Bullets for the Dead (2015) User Reviews

Australian Indie set in a Zombie infested Wild West

[t-dooley-69-386916 · 5/10 · 6 November 2016]

Now this is not a good film – but I really liked it so bear with me. It is well written and for such an oversubscribed genre, as that of the zombie one, you do need to have something to lift your project from the usual blood and entrails boredom that has beset films of late.

Anyway our film has a gang of nasty bank robbers led by an English debutante wanna be – who knows her way around an axe – and I don't mean a Stratocaster. They cross paths with a grizzled and bescarred bounty hunter who takes 'dead or alive' as literally as possible. He soon rounds them up and then they sort of realise that there are things that not only go bump in the night but also are adept at moaning a lot and eating internal body parts – nice.

Well the rest is a bit of a trail journey with unholy alliances and a ton of offal as is de rigueur in a zombie film. To say any more runs the risk of a plot spoil but with a zombie film you sort of expect what happens so not a biggy really.

So as I said this is not high culture and it lacks a bit – the make up is a bit am dram and some of the acting is a bit shouty and the special effects are a bit clumsy. The actual story though is tremendous fun and some of the actors really do put their all into it and so this ebbed and flowed in my affections. However, I was held until the final scene and although I said 'rubbish' at the time I sort of still really like it – hence the rating; if in doubt get a few beers and switch off and there is a good watch in here.

Dog dies

[thedarkestshadow-32785 · 1/10 · 14 February 2021]

Talking zombies when not a comedy = 4 stars. Dog dying = 1 star automatically

There are very little Bullets for the Dead in this movie

[reddfivepublishing · 2/10 · 21 July 2022]

I respect the filmmakers for working around budgetary limitations and crafting a film with decent production values and solid performances.

But for a zom bie western film there is very little cowboy action or zombies actually in the film, rather an abundance of overly familiar character drama which never develops into anything substantial or meaningful. After a promising start, Bullets for the Dead quickly dips into being just another forgettable horror-drama which squanders a premise ripe with potential.

Likeable and frequently horrific ...

[parry_na · 7/10 · 9 February 2018]

With opening scene and credits, it would be easy to believe this was going to be a light-hearted Australian western romp. And indeed it is, but it also involves swathes of the living dead, and a running time that contains more depth and drama than is immediately apparent.

1870, and a hardened bounty hunter James Dalton leads a troupe of outlaws and a preacher across the unforgiving, open stretches of land of the old west. The outlaws are a quickly likeable bunch of ne'er-do-wells lead by the formidable, beautiful Annie Blake (Vanessa Moltzen). For no readily apparent reason (although this is covered later in flashbacks), the crazed living dead frequent the freight train they were about to board and after that, things become frequently horrific.

Humour makes regular appearances, however, but it is not unsuccessful and doesn't detract from the overall mood. For example, the group, who have learned to trust each other by this time, are transporting themselves across the wasteland via a carriage pulled by zombie nuns chasing a dangling limb just out of their reach! For all the waywardness of that image, there is an undeniable frisson to be had watching hordes of the rotting creatures approaching across the dust tracks.

Possibly my biggest issue with this is the lack of make-up for the zombies, which lessens a couple of jump-scares and plot twists. As one-eyed Dalton, Christopher Summers is adequate, but lacks the presence of many of his co-stars. He is consistently outshone by Moltzen, for example.

Aussi wild west with zombies. *spoilers*

[Jigsjigz · 7/10 · 16 May 2017]

A bunch of criminals rob a bank a bounty hunter captures them on the way back to the bounty train they discover all isn't right and a priest hiding in the loo... from then on its pretty much down hill. Started great then just went a lil biblical and abit silly. The Plot was good, the story was OK and the acting was good. It was more of a comedy then a survival zombie film, Especially with the bear trap scene :P