important piece of this kind of storytelling.
Flaws and All, I'm Hooked
view_and_review12 April 2019
Black Summer is a zombie apocalypse series. There will never be another TV series about zombies except that it will be compared to "The Walking Dead." TWD set the standard for a zombie serial. So, it goes without saying that I was going to compare Black Summer to TWD, whether I did it wittingly or unwittingly.
Well, you know a show is good when you binge watch it. I knocked out this 8 episode season in two days. Black Summer is pretty much TWD at the beginning again. There's chaos and pandemonium, alliances and divisions just as you would expect. Many of the characters are compelling and their language is not checked by having to be on cable TV. There was a lot I liked about this show, there were some things I didn't like, and some things I thought happened too rapidly.
I liked the characters the show followed which is the most important thing. I even liked the various situations they found themselves in. They give very little information about each character which means... Oh Joy!... not a lot of time spent on boring expositions. They give just enough information to pique your curiosity, decide if you want to swipe left or right on the character, and whether you want them to live or die. Yaayuh! But that means that some characters remain a bit of a mystery throughout. No problem, I can decide if I like him/her or not as we go.
I didn't like how everyone pretends they've never heard of zombies. What do I mean by that? Well, the term zombies, living dead, walking dead, etc. Is never used. The furthest they would go was to call them "infected." But come on. This movie is taking place in modern day America; not one of them has seen a movie, show, or book about zombies??? With that ignorance comes ignorance on how to kill the somnambulus beings. No one can figure out that it takes a head shot to kill the zombies hence the tremendous waste of energy and ammunition trying to neutralize the living dead. The head shots that did occur were by happenstance. It just frustrated me to no end to see people wasting dozens of rounds shooting these deadheads in the torso.
Frustration aside--and it was a big one--I liked the show. The characters had clear goals early on and sought out to achieve them. You saw the good, the bad, and the ugly just as you really would. There was intelligent planning as well as stark stupidity. Plus, I like the camera shots. It reminded me a bit of "Children of Men" with Clive Owen and Julianne Moore when they had long uncut shots of action as if they were an embedded cameraman. I like those close-up, long, uncut shots just following the action. It makes everything so much more visceral and real. Black Summer has staying power. Flaws and all, I'm hooked.
Well, you know a show is good when you binge watch it. I knocked out this 8 episode season in two days. Black Summer is pretty much TWD at the beginning again. There's chaos and pandemonium, alliances and divisions just as you would expect. Many of the characters are compelling and their language is not checked by having to be on cable TV. There was a lot I liked about this show, there were some things I didn't like, and some things I thought happened too rapidly.
I liked the characters the show followed which is the most important thing. I even liked the various situations they found themselves in. They give very little information about each character which means... Oh Joy!... not a lot of time spent on boring expositions. They give just enough information to pique your curiosity, decide if you want to swipe left or right on the character, and whether you want them to live or die. Yaayuh! But that means that some characters remain a bit of a mystery throughout. No problem, I can decide if I like him/her or not as we go.
I didn't like how everyone pretends they've never heard of zombies. What do I mean by that? Well, the term zombies, living dead, walking dead, etc. Is never used. The furthest they would go was to call them "infected." But come on. This movie is taking place in modern day America; not one of them has seen a movie, show, or book about zombies??? With that ignorance comes ignorance on how to kill the somnambulus beings. No one can figure out that it takes a head shot to kill the zombies hence the tremendous waste of energy and ammunition trying to neutralize the living dead. The head shots that did occur were by happenstance. It just frustrated me to no end to see people wasting dozens of rounds shooting these deadheads in the torso.
Frustration aside--and it was a big one--I liked the show. The characters had clear goals early on and sought out to achieve them. You saw the good, the bad, and the ugly just as you really would. There was intelligent planning as well as stark stupidity. Plus, I like the camera shots. It reminded me a bit of "Children of Men" with Clive Owen and Julianne Moore when they had long uncut shots of action as if they were an embedded cameraman. I like those close-up, long, uncut shots just following the action. It makes everything so much more visceral and real. Black Summer has staying power. Flaws and all, I'm hooked.
Yes its apocalipse human behaviour
oguzhandundar_916 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Fast running zombies are thrill not like walking dead 1km per hour paced zombies . Too many resource left in this world markets full of food, cars, gasoline etc but people fighting over for barely something. Why did you leave lodge full of everything you dont know where you going with plane ör what's the sitiation there. That girl is nuts, just take a shower or relax for a second god damn. She make me uncomfartable always at the edge. There isnt much of a story but survival . Overall not bad but too much flaws also could be so much better. I can say its realistic show, people can behave like that in any apocalipse.
illogical unrealistic psychopaths
lukebenjaminjones9 July 2021
Season one was OK but a bit forgettable, season two had some great cinematography but there was too much other rubbish that ruined it for me.
The corny chapter titles every 5 minutes became infuriating but were obviously needed to try and help stick everything together because for some reason the directors needlessly jumped forward and backward in time every 5 minutes. Some of the long single shot cuts where we'll done but again ruined by horrible story telling. Apparently no one knows about the head shot rule for killing zombies?? Leaving doors open unnecessarily is a thing.. the protagonist mother and daughter are now just killing anyone and aren't likeable at all, and that's fine for a gritty zombie movie... if the actions of the characters were true to human character.
I really wanted to like this but it was just more frustrating than anything.
The corny chapter titles every 5 minutes became infuriating but were obviously needed to try and help stick everything together because for some reason the directors needlessly jumped forward and backward in time every 5 minutes. Some of the long single shot cuts where we'll done but again ruined by horrible story telling. Apparently no one knows about the head shot rule for killing zombies?? Leaving doors open unnecessarily is a thing.. the protagonist mother and daughter are now just killing anyone and aren't likeable at all, and that's fine for a gritty zombie movie... if the actions of the characters were true to human character.
I really wanted to like this but it was just more frustrating than anything.
Chill out people
mykulab12 April 2019
Honestly, people criticising how the zombies act or what they do. Zombies aren't real!! They can do whatever the hell you want them to do. Its crammed with action, its zombies being zombies. Just be a zombie fan and stop moaning. At least there isn't 5 filler episodes a season like in the walking dead.
It's a fresh approach to a zombie series
zharkov196815 April 2019
Dumber than a Bag of Hammers
Rob_Taylor13 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Somehow this series escaped my attention when it first aired. Sadly, I discovered it recently and honestly, I wish it had continued to escape my attention.
The first two episodes are not too terrible but then it rapidly goes downhill from there. We have a terrible rip-off of Lord of the Flies in one episode where, despite it being relatively soon after the zomb-pocalypse, children are forming tribes and murdering people. Why? For what purpose?
The power is still on. The stores are full of goods. There are plenty of vehicles everywhere. Yet people act is if there is nothing for them to scavenge. They walk rather than drive. Everyone is either part of the survivor group, a zombie, or out to screw over anyone they meet.
When zombies appear, the characters run away and leave doors wide open behind them. They act in the most idiotic and dangerous manner possible and when they finally wise up and decide they need weapons, they come up with a ridiculously convoluted plan to rob an outpost run by military types that have gone rogue. Remind me again how many guns there are in America? Is this really the only way they can get guns? Wouldn't simply searching the abandoned houses be a far safer option?
In short, this series is another in the "Do dumb crap....further the plot" school of writing. That, plus the pretentious "break the episode into segments with title-cards" nonsense that no doubt makes the creators feel very clever and awesome.
You will not care for any of the people in this show. They are dumb, act dumber and do nothing a normal person would do in the situations they find themselves in.
I mean, some of them even act as if they are mentally challenged. The deaf guy who seems delighted to bang on a drum and feel the vibrations, apparently oblivious to the actual noise he is creating. The bearded guy who, having become separated from the group, goes shopping in a store as if he was stocking up for a barbecue, complete with beer.
All of this in a zombie apocalypse.
Now, some of these characters die off and, when they do, there is no feeling of sadness or empathy, because honestly, they deserved it.
To be honest, if you found yourself coming across this group in the apocalypse, you'd quickly ditch them and go your own way. All they succeed in doing is getting themselves and each other killed. You'd be fine, safe in the knowledge that these idiots would draw all the zombies to them. All twenty or so zombies you ever see, that is.
SUMMARY: Bad writing. Really BAD! Characters you won't care about. Idiotic "dumbness drives the plot" writing and a docu-style of presentation that will irritate you very quickly. NOT recommended!
The first two episodes are not too terrible but then it rapidly goes downhill from there. We have a terrible rip-off of Lord of the Flies in one episode where, despite it being relatively soon after the zomb-pocalypse, children are forming tribes and murdering people. Why? For what purpose?
The power is still on. The stores are full of goods. There are plenty of vehicles everywhere. Yet people act is if there is nothing for them to scavenge. They walk rather than drive. Everyone is either part of the survivor group, a zombie, or out to screw over anyone they meet.
When zombies appear, the characters run away and leave doors wide open behind them. They act in the most idiotic and dangerous manner possible and when they finally wise up and decide they need weapons, they come up with a ridiculously convoluted plan to rob an outpost run by military types that have gone rogue. Remind me again how many guns there are in America? Is this really the only way they can get guns? Wouldn't simply searching the abandoned houses be a far safer option?
In short, this series is another in the "Do dumb crap....further the plot" school of writing. That, plus the pretentious "break the episode into segments with title-cards" nonsense that no doubt makes the creators feel very clever and awesome.
You will not care for any of the people in this show. They are dumb, act dumber and do nothing a normal person would do in the situations they find themselves in.
I mean, some of them even act as if they are mentally challenged. The deaf guy who seems delighted to bang on a drum and feel the vibrations, apparently oblivious to the actual noise he is creating. The bearded guy who, having become separated from the group, goes shopping in a store as if he was stocking up for a barbecue, complete with beer.
All of this in a zombie apocalypse.
Now, some of these characters die off and, when they do, there is no feeling of sadness or empathy, because honestly, they deserved it.
To be honest, if you found yourself coming across this group in the apocalypse, you'd quickly ditch them and go your own way. All they succeed in doing is getting themselves and each other killed. You'd be fine, safe in the knowledge that these idiots would draw all the zombies to them. All twenty or so zombies you ever see, that is.
SUMMARY: Bad writing. Really BAD! Characters you won't care about. Idiotic "dumbness drives the plot" writing and a docu-style of presentation that will irritate you very quickly. NOT recommended!
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