Carriers (2009) User Reviews

Good, but somewhat slow Horror-Drama-Mix

[huettnera · 7/10 · 1 September 2009]

I just left the screening of "Carriers". It was the opening Movie on this years Fantasy Film Fest. At least here in Munich. Well, my first reaction to this film was something like "Wow... this where long 90 Minutes". Most of the other crowd thought the same and their comments where quite similar to mine. Meaning: Good, but a bit slow.

This Movie needs a little tightening to speed it up a little bit. It does a lot of things right! The characters are worked out properly, the camera-work is top notch and the acting is very good. But sometimes there are scenes, that last too long. You know where the Directors want to go, you know how the scene will play out in the end, but it still goes on and on and on... So again: a little trimming would do the film good!

Well, and then there is this whole "Wrong Marketing"-Thing. At least here in Germany they try to sell this movie as a Horror-Movie. That's just wrong. Sure, there are the classic Horror-Elements, but overall "Carriers" is a strong, heavy Drama. There is virtually NO Action and even less gore in it. Instead there are long dialogs, dramatic events and more dialogs. That's fine with me, but it makes the movie hard to find it's audience. The GoreHounds will be disappointed by the lack of blood and guts and the Drama-Fans will be pushed away by the apocalyptic Elements...

So. Once again: "Carriers" has great potential but is a little bit to slow and to heavy on the drama to pass as a great movie.

Another "Deadly Virus Genre" Movie

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 14 May 2010]

In a world devastated by an outbreak, Brian (Chris Pine), his girlfriend Bobby (Piper Perabo), his brother Danny (Lou Taylor Pucci) and their friend Kate (Emily VanCamp) are heading to a beach where the brothers spent vacations in their childhood, and they expect to be a sanctuary. When their car breaks on the road in the desert, they negotiate with a man called Frank (Christopher Meloni) that run out of gas while driving his infected daughter Jodie (Kiernan Shipka) to the hospital and they travel together. Along the journey, Bobby tries to help Jodie but is contaminated by her blood; however, she does not disclose the truth to Brian and her friends. Further, they lose their humanity in their fight for survive.

"Carriers" is another "deadly virus genre" movie that uses the same premise of dozens of films and maybe the greatest difference is that there are no zombies in the plot. The beginning of the dramatic and hopeless story is not well-developed and does not explain the origins of the outbreak. The plot is indeed about the lost of humanity by the survivors, and in this regard the film is bitter and gives absolutely no hope to the human race. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Virus" ("Virus")

Note: On 11 Dec 2020, I saw this film again. In times of COVID-19 pandemic, this film is scarier and darker. The origin of the pandemic is apparently in China based on the scene of the man died on the road through the desert. My note is seven.

Just as it begins to 'carry' you away, the credits roll...

[the_rattlesnake25 · 5/10 · 18 December 2009]

The key, unequivocal problem with the Pastor Brothers film 'Carriers' is that it just doesn't go anywhere: it begins, eighty minutes go by, and then the credits roll. The narrative just trudges along from start to finish without further challenging the audience or without placing further emphasis on the dramatic choices at hand. Which is disappointing as this film had a lot of unearthed potential that would have certainly set it apart from simply being 'just another zombie/pandemic' film. Instead, it is unfortunately, just another viral pandemic flick.

Brian (Chris Pine), his brother Danny (Lou Pucci) and their two female friends Bobby (Piper Perabo) and Kate (Emily VanCamp) are your four typical just-out-of-college kids who are on the road to nowhere, literally. After a viral outbreak incapacitates almost the entire population of the United States and potentially the world, they decide to hit the road and hopefully find somewhere to stay or somebody to engage with who is free of the virus.

'Carriers' would be more aptly placed in the drama genre than the horror or thriller section of the local video store as nothing as note actually takes place in regards to the latter genres. There are maybe two or three scenes ranging from two to three minutes in length which contain some suspenseful elements, however the rest of the film is rather conventional. Even regarding the lack of blood and on screen violence, after all, the central on screen element is the deteriorating relationships between the characters.

When the teens encounter Frank (Christopher Meloni) and his infected, young daughter Jodie (Kiernan Shipka) in the middle of a desolate stretch of road just waiting for somebody to "lend them some fuel," the first of a few moralistic situations are shoved towards the audience. Would you leave them? Would you help them? The crux of 'Carriers' is based around one simple principle; don't help anybody infected, not matter how young or how vulnerable they are and YOU will stay alive. And it's how the characters engage with these various situations which they encounter along their journey, and this manages to breathe a little life into this heavily deflated film.

Chris Pine, pre Star Trek, gives a brilliant performance as the brother who has had the emotional consciousness beaten out of him throughout the pandemic to the point the where the survival of himself and his younger brother is the only objective. While Lou Pucci, who portrays Brian's younger brother Danny, also pulls out an equally inspiring performance as the younger brother who is constantly fighting with his conscience with regards to the tough decisions that Brian has to make.

If Alex and David Pastor were given the opportunity to go back and shoot around thirty-to-forty minutes worth of extra footage, then 'Carriers' would have the potential to be a very good film. Instead, however, we are left with a film so short in length that once we have just connected and engaged with the characters and their desperate situations the credits begin to roll and the lights come up leaving you feeling incredibly empty inside and asking one brief question; "Is that it?"

Decent Thriller

[Raage · 8/10 · 4 September 2009]

It's hard for me to precisely categorize this movie. Drama? Sure. Thriller? For sure. Horror? Mmm, I don't think so. It's funny, because it's hard not to label the movie horror, seeing as how it deals with a grotesque infection, that spreads worldwide terror and brings civilization to its knees. However, the infected aren't the antagonists here. Once you've been infected, you're basically already dead.

Ultimately I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. After reading other comments here, it seems the general consensus is that the pace is too sluggish. I'd have to agree that it was a long 90 minutes, but as someone who is prone to falling asleep during movies, especially after an 8 hour shift, my interest was effortlessly sustained throughout the movie.

The production values here are top notch. I was never bothered by bad acting (or at least too bad). The cast fit my tastes, maybe only falling short with Piper Perabo, but that would only be nit-picking. The photography wasn't jaw-dropping, or even slightly innovative, but it was still more than adequate.

What actually impressed me most was the writing. There are some real gems in there, but mentioning them would be spoiling some great scenes. I seemed to sense some anti-religious or religious undertones, however I honestly can't decide which. I suppose that's what I liked so much about it, the morality was left quite vague.

Anyway, a solid effort. It's possibly lacking some more gore, and action, but that also could have just made it tasteless. I would recommend this to anyone who's a fan of biological horror, but I'd say ultimately you should see it for the story, and not the action.

As Average As Average Gets

[DeviousMrBlonde · 6/10 · 4 September 2009]

I was at the "World Premiere" tonight at the Fantasy Filmfest in Hamburg and I have to say Carriers was completely underwhelming. I liked the general premise but every step of the story is driven plot turns which feel more and more forced and only seemingly take place to get the story as far as the MacGuffin, in this case a secluded beach where the characters will be able to hide from disease and humans alike.

On top of that the characters of the brothers become annoyingly cliché as each lives up to their sensitive-liberal-brain/makes-the-hard-decisions-conservative-brawn stereotypes. It's a pity because the film does make some hard and interesting decisions with the characters but the ideas simply aren't there to keep the tension and overall story steaming along.

A very very average film which is well made and is still worth a view but ultimately disposable.

Epilogue - why does there always have to be a scene in American apocalypse films where the characters inappropriately fondle an American flag to dramatic music? The scene was completely out of place in a film that plays it straight and realistic the whole way through.

I've never rooted so much for the hero's death.

[jennifer626 · 5/10 · 14 October 2019]

The movie revolves around the fate of 4 unpleasant millennials mid-way through an apocalypse caused by a gruesome virus. They've instituted rules that are meant to keep them from getting infected. Some of these seem rational, like "disinfect stuff touched by decaying people."

Too bad they didn't include rules like "let's avoid acting like the cast of Jackass." I don't want to spoil their clever pranks, so I'll compare them to the geniuses who tried to drive blindfolded using only the GPS, like Sandra Bullock in Birdbox.

There are predictable lessons about karma, a few mild jump scares, and plenty of times to take bathroom breaks.

Wait a minute...it's not a zombie flick...

[Chrysanthepop · 25 April 2011]

It's no zombie flick. Unlike most virus flicks, 'Carrier' focuses on the emotional and psychological aspect of the survivors especially their struggle when they have to leave one of their own behind (or even commit the act of taking their life) in order to ensure their own survival and the despair of the soon-to-be-deceased after they have been abandoned on their own to die a slow painful death. Yes, there are a few jump sequences and a few clichéd 'horror' scenes where the infected scare and chase the survivors. In my opinion, most of these sequences weren't even necessary. Yet, the writing is mostly good and the atmosphere is well-created (even though nothing outstanding). The cinematography too is adequate. The two female leads lacked character development. Even so, Piper Perabo manages to somewhat rise above, especially in her final sequences and Emily VanCamp fails to impress. Chris Pine is quite irritating while Lou Taylor Pucci carries the movie. Christopher Meloni does a brilliant job in a supporting role. 'Carriers' is quite a change from the traditional zombie flick and even though it doesn't match up to 'The Road', it's a decent effort.

Virus strain storyline overdone?

[thekyles99 · 6/10 · 1 June 2010]

Watched this one on a whim and also cause i wanted to see something else Chris Pine (young capt kirk) did. He is a pretty good actor and i look forward to seeing more of him in the future. This movie is surprisingly very good! However just be forewarned its another virus strain infection storyline that i think is being overdone as of late. U want to see a good virus strain movie be sure to catch either 28 days later or its sequel 28 weeks later. Like i said earlier this is a well acted and often suspenseful movie about 4 young people just trying to survive a serious viral outbreak and get to the ocean where they aren't certain is clean but its where the two brothers grew up and would be a nice place to end if it comes to that.A good watch!

Thrilling film about mysterious epidemic spreads across the planet , being well directed by Spanish filmmakers David and Alex Pastor

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 16 August 2013]

Intrigue, intense drama , action and suspense film about a deadly and rapacious virus spread by means of infection and contagion . This interesting film is set a few years from now, a dangerous, desolate world of the future where a virus outbreaks , annihilates population and there rules the strongest law . As four friends fleeing a viral pandemic soon learn they are more dangerous than any virus . They are : Brian (Chris Pine) , his girlfriend Bobby (Piper Perabo) , his brother Danny (Lou Taylor Pucci) and their friend, Kate (Emily VanCamp) . Their rules are simple , you break them, you die ... They take extreme necessary measures to stop the rapacious epidemic . When their car breaks down on the road and stranded in desert they agree a covenant with a man named Frank (Christopher Meloni) who carries his ill little daughter (Shipka) . The virus expands rapidly and they look for a doctor (Mark Moses) who has found a healing potion .

Suspense thriller that deals with an intense drama , a special relationship among two brothers and intrigue about a deadly virus is spread by contagion . The pictures results to be a metaphor for AIDS panic in the same way that 50s extraterrestrial films mirrored fears of Red Menace . Nice performance for a promising all-star-cast as Chris Pine , future ¨Star Trek's captain Kirk¨ , Piper Perabo of ¨Covert affairs¨ , Emily VanCamp of ¨Revenge¨ and Christopher Meloni of ¨Law and order¨. Colorful and appropriate cinematography by Benoît Debie . Stirring and adequate musical score by Peter Nashel . Good direction by Pastor Brothers who do have its thrilling moments , most of them in the first half , though the second half being mostly dramatic and tragic . The motion picture was compellingly realized by David and Alex Pastor . They offer us an intelligent flick of the apocalyptic world movie, intimate and committed . This one resulted to be their first film and David and Alex Pastor Brothers have directed in 2013 ,¨The Last days¨ , with Quim Gutierrez , Jose Coronado , Marta Etura ; also dealing with a strange virus in which humanity develops an irrational fear of open that causes instant death , as the world population is trapped inside buildings and Barcelona descends into chaos . ¨Carriers¨ rating : Better than average . Well worth watching .

Could have been something, but wasn't

[fung0 · 2/10 · 5 December 2009]

There's a good movie lurking here, but this isn't it. The basic idea is good: to explore the moral issues that would face a group of young survivors of the apocalypse. But the logic is so muddled that it's impossible to get involved.

For example, our four heroes are (understandably) paranoid about catching the mysterious airborne contagion that's wiped out virtually all of mankind. Yet they wear surgical masks some times, not others. Some times they're fanatical about wiping down with bleach any area touched by an infected person. Other times, they seem completely unconcerned.

Worse, after apparently surviving some weeks or months in this new kill-or-be-killed world, these people constantly behave like total newbs. They don't bother accumulating proper equipment, or food. They're forever running out of fuel in the middle of nowhere. They don't take elementary precautions when meeting strangers. And after wading through the rotting corpses of the entire human race, they're as squeamish as sheltered debutantes. You have to constantly wonder how they could have survived this long... and even if they did, why anyone would want to make a movie about them.

So when these dweebs stop to agonize over the moral dimensions of their actions, it's impossible to take their soul-searching seriously. Their actions would first have to make some kind of minimal sense.

On top of all this, we must contend with the dubious acting abilities of Chris Pine. His portrayal of an arrogant young James T Kirk might have seemed shrewd, when viewed in isolation. But in Carriers he plays on exactly that same note: arrogant and boneheaded. It's impossible not to suspect that this constitutes his entire dramatic range.

On the positive side, the film *looks* excellent. It's got an over-sharp, saturated look that really suits the southwestern US locale. But that can't save the truly feeble writing nor the paper-thin (and annoying) characters. Even if you're a fan of the end-of-the-world genre, you should save yourself the agony of watching Carriers.

Clear lack of survival mentality

[cashbacher · 5/10 · 29 March 2020]

While the premise of this movie is very relevant to the current state of the world, (Covid-19)the actions by the major players is at best lame and often reaches the point of stupid. An extremely deadly virus has been unleashed on the world and it is almost universally fatal. Two young men and two young women are in a car traveling to a seaside resort where the two boys spent a considerable amount of time in their youth. It takes a bit of time before these facts are clear to the viewer. The four of them have masks and a lot of bleach and are very cautious about contact with anything that could possible be contagious. At first, they seem very knowledgeable about their situation and what they need to do to survive. The two men are brothers, but the exact situation regarding the two women is unclear. It does not take long before the intelligence declines and the stupidity rises. When their car is irretrievably broken, the older brother (the leader) takes out his pistol and does some target practice on a political campaign sign. No one with any real sense of their situation would have wasted precious ammunition like that. Some of their actions appear incredibly foolish once it becomes clear just how deadly the virus is. They arrive at a Center for Disease Control base only to find little more than death and a sense of futility. Almost no one is left alive. Yet, they engage in absurd behaviors where they could suffer broken bones or be in an auto accident. As disaster movies based on a virulence go, this one had a lot of potential, but it is hard to take a movie based on such actions in response seriously.

First of all, this is NOT a horror film.

[Mori · 8/10 · 7 December 2009]

Second this is NOT a zombie film. So don't be fooled by the idiotic marketing of this fine little gem. What this is, is a deliberately paced drama about a group of survivors in a world plagued with a virus that's pretty much killed everyone and the hard decisions they have to make on their way. It could be a companion piece to The Road almost, a sort of prequel set a few years before.

While it is "slow" it only clocks in about 84 minutes which is far too short in my opinion and I wanted more really. Something tells me that the film was originally much longer but cut down by the producers to please the teens who all seem to hate it anyway.

Good film, crap marketing.

Sometimes choosing life is just choosing a more painful form of death.

[hitchcockthelegend · 6/10 · 15 October 2013]

To all intents and purposes, Carriers really isn't that much of a horror film, it's more a survivalist, character based, road movie. After an infectious virus has decimated the Earth, two brothers (Chris Pine/Lou Taylor Pucci) and their two lady companions (Piper Perabo/Emily VanCamp) are heading to Turtle Beach in the hope that in isolation there they can ride out the epidemic and start afresh.

What follows is that they encounter a man on the road with his sick daughter, and their plans then go astray. The moral dilemmas build up, the character dynamics unfurling in a whirl of human emotions, disappointments and heart aching decisions are evident as the search for sanity and gasoline goes on. Naturally the virus isn't the only thing to be fearful of, there's the other virus, that of the human condition in survival situations...

Having sat on the shelf for three years, Carriers came a bit late in the day to make a telling mark in a sub-genre of horror that has tapped into our new age fear of the virus. In a way that is a shame, because David and Alex Pastor's (writers/directors) film is very well made. With good performances, astute photography and a humanistic narrative that is not without merit. Yet even for 2009 it feels old hat, like a lukewarm sci-fi schlocker without the monsters or apocalyptic peril.

It's well worth a watch because there is nothing irritating here, but anyone expecting some infected/zombie infused apocalypto will be very disappointed. 6/10

Characters are just too stupid

[whatch-17931 · 3/10 · 8 March 2021]

There are a lot of interesting things in this movie that will seem quite prescient after the festivities of the last year.

But it goes south so very quickly because the characters keep doing shockingly stupid things. "Hey, I'll just poke around in this murky swimming pool."

There's absolutely zero chance these four people would have survived this long.

Skillfully made, unimaginative

[arcweldx · 6/10 · 29 November 2009]

A low-key, skillfully made drama. The acting is good. The writing is competent. There are a few nice moments, but also too many of the usual clichés of the surviving-the-apocalyptic-plague genre. There are no surprises, nothing particularly imaginative. From beginning to end, the plot plays out exactly as you'd expect. This could be counted as a strength in the sense that it is a film about ordinary people reacting in a fairly realistic way to the circumstances. On the other hand, we've seen it all before. Not terrible. Very forgettable.

I disagree that the pacing is slow. It's right for the story. It's just that the story never rises much above low-key and ordinary.

A typical post-apocalyptic film

[zaisjr · 6/10 · 6 March 2011]

Two brothers and their girlfriends have all conveniently survived a horrible virus that has killed off most of the world. Being young adults, they decide that they want to end their days on their old family beach vacation area. Along the way, they make foolish decision and often face heart-breaking and difficult decisions that have to be made. They do whatever they can to avoid those who are alive but sick with this virus.

The storyline is actually rather decent and the acting is rather convincing. Christopher Meloni, whom you may know as Elliot on Law & Order: SVU, really sucks you into the movie. He plays a father who is doing what he can to find a cure for his daughter who is sick with the virus. His pain, how he is treated by other characters in the story, and his eventual fate is something that makes your heart sink. The movie demonstrates how cruel human nature can be and how much people are willing to trample their own morals in order to survive. You won't like most of the characters in this film and your aren't supposed to. You are supposed to have a bad taste in your mouth in the end. The movie also did an impressive job of providing parallels and irony. Some of the characters find that their earlier decisions end up drastically affecting them in the end.

However, this film is loaded with plot holes and goofs. The whole world is dying, yet hardly any cars are around. Major buildings, such as hotels, hospitals, schools, etc. are empty. There are hardly any people alive at all. Yet, it seems more like the people disappeared with their vehicles and belongings. The main characters have a small car yet are able to pack it full of cleaning supplies, medical supplies, plenty of food, water, and clothing. Oh, and they are able to pack two surfboards. All of this with four people sitting comfortably in this car. Characters carrying shotguns cock their shotguns multiple times without ever shooting them and without any bullets or shells coming out. So while this movie is a decent film, it is also sloppy.

Overall this film reminds me too much of the 90's teenager horror flicks that used to be so popular. While this film has a more somber tone and is less thrilling, it still has the ever common foolish decisions by the main characters and plenty of mistakes.

If you love post-apocalyptic films, this is worth watching. It is just fresh enough to be enjoyed. If it weren't so poorly put together, it could have been a classic.

In a world destroyed by disease, it's impossible to survive without rules.

[lewiskendell · 7/10 · 4 March 2011]

"Sometimes choosing life is just choosing a more painful form of death."

I love post-apocalyptic movies, so half of Carriers' work was done before I even popped it into my DVD player. I was predisposed to like it. Fortunately, it happens to also be a pretty decent movie. Nothing really new or mind-blowing, but it works. 

There's always the question of what brought about the end of the world in these kinds of flicks. Carriers goes with a deadly virus, instead of the always popular zombies, natural disasters, and nuclear wars. The virus is still very much active and the infected have nothing to look forward to other than a painful, lingering death, so our survivors primarily concern themselves with avoiding any of the few still living who may be carrying the infection. 

Carriers is a relatively small movie with a small cast. The main characters are two brothers and the two young women who accompany them. It's a tight group, basically a family, and most of the drama comes from the hard decisions that have to be made when the group encounters a chain of events started by finding an infected young girl and her father. 

There are other dangers, too. Specifically the groups of desperate, dangerous survivors that always pop up in this genre. As I said before, Carriers isn't exactly innovative. It doesn't feel stale, though. 

I recommend it. The filmmakers made the wise decision to keep the length of the movie pretty reasonable, but it's just long enough so that you get to know the characters well enough to invest in them. The cast is pretty decent, too. Check it out, if you're interested.

Road movie that goes nowhere

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 20 September 2012]

I'm a huge fan of post-apocalypse movies, so CARRIERS was a given: a deadly airborne virus, a car full of survivors struggling to survive in a desperate and lonely world…yada yada yada, let's get moving with it. Unfortunately for me, Carriers turns out to be dead in the water. It's a soulless, pointless, plot less little exercise in human drama that offers nothing new and goes absolutely nowhere with it.

It does start off mildly interesting, as our protagonists (four twentysomething friends) stumble across a father caring for his infected daughter. There are genuine moments of tension along the way with this sub-plot, and you watch wondering how things turn out. Sadly, this plot is jettisoned after a time, and the storyline develops no further. Instead, the film seems content to dwell on listless moments of inanity. The characters sit around drinking or knock golf balls through windows (Fight Club this ain't). They argue, have sex, and have a run-in with some completely generic guys-in-biohazard-suits who seem to show up in every film like this. It all ends in an overblown, mountain-out-of-a-molehill climax that seems to think it's powerfully shocking when, in fact, it's quite simply passé.

It seems that American films have lately got stuck in a rut, casting their movies with obnoxious characters (I'm thinking of CHRONICLE) who spoil what have the potential to be otherwise good movies. Certainly, Chris Pine is one of the most unappealing leads I've seen in a while (he acts as pretty much the same type of one-dimensional hot-headed jerk that he played in STAR TREK) and the rest barely get a look in; Emily Van Camp, who might well be the best actor present, has about all of ten lines to contend with.

Like I said, I love post-apocalypse movies…but this non-starter is nothing more than a test of patience.

The film deserves praise for trying to discuss issues and try to escape the cliches of the genre, leaving a film more realistic, but too slow

[fernandoschiavi · 6/10 · 10 February 2024]

A deadly virus has spread across the planet, causing anyone to be reliable. Danny (Lou Taylor Pucci) and his brother Brian (Chris Pine), Bobby (Piper Perabo) and Kate (Emily VanCamp) roam the roads of the American West, towards a secluded beach connected to the childhood of the brothers. They believe that there will be safe. Only in the way the car breaks down, which means that they are on the verge of a deserted road. Soon they found a parked car where a man needs help to get a cure for his daughter, who is infected. It is the beginning of a journey where they must confront not only the deadly virus, but also the distrust between them in a desperate struggle to survive.

In this scenario deadly epidemic that four friends travel by road to seek refuge in a secluded beach far from generalized infection. This kind of synopsis involving virus infection is by no means one new theme being explored. Other successful productions have addressed the issue, as Dawn of the Dead (2004) by Zack Snyder, 28 Days Later ...(2002) byDanny Boyle, Quarantine (2008) by John Erick Dowdle, and Resident Evil (2002) by Paul WS Anderson. More recently we include the horror / comedy Zombieland (2009) director Ruben Fleischer.

Again the synopsis does not show anything new. We have a group of people seeking to survive the infection and trying to escape on the way will be surprised by infected and some drama and internal conflicts are also shown to enhance some actions taken among the group members themselves. The Spanish brothers Alex and David Pastor, who made just a few short career, write and direct the first feature-length film, and not bother to raise questions and do not care much to offer answers and this is not necessarily a failure. They end up getting done purposefully directing a production of more realistic epidemic. They can discuss moral issues of how far humans can go to survive. The film is horror, but even with strong and impactful scenes obviously, if he followed a path of drama get more success and recognition, of course for that all the characters would have to be further explored and developed.

The intention of the directors is basically to create dramas around that group of characters trying to survive the chaos deployed, not get answers as to how the virus emerged, as everyone reacted to that event. Four lives are followed in the midst of a situation that affects virtually everyone. Even though several elements typical of horror films that take place along the road caused by the isolation of cities such as abandoned houses, infected, and there, desperate survivors who join the group or interacting protagonist, the film never appeals to the scares or explosive sequences. The scares are all subjective and imaginative. Filmed and released at the time of infestation of the H1N1 virus, the film takes advantage of this fact to entice the public. The classic scene that shows this is a stain on leather car.

Some scenes can discuss and moral issues, not zombies or infected thirsty for human flesh. The direction that each of the protagonists and the difficult situations that have to move to stay alive is where lies the terror and tension of the film. Two scenes represent it well: that one of the members who have been infected have to be left behind, or when the soldiers suspect that els may be infected and become targets. But even if seeing an absurd situation and delicate as they were, the survival instinct must overcome social ethics and human? It is one of the questions raised by the production.

The correct edition of Craig McKay (The Silence of the Lambs (1991)), the soundtrack is not appealing Peter Nashel and especially photography Benoît Debie who explored and the weather sunny and dry, abandoned well scenario to create tension, as well as Resident Evil 3 - Extinction (2007).

The worst of the plot are perhaps some of the surviving group. While the world has been ravaged by a virus, some still insist on making jokes or seem not so concerned with the situation well. Those who do best and those who stand out the most here are Chris Pine (Brian), Piper Perabo (Bobby), Emily VanCamp (Kate). In just knowing cameos also Frank Holloway (Christopher Meloni) and his daughter Jodie (Kiernan Shipka) who is infected. Frank and his daughter are great characters and can increase more dramas among other young people.

The major problem of the film is its pace too slow and lack the most important events in the journey of young people on the road. The film is short, taking only 84 minutes, but his pace is dragged think he has more than two hours. The film deserves praise for trying to discuss issues and try to escape the cliches of the genre, leaving a film more realistic, but the truth is that taking single shots that are differentiated from the rest, we often look at the clock wondering when the movie will end. The script will not forward new facts not happen and apathy takes over the screen, especially around the 40-minute film. The film is extremely still and it harms other outcome. What about a thriller-horror scene that shows no suspense-horror?

The Pastor brothers can do something slightly different from what we have out there, but the lack of events in a story a bit more complex and the lack of elements to the film that rent seeking cringe just decreasing its strength. A film that deserves to be enjoyed, but that will hardly be seen a second time, at least in a short time.

How do you survive when there's no one around?

[moviesleuth2 · 10/10 · 4 January 2010]

Despite its premise, "Carriers" is not a zombie movie (there is a hint that this may be a possible outcome of the unspecified disease, but it's quickly dropped). It's not even a horror movie. There are a few tense moments, but overall, the film is a tragedy.

Four young people are traveling together after most of humanity is wiped out after an unexplained outbreak of a fatal, and highly contagious disease: Danny (Lou Taylor Pucci), a would-be Yale student, if it weren't for the epidemic, his brother Brian (Chris Pine), who's a self-proclaimed jerk, Brian's girlfriend, Bobby (Piper Perabo), and another friend, Kate (Emily VanCamp). They're all trying to get to the beach where Danny and Brian vacationed together as kids. To do that, they're following three of Brian's rules: The infected are already dead, and they can't be helped. Always wear a mask around the infected. Wipe anything down that the infected have touched within the last 24 hours.

"Carriers" is interesting because it explores something that movies of this ilk leave as an afterthought: how would you function when society has completely vanished? No government, no jobs, no politics? The only rule here is to survive at any cost. It's an interesting question, and film-making brothers Alex and David Pastor pose a few interesting conclusions.

The acting is solid, although the characters are only as interesting as the actors who play them. Chris Pine is making a name for himself as the guy who's a complete dick on the surface, but with a heart underneath. Think the beginning of his performance in "Star Trek" taken to the next level. Lou Taylor Pucci, who burst onto the indie film circuit with his performance in "Thumbsucker" (unseen by me), is also good as the brother who is straddling the line between compassion and selfish survival. Piper Pearabo is good as Bobby, whose compassion for others can get her into trouble. Unfortunately, Emily VanCamp, who was terrific in "Black Irish," doesn't have much to do. Special note has to go to Christopher Meloni, who manages to tug the heart as the father of a sick little girl, and his daughter is adorable as well.

The problem with this film is I wanted more. I wanted to see more of the little things that people would do without any rules. The film is a very short 87 minutes, so it had some time to spare. This would allow for some character development, which would make this a lot more effective.

It's a movie to watch if it's on TV, or if you're interested in exploring a situation, not a zombie movie.

Prediction of pandemic

[adrianrose-29917 · 7/10 · 17 April 2022]

In a world where a pandemic has devastated the population, two brothers attempt to get a small group of friends to the place where they were happy as children. Along the way, they find a world of militant survivalists and infected victims.

Released in 2009, the producers of this film had no way of knowing that ten years later their predictions would come true, though to a lesser extent. Starring Chris Pine as the older of the brothers, this is a story of hopelessness and how different personalities react to it. As the movie travels through a landscape of despair, the effect finally ends up turning the people against each other, including the two brothers. Not a happy film with a happy ending, this is not recommended for family viewing, especially by young children. It is, however, a very good character study of how different philosophies can dictate who lives and who dies in nightmarish circumstances.

Made by the ignorant for the ignorant

[Namron7 · 3/10 · 30 January 2014]

I'm tired of these 'science fiction' films which are made with no reference to junior science. It's very annoying, and it spoils all the other worthy stuff such as good acting, plot, direction and production. A scientific adviser would cost what....$500 per day? For, what.... two days? Why not invest in that so as to avoid obvious nonsense such as:

1. There was no point in quarantining the father and daughter in the back of the SUV. The whole SUV was infected, and Chlorox would not make any difference. Nor would polythene and masking tape

2. There is no point in differentiating the degree of potential infectiousness of either daughter or father, in that that the father is fine to run about but the daughter isn't. I find this ironic in view of the film's title

3. The gun the father is given is a MAJOR vector for infection when he passes it back again (they stand back from him though - like he is a leper, LOL!)

4. Dust masks are not effective barriers for either viruses or bacteria

So it's a fail from the word go. An ignorant film, made by the ignorant for the ignorant.

Novel idea marred by painfully slow and predictable execution

[Riptides · 6/10 · 29 November 2009]

It's a shame when someone gets a film made without all the usual Hollywood ado that usually comes along with a story like this when it ultimately fails to entertain in any meaningful way on it's own merits.

In this movie we don't get the usual CGI enhanced money shots of thousands dying, dead lying akimbo along expansive city vistas, or even zombie like infected shambling along (or running willy-nilly) chasing our stories protagonists as one would expect. And this would be a good thing if the movie itself didn't get itself quickly mired down in the drudgery of predictability and a need for every scene to be drawn out well beyond it's welcome on the screen.

Basically at it's heart it's a road trip movie trying to transcend the usual coming of age angst and self-discovery learned along the way storyline by hiding itself inside of a coming of the end of the world angst and self-discovery of hate and loneliness learned along the way storyline.

I really wished I could have liked this movie, as the story seemed to be fairly novel on the surface. But by 30minutes into the film, the world the story is set in just becomes a white noise background for the actors to recite their lines to and move the story along to the end credits. And I found myself repeatedly checking my watch and wishing I had a fast forward button to hurry the movie along with.

Nowadays I try to gauge my movie on experience on three simple things. Did this movie inspire, entertain, or move me? No, it didn't. Would I ever find myself watching this film again? No, I wouldn't. Would I recommend this movie to a friend? Not likely.

I only rate this a 6 for it's original presentation and effort put forth by the makers to make a low-budget end of the world movie. It's just too bad the end of the world came and the movie itself had really nothing to say.

I enjoyed this movie

[kham_phet · 7/10 · 25 January 2010]

I watched this movie last week, with my girlfriend and her daughter. We sat in silence throughout the entire film.

We didn't sit in silence because its a cannot miss any part of the film or its so exciting, but we sat in silence because it was better then what we had expected.

For a low budget film, its not bad at all. You wont earn any intellectual points or gain any further knowledge about end of world viruses by watching this. But you will enjoy it for its controversial decisions (of the actors played out in the film).

Little scenery, small cast, a lot of desert....as with a low budget movie. but don't let that push u away from giving this movie a chance.

Was enjoyable.

if you're infected ... You're already dead

[wilderblue2005 · 7/10 · 4 July 2011]

I'd hafta agree with many of the comments here, this isn't horror, but it sure is good. The storyline is nothing too original; virtually everyone else is dead or infected and 4 friends get a rough ride trying to stay alive, keep to "the rules" so they can do so, and not dehumanise themselves too much in the process ... which of course, goes tits-up.

However, despite the odd moment of "ish" acting, the story moves along at a decent pace, moral questions are asked in the struggle to survive which becomes increasingly desperate as they meet others in similar situations.

The story, whilst not overly original is good, it makes you wonder "what would I do" and in such cases, what happens is what is likely to happen and as such adds weight to the film and how it captures you ...