I'm not normally a fan of zombies - they're just too zombie like for my liking. So I tend to avoid zombie movies. But this film flipped my perception of them by telling the story of the gradual deterioration of a decent family man struggling to protect his family, into a murderous flesh eating single dad. Despite this ridiculous concept, it was done very convincingly, Martin Freeman giving a moving and realistic performance helped enormously by his obvious connection with the babies playing his daughter. The setting was stunning and the social relevance of the relationships between whites and indigenous folk was thought provoking and uplifting.
I jolly well enjoyed this film!
385 Reviews
Yawn of the Dead
reelreviewsandrecommendations23 October 2023
In the midst of a viral outbreak, Andy Rose, his wife Kay and their daughter Rosie have found temporary sanctuary on a houseboat in rural Australia. Misfortune befalls Kay after she ventures out to an abandoned yacht for supplies, forcing the family to leave the safety of the river in search of help. On land, things decline rapidly, and all hell breaks loose. With the help of an Aboriginal girl named Thoomi, Andy traverses the outback looking for assistance; though his time is quickly running out.
Written and directed by Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke, and based on their 2013 short film of the same name, 'Cargo' is a beautifully shot, well-acted and unfortunately predictable zombie film less 'Dawn of the Dead' and more 'Yawn of the Dead'. Unlike other modern zombie films- like the great 'Train to Busan,' which also dealt with a father trying to save his daughter- 'Cargo' lacks originality or excitement. From the start, the film is a dour slog with a formulaic narrative, while its characters act illogically and inconsistently.
Initially, Andy is shown to be quite resourceful, though his self-sufficiency and intelligence diminishes the more the film goes on. For instance, he's well aware that no-one should really be trusted in this new world, then spends the rest of the film trying to pass his daughter off on people he hasn't yet gotten to know, or trust. Though he's in a desperate situation against the clock, it isn't good writing- or parenting.
Ramke's poor characterisation isn't limited to him, though. Kay is nothing more than a plot device, Thoomi, with all her plucky ingenuity, is completely unbelievable, while the Aboriginals are treated with such deference it seems disingenuous. Moreover, Ramke associates them with familiar cliches of mystical wisdom and cultural appropriation that seems old-fashioned at best, and a little wrong-headed at worst. This is not even to mention the villain of the piece, Vic, whose character is whatever the writers want him to be at any given moment: evil one minute, sympathetic the next.
Although narratively 'Cargo' doesn't impress, Geoffrey Simpson's epic cinematography is striking and atmospheric. His wide-shots capture the vastness of the outback effectively, while his dynamic hand-held camera movements add tension and drama to proceedings. Additionally, Dany Cooper and Sean Lahiff's editing is astute, giving the film a good pace from the start, while the score from Michael Hohnen, Daniel Rankine, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu and Johnathon Mangarri Yunupingu is evocative and stirring.
Furthermore, Martin Freeman's lead performance as Andy is engaging from start to finish. Demonstrating the quiet confidence that has endeared him to so many over the years, Freeman handles the emotional turmoil of the role in a subtle way, sharing a great chemistry with the two sets of twins who portray Rosie. Simone Landers, in her acting debut as Thoomi, impresses; though her inexperience is evident through her rather wooden line delivery. In addition, Anthony Hayes is terrifically menacing as Vic; making the most of Ramke's uneven, scant secondary characterisation.
In conclusion, despite a strong lead performance from Martin Freeman, a stirring score and stunning cinematography from Geoffrey Simpson, 'Cargo' is an underwhelming effort. Lacking the excitement of most zombie films, it is overly dour and dull. Yolanda Ramke's screenplay suffers from a dearth of nuanced or believable characterisation, and her dialogue isn't much to write home about either. For those looking for an original, exciting zombie film about family, go watch 'Train to Busan,' or even 'Shaun of the Dead;' because 'Cargo' just doesn't deliver.
Written and directed by Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke, and based on their 2013 short film of the same name, 'Cargo' is a beautifully shot, well-acted and unfortunately predictable zombie film less 'Dawn of the Dead' and more 'Yawn of the Dead'. Unlike other modern zombie films- like the great 'Train to Busan,' which also dealt with a father trying to save his daughter- 'Cargo' lacks originality or excitement. From the start, the film is a dour slog with a formulaic narrative, while its characters act illogically and inconsistently.
Initially, Andy is shown to be quite resourceful, though his self-sufficiency and intelligence diminishes the more the film goes on. For instance, he's well aware that no-one should really be trusted in this new world, then spends the rest of the film trying to pass his daughter off on people he hasn't yet gotten to know, or trust. Though he's in a desperate situation against the clock, it isn't good writing- or parenting.
Ramke's poor characterisation isn't limited to him, though. Kay is nothing more than a plot device, Thoomi, with all her plucky ingenuity, is completely unbelievable, while the Aboriginals are treated with such deference it seems disingenuous. Moreover, Ramke associates them with familiar cliches of mystical wisdom and cultural appropriation that seems old-fashioned at best, and a little wrong-headed at worst. This is not even to mention the villain of the piece, Vic, whose character is whatever the writers want him to be at any given moment: evil one minute, sympathetic the next.
Although narratively 'Cargo' doesn't impress, Geoffrey Simpson's epic cinematography is striking and atmospheric. His wide-shots capture the vastness of the outback effectively, while his dynamic hand-held camera movements add tension and drama to proceedings. Additionally, Dany Cooper and Sean Lahiff's editing is astute, giving the film a good pace from the start, while the score from Michael Hohnen, Daniel Rankine, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu and Johnathon Mangarri Yunupingu is evocative and stirring.
Furthermore, Martin Freeman's lead performance as Andy is engaging from start to finish. Demonstrating the quiet confidence that has endeared him to so many over the years, Freeman handles the emotional turmoil of the role in a subtle way, sharing a great chemistry with the two sets of twins who portray Rosie. Simone Landers, in her acting debut as Thoomi, impresses; though her inexperience is evident through her rather wooden line delivery. In addition, Anthony Hayes is terrifically menacing as Vic; making the most of Ramke's uneven, scant secondary characterisation.
In conclusion, despite a strong lead performance from Martin Freeman, a stirring score and stunning cinematography from Geoffrey Simpson, 'Cargo' is an underwhelming effort. Lacking the excitement of most zombie films, it is overly dour and dull. Yolanda Ramke's screenplay suffers from a dearth of nuanced or believable characterisation, and her dialogue isn't much to write home about either. For those looking for an original, exciting zombie film about family, go watch 'Train to Busan,' or even 'Shaun of the Dead;' because 'Cargo' just doesn't deliver.
It's decent, if unremarkable.
Sleepin_Dragon31 March 2019
I am a little surprised by all the accolades, and the excellent reviews this film received, it isn't bad, it's just slow, and it pains me to say it, but just another zombie story, albeit one that is incredibly well made, and superbly acted.
I always look for something unique, and a little different in such a highly regarded film, sadly I couldn't see anything, it's watchable, but I found it too slow.
Martin Freeman is terrific, and the best thing about it. It's a decent watch, but there are many better films in this genre. 6/10
I always look for something unique, and a little different in such a highly regarded film, sadly I couldn't see anything, it's watchable, but I found it too slow.
Martin Freeman is terrific, and the best thing about it. It's a decent watch, but there are many better films in this genre. 6/10
A surprisingly powerful genre film.
Councillor300418 May 2018
As much as I usually enjoy horror movies, the zombie sub-genre has never been one I'm particularly fond of. Except for classic films such as "Night of the Living Dead" and Raimi's "Evil Dead" movies, or modern entries into the genre such as "Shaun of the Dead" or "Train to Busan", I have never seen any outstanding zombie films which stood out from the crowd. However, this year's "Cargo", an Australian indie based on a 2013 short film and starring Martin Freeman, succeeded in its attempt to do just that: stand out from the crowd.
With a tense atmosphere, a well-written plot and breathtaking cinematography, "Cargo" is better than the average thriller in the way it focuses on its main character and creates sympathy with him to allow the viewer to actually become interested in the film's eventual outcome. The premise, featuring zombies in a post-apocalyptic Australia, is as important as the development of Martin Freeman's character, and the combination of both aspects ultimately allowed this film to turn into something surprisingly original in a genre which I thought had nothing original left anymore.
Some sloppy editing now and then might be my only criticism about the film. Freeman was a great choice for the leading actor; the film was visually gorgeous to watch; the plot was filled with interesting and unpredictable twists (even if you've seen the short film) - in short, I loved the experience I had while watching it. I don't think everybody will; "Cargo" surely is restricted by the limitations of its genre and will leave some viewers disappointed, and that's completely fine - I only hope its Netflix release will allow "Cargo" to see the wide audience it absolutely deserves.
With a tense atmosphere, a well-written plot and breathtaking cinematography, "Cargo" is better than the average thriller in the way it focuses on its main character and creates sympathy with him to allow the viewer to actually become interested in the film's eventual outcome. The premise, featuring zombies in a post-apocalyptic Australia, is as important as the development of Martin Freeman's character, and the combination of both aspects ultimately allowed this film to turn into something surprisingly original in a genre which I thought had nothing original left anymore.
Some sloppy editing now and then might be my only criticism about the film. Freeman was a great choice for the leading actor; the film was visually gorgeous to watch; the plot was filled with interesting and unpredictable twists (even if you've seen the short film) - in short, I loved the experience I had while watching it. I don't think everybody will; "Cargo" surely is restricted by the limitations of its genre and will leave some viewers disappointed, and that's completely fine - I only hope its Netflix release will allow "Cargo" to see the wide audience it absolutely deserves.
A decent zombie flick!
3THEREAL24 May 2018
Cargo is generally enjoyable, but it does manage to drag in small parts. The short film it was based on gets straight to the point and hits at what the heart of this story is. Sometimes, that aspect is lost when you stretch it to a feature-length film, which is what I feel occurred here. There are a few moments in this film that feel like they are there simply to extend the runtime. This happens at times in road trip stories where not every stop along the way feels natural or meaningful. Cargo still earns the Decent Watch rating, and will certainly be better than some of the more hyped Netflix Originals.
Zombie Apocalypse but not gory
NikkoFranco18 May 2018
Now that Netflix has become a major supplier of films and shows its worth it to check many of their offerings as some might come as a surprise. One of these is Cargo.
Land down under as a beautiful backdrop, subdued , shamanic and tempered acting yet the movie still manages to warm our hearts and allows us to sympathize a bit with the anti hero as it shows just how it is, the ugly side of humans when it comes to survival.
Martin Freeman in many of his roles has a natural comic side to HIM. Here he managed to deliver what is required of a father who will do anything for family. Determined but not over the top.
Land down under as a beautiful backdrop, subdued , shamanic and tempered acting yet the movie still manages to warm our hearts and allows us to sympathize a bit with the anti hero as it shows just how it is, the ugly side of humans when it comes to survival.
Martin Freeman in many of his roles has a natural comic side to HIM. Here he managed to deliver what is required of a father who will do anything for family. Determined but not over the top.
Beautiful masterpiece
Jguar1219 January 2021
This isn't a zombie movie. This is a beautiful masterpiece about parenting, survival, and what it means to be human. I found the strong message to be that we are all family. We are all in this together. The only way to survive is to with each other, together. No one gets out alive, but together we can survive as a species; the human race, which is more important than you or I as individuals. It was really quite powerful. Fantastic filmography -the landscape was it's own character.
A zombie film with heart
brisvegan197125 May 2018
I read some of the negative reviews of this film before watching it. I almost avoided it for that reason but I'm so glad I didn't. It's a great film, well written and acted, perfectly staged in various locations of the Australian outback to complement the characters and situations they find themselves in. I felt it conveyed realistic human dilemmas and heart, and brought something new to the genre. Forget the naysayers, do yourself a favour and experience this film.
Cargo 2017 Review
chandean-6976218 April 2021
A netflix zombie movie? How good could it really be?
Well, Cargo ended up exceeding my expectations.
This film uses the zombies more as a worldly risk more than a film that uses them as the focus to drive the story. We instead focus more on Andy as he goes on an emotional journey to find a new home for his baby.
The storytelling is very checkpoint-like, but it's never bothersome because the story itself feels like a video game, meeting new people, going from location to location always felt fresh and something new happened each time to drive Andy to his goal.
I always also pleasantly surprised by some nice cinematography and a great lead performance from Martin Freeman as Andy, which ended up being a nice cherry on top of an already great story.
There are some minor plot holes, and some subplots just never get mentioned again, but it was never anything jarring or kept me asking questions as the film went on.
Cargo is definitely one of the better zombie flicks that i've seen. It's overall very solid!
Also, I heard about this from TikTok from all places.
Well, Cargo ended up exceeding my expectations.
This film uses the zombies more as a worldly risk more than a film that uses them as the focus to drive the story. We instead focus more on Andy as he goes on an emotional journey to find a new home for his baby.
The storytelling is very checkpoint-like, but it's never bothersome because the story itself feels like a video game, meeting new people, going from location to location always felt fresh and something new happened each time to drive Andy to his goal.
I always also pleasantly surprised by some nice cinematography and a great lead performance from Martin Freeman as Andy, which ended up being a nice cherry on top of an already great story.
There are some minor plot holes, and some subplots just never get mentioned again, but it was never anything jarring or kept me asking questions as the film went on.
Cargo is definitely one of the better zombie flicks that i've seen. It's overall very solid!
Also, I heard about this from TikTok from all places.
Quality production completely founded on stupid and unbelievable behavior.
S_Soma19 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Simply put, CARGO is a zombie picture whose focus is the emotional and interpersonal relationships of the characters surrounding a father's desperate attempts to get his daughter to safety in the context of the inhospitable Australian outback. It's a race against the clock as the father himself is infected and he will soon be the greatest threat of all to his own daughter.
Relative to most of the traditional criteria whereby movies are adjudged, CARGO would rate fairly high. The filmography is excellent, the acting is above average, the movie has a few "name brand" actors that improve the movie by their contributions, the filming locations are eye-catching, good music, and so on.
Additionally, the overall story arc isn't bad: a determined fight of a father to save his infant daughter in the face of tall odds and desperate circumstances were almost everything, including the father himself, constitutes an increasing threat.
CARGO even has the politically correct angle promulgating the notion that white males are the worst monsters of all, even more deadly than zombies, which so many people seem to find so attractive. Personally, I couldn't be more sick of it, but it must be popular with audiences since it's practically ubiquitous to every movie made nowadays. So there's that.
Where CARGO falls down, and very badly, are the individual plot elements that set the movie on its forward path. CARGO relies on the tired old tropes of characters behaving in unrealistic ways and with extreme stupidity in order to get the plot ball rolling.
As examples:
The 3 primary characters, as the movie begins, are a husband and wife and their infant daughter. They are living on a houseboat-like boat traveling down a medium-size river within the overall context of a zombie postapocalypse. On the face of it, it seems like a pretty good set up. Their boat-on-a-river situation keeps them safely away from the zombies even to the point that as viewers we're not even aware that there ARE zombies until well into the movie since our protagonists are so well separated from them we don't see them.
Shortly after the movie begins, our protagonists encounter a wrecked yacht and drop anchor nearby. And then both the mother and father, in fairly rapid succession, become unaccountably stupid. First the father rows over to the wrecked yacht, apparently without informing his wife, for the purposes of scavenging for supplies. Why would anyone ever do that? He doesn't even seem to be armed. If anything happened to him there would be no one available to back him up nor would his wife even know where he was or what had happened to him or where to start looking for him. Who would ever behave in this way given this zombie apocalypse situation?
Subsequently discovering the nifty things her husband has returned with, the wife decides to go on her own little reconnaissance mission to the yacht, ALSO without informing her spouse and ALSO without any weapons. And, completely predictably, she gets chomped by a zombie, initiating the chain of events that causes the story to unfold and to create the dire circumstances the father must overcome for the course of the balance of the picture.
The first the husband/father finds out about what his wife has been doing and what has happened to her is by noticing the collection of bloody footprints left by his wife after she has returned to the houseboat; the communication between the married couple is THAT bad and they are THAT willing to expose themselves to unnecessary deadly risks. The whole emotive point of the movie is the desperate lengths to which parents will go to save their offspring when, in reality, the greatest threat to the infant in THIS movie is the astounding stupidity and incomparable incompetence of the baby's own parents.
In another scene, the husband, his badly wounded and almost certainly dying wife, and the all-important infant daughter are driving along an outback dirt road in hopes of bringing the wife to medical attention (although we already know that it is unlikely to be of any use), and the husband pays so little attention to driving the vehicle that he is "surprised" by a zombie wandering in the middle of the road and he reacts by swerving OFF the road and directly into a huge tree, thoroughly destroying the critically important vehicle and running his wife through and through with about a 6 inch diameter tree branch. After taking a good look at the complete mess he's made, he promptly passes out, giving his wife just enough time to make the zombie transition so that when he wakes up she can chomp him a good one to start the clock running down on his attempts to save the infant before he himself turns.
Who in their right mind in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, tasked with trying to save his own poor wife and infant daughter, behaves in this way? Even if the husband wasn't sure it was a zombie in the middle of the road, his priority was of course his wife and child, not some idiot in the middle of the road. Why would he risk the survival of himself and everyone he cares for for the benefit of some stranger who might be a zombie and was stupid enough to the standing in the middle-of-the-road?
These absolutely idiotic actions by the protagonists are literally the exact plot points that create the entire course of the movie. In other words, literally everything that happens in the movie is entirely founded on phenomenal stupidity and utterly unbelievable behavior.
For me, these points ruin the entire picture. Why wasn't the same skill and expertise exhibited with the mundane and technical aspects of the picture also applied to the story itself?
Relative to most of the traditional criteria whereby movies are adjudged, CARGO would rate fairly high. The filmography is excellent, the acting is above average, the movie has a few "name brand" actors that improve the movie by their contributions, the filming locations are eye-catching, good music, and so on.
Additionally, the overall story arc isn't bad: a determined fight of a father to save his infant daughter in the face of tall odds and desperate circumstances were almost everything, including the father himself, constitutes an increasing threat.
CARGO even has the politically correct angle promulgating the notion that white males are the worst monsters of all, even more deadly than zombies, which so many people seem to find so attractive. Personally, I couldn't be more sick of it, but it must be popular with audiences since it's practically ubiquitous to every movie made nowadays. So there's that.
Where CARGO falls down, and very badly, are the individual plot elements that set the movie on its forward path. CARGO relies on the tired old tropes of characters behaving in unrealistic ways and with extreme stupidity in order to get the plot ball rolling.
As examples:
The 3 primary characters, as the movie begins, are a husband and wife and their infant daughter. They are living on a houseboat-like boat traveling down a medium-size river within the overall context of a zombie postapocalypse. On the face of it, it seems like a pretty good set up. Their boat-on-a-river situation keeps them safely away from the zombies even to the point that as viewers we're not even aware that there ARE zombies until well into the movie since our protagonists are so well separated from them we don't see them.
Shortly after the movie begins, our protagonists encounter a wrecked yacht and drop anchor nearby. And then both the mother and father, in fairly rapid succession, become unaccountably stupid. First the father rows over to the wrecked yacht, apparently without informing his wife, for the purposes of scavenging for supplies. Why would anyone ever do that? He doesn't even seem to be armed. If anything happened to him there would be no one available to back him up nor would his wife even know where he was or what had happened to him or where to start looking for him. Who would ever behave in this way given this zombie apocalypse situation?
Subsequently discovering the nifty things her husband has returned with, the wife decides to go on her own little reconnaissance mission to the yacht, ALSO without informing her spouse and ALSO without any weapons. And, completely predictably, she gets chomped by a zombie, initiating the chain of events that causes the story to unfold and to create the dire circumstances the father must overcome for the course of the balance of the picture.
The first the husband/father finds out about what his wife has been doing and what has happened to her is by noticing the collection of bloody footprints left by his wife after she has returned to the houseboat; the communication between the married couple is THAT bad and they are THAT willing to expose themselves to unnecessary deadly risks. The whole emotive point of the movie is the desperate lengths to which parents will go to save their offspring when, in reality, the greatest threat to the infant in THIS movie is the astounding stupidity and incomparable incompetence of the baby's own parents.
In another scene, the husband, his badly wounded and almost certainly dying wife, and the all-important infant daughter are driving along an outback dirt road in hopes of bringing the wife to medical attention (although we already know that it is unlikely to be of any use), and the husband pays so little attention to driving the vehicle that he is "surprised" by a zombie wandering in the middle of the road and he reacts by swerving OFF the road and directly into a huge tree, thoroughly destroying the critically important vehicle and running his wife through and through with about a 6 inch diameter tree branch. After taking a good look at the complete mess he's made, he promptly passes out, giving his wife just enough time to make the zombie transition so that when he wakes up she can chomp him a good one to start the clock running down on his attempts to save the infant before he himself turns.
Who in their right mind in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, tasked with trying to save his own poor wife and infant daughter, behaves in this way? Even if the husband wasn't sure it was a zombie in the middle of the road, his priority was of course his wife and child, not some idiot in the middle of the road. Why would he risk the survival of himself and everyone he cares for for the benefit of some stranger who might be a zombie and was stupid enough to the standing in the middle-of-the-road?
These absolutely idiotic actions by the protagonists are literally the exact plot points that create the entire course of the movie. In other words, literally everything that happens in the movie is entirely founded on phenomenal stupidity and utterly unbelievable behavior.
For me, these points ruin the entire picture. Why wasn't the same skill and expertise exhibited with the mundane and technical aspects of the picture also applied to the story itself?
Cargo: Flawed yet wondrous
Platypuschow29 December 2018
I'd heard very mixed things about Cargo, the one consistent thing said was that the film was sad.
Martin Freeman puts in arguably a career best performance in a zombie movie of all things! Telling the story of one mans quest to find a new home for his baby daughter before it's too late.
Now I'm a zombie movie lover but when it comes to "Alternative" zombie films I tend to be very disappointed in them. For example The Girl With All The Gifts (2016) and Maggie (2015) which were films I was really looking forward to but I felt let down by.
Cargo comes under the same category yet despite some glaring flaws it manages to overcome, is a truly enjoyable movie and an emotional rollercoaster of a ride.
An Australian Netflix movie it looks wonderful, goes for the realistic approach to a common (If overplayed) horror sub genre and tells a tour-de-force tale that Freeman knocks out of the park.
It has an odd number of flaws, head scratching moments and questionable pacing decisions that prevent it from truly being something special. But these things cannot take away from the fact that Cargo is a great film.
The Good:
Excellent performance by Freeman
Looks great
Original concept
The Bad:
Some frustrating writing decisions
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
I'm not crying you're crying
When a movie makes me care about a kid, it's performed a miracle and deserves praise!
Martin Freeman puts in arguably a career best performance in a zombie movie of all things! Telling the story of one mans quest to find a new home for his baby daughter before it's too late.
Now I'm a zombie movie lover but when it comes to "Alternative" zombie films I tend to be very disappointed in them. For example The Girl With All The Gifts (2016) and Maggie (2015) which were films I was really looking forward to but I felt let down by.
Cargo comes under the same category yet despite some glaring flaws it manages to overcome, is a truly enjoyable movie and an emotional rollercoaster of a ride.
An Australian Netflix movie it looks wonderful, goes for the realistic approach to a common (If overplayed) horror sub genre and tells a tour-de-force tale that Freeman knocks out of the park.
It has an odd number of flaws, head scratching moments and questionable pacing decisions that prevent it from truly being something special. But these things cannot take away from the fact that Cargo is a great film.
The Good:
Excellent performance by Freeman
Looks great
Original concept
The Bad:
Some frustrating writing decisions
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
I'm not crying you're crying
When a movie makes me care about a kid, it's performed a miracle and deserves praise!
Martin Freeman is no longer Bilbo or Watson
CountJonnie27 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Martin Freeman with his likable goofiness always reminded me of the innocent and harmless (co)star. Which doesn't do him justice. With a limited scipt, limited setting, and limited scares he elevates this horror movie into a love story / drama.
Freeman, and his wife and child live in a world ravaged by zombies. It's almost impossible to live there, with hardly any food or other humans. The whole atmosphere breathes "give up!". To make things worse, the world takes his wife from him, but not before she infects him as well.
With only hours left, and people around him who are either crazy or infected, he sets out to give his child a chance to live and literally carries his child on his back, fighting the infection and the odds.
There are various moments where the battle becomes too much, but because of his love, he always finds the strength to take that one more step, where any other would have given up. And there lies the message. The message is love in his purest form. Love doesn't keep you alive, but it gives you the strength to keep others alive. Freeman carries his child, but also the whole movie and the audience on his back.
Freeman, and his wife and child live in a world ravaged by zombies. It's almost impossible to live there, with hardly any food or other humans. The whole atmosphere breathes "give up!". To make things worse, the world takes his wife from him, but not before she infects him as well.
With only hours left, and people around him who are either crazy or infected, he sets out to give his child a chance to live and literally carries his child on his back, fighting the infection and the odds.
There are various moments where the battle becomes too much, but because of his love, he always finds the strength to take that one more step, where any other would have given up. And there lies the message. The message is love in his purest form. Love doesn't keep you alive, but it gives you the strength to keep others alive. Freeman carries his child, but also the whole movie and the audience on his back.
feature-length film trapped in the shadow of its 7 minute long progenitor
phenomynouss19 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I had the great fortune of seeing the original short film "Cargo" upon which this film is based on. It is 7 minutes long, and it is exactly as long as it needs to be, telling a short, shocking, compelling story of a man in a zombie apocalypse with an infant child and a zombie bite. He roams around as much as he can, while setting up a contraption with a wooden pole holding some meat in front of his face, which serves to keep his zombie self perpetually moving forward to try to get the meat. In the end, he's shot dead by some other survivors, who then discover the baby and take it to safety.
It was amazing and it made me criy. When I saw that it had been re-made into a full length movie, I thought this is a joke gone too far. But since it was available to me for free, I decided to try it.
I regret it.
One of the best things about the original "Cargo" is that it was incredibly taut and minimalistic. There was very little dialogue, and nothing to distract from the main story of a doomed man trying to save his baby. Due to the need to fill in 105 minutes, this film version necessarily has to pad the hell out of that concept, turning a taut, tension-filled experience into a long, meandering adventure through subplots which end up in some way completely overshadowing the main plot.
"Cargo" 2013 was what it was, and gave us everything we needed. This one gives us far too much, indulging us with a pointless antagonistic plot involving a racist Australian redneck guy who keeps aboriginal people in cages as bait for zombies so he can kill them and loot their bodies, under the impression that once the zombie apocalypse is over, he will have lots of jewelry and consumer electronics and other things looted from the corpses to make himself rich. He also has a "wife" who is actually a woman he's basically kidnapped and keeping hostage because why not go full evil if you're going to add pointless filler.
This subplot keeps droning on and on, taking up so much of the film that it's hard to believe that it's all unfolding over less than 48 hours (as it's been established the zombie virus thing takes 48 hours to fully set in, and the infected have little wristband stopwatches that count down for them). Everything just keeps going on and on and the few characters there are do very little to generate any interest.
Another thing about the original "Cargo" is that, due to its short length and strict focus, with almost no dialogue, it basically lets us project ourselves onto the role of the Father. We empathize with him because of his very basic and human plight, and he does everything he can with what little he has and it's brilliant.
Here, we get to see again and again the personality of the Father character, and we get to see just how much of a complete idiot he is. From the very beginning, he's dorkily waving to a group of survivors across the river from him as though it were a sunday morning picnic and not the effing zombie apocalypse. Later when his wife is bitten, he needlessly prolongs her suffering long after she's accepted her fate, trying to reach a hospital that is out of the way of their escape route to do basically nothing other than waste time.
All throughout the film he keeps bumbling about, saying and doing stupid things, getting other people killed, and needlessly wasting time.
By the time we get to the famous moment from the short film where the Father makes a "raw meat on a stick" contraption to lure his zombie self into perpetually moving forward, he's already got another human companion with him he can hand his baby off to, AND he's barely 100 feet away from another group of survivors. There's entirely no reason for his bait contraption, all it serves is to waste time.
Ultimately, that's what the vast majority of this film does; waste time. And it does so to such a degree that any and all of the visceral, emotional intensity of the original film, is entirely evaporated to the point that the short film's iconic image of a zombified man with a baby strapped to his back and a wooden pole with meat on the end, is not a moment of necessity and human ingenuity in a moment of self sacrifice, but a pointless sight gag that serves only to remind you of the far superior short film.
It was amazing and it made me criy. When I saw that it had been re-made into a full length movie, I thought this is a joke gone too far. But since it was available to me for free, I decided to try it.
I regret it.
One of the best things about the original "Cargo" is that it was incredibly taut and minimalistic. There was very little dialogue, and nothing to distract from the main story of a doomed man trying to save his baby. Due to the need to fill in 105 minutes, this film version necessarily has to pad the hell out of that concept, turning a taut, tension-filled experience into a long, meandering adventure through subplots which end up in some way completely overshadowing the main plot.
"Cargo" 2013 was what it was, and gave us everything we needed. This one gives us far too much, indulging us with a pointless antagonistic plot involving a racist Australian redneck guy who keeps aboriginal people in cages as bait for zombies so he can kill them and loot their bodies, under the impression that once the zombie apocalypse is over, he will have lots of jewelry and consumer electronics and other things looted from the corpses to make himself rich. He also has a "wife" who is actually a woman he's basically kidnapped and keeping hostage because why not go full evil if you're going to add pointless filler.
This subplot keeps droning on and on, taking up so much of the film that it's hard to believe that it's all unfolding over less than 48 hours (as it's been established the zombie virus thing takes 48 hours to fully set in, and the infected have little wristband stopwatches that count down for them). Everything just keeps going on and on and the few characters there are do very little to generate any interest.
Another thing about the original "Cargo" is that, due to its short length and strict focus, with almost no dialogue, it basically lets us project ourselves onto the role of the Father. We empathize with him because of his very basic and human plight, and he does everything he can with what little he has and it's brilliant.
Here, we get to see again and again the personality of the Father character, and we get to see just how much of a complete idiot he is. From the very beginning, he's dorkily waving to a group of survivors across the river from him as though it were a sunday morning picnic and not the effing zombie apocalypse. Later when his wife is bitten, he needlessly prolongs her suffering long after she's accepted her fate, trying to reach a hospital that is out of the way of their escape route to do basically nothing other than waste time.
All throughout the film he keeps bumbling about, saying and doing stupid things, getting other people killed, and needlessly wasting time.
By the time we get to the famous moment from the short film where the Father makes a "raw meat on a stick" contraption to lure his zombie self into perpetually moving forward, he's already got another human companion with him he can hand his baby off to, AND he's barely 100 feet away from another group of survivors. There's entirely no reason for his bait contraption, all it serves is to waste time.
Ultimately, that's what the vast majority of this film does; waste time. And it does so to such a degree that any and all of the visceral, emotional intensity of the original film, is entirely evaporated to the point that the short film's iconic image of a zombified man with a baby strapped to his back and a wooden pole with meat on the end, is not a moment of necessity and human ingenuity in a moment of self sacrifice, but a pointless sight gag that serves only to remind you of the far superior short film.
Very good for zombie movie
nagyovamonika8 July 2018
Cargo-Save Humanity
sfxavier200921 May 2018
Outstanding performance by Martin Freeman and his young co-star.
Suspenseful, different and heartfelt story told against a background of an apocalypse as a father fights to save his baby daughter from certain death.
Not a horror movie or even an action movie
lee-henry-395341 August 2018
Do people in the movie make questionable choices? Yes. That's where the drama comes from in almost all movies (and in people's real lives too for that matter). Does that mean the main characters aren't worth empathizing with? I don't think so. Does anything completely unpredictable happen? Not really. I would compare this movie to an episode of Walking Dead where few zombies show up, and the eposode is mostly about the characters. In a lot of those eps nothing thrilling happens, but you really learn a lot about the characters. This is similar. If you are not a parent, this movie may not be super compelling to you, but I'm a sucker for a parent working really hard to save their kid.
Unusual zombie movie ..
Aktham_Tashtush8 September 2018
It is weirdly not the type of Zombie movies that gets scary or so .. it's quite the opposite ... with a bit of thrilling scenes it's just heartwarming story,, with strong plot.
On the other hand, The script didn't look that strong, but still managed to draw my attention and kept me on edge with that 48 hours countdown.
The cast choice was good,, I like Dr. Watson :D "Martin Freeman" he did a good job in here so did all the others.
I wouldn't say it's a family movie even though it kinda looked so sometimes ,, but watch it , you won't regret :)
On the other hand, The script didn't look that strong, but still managed to draw my attention and kept me on edge with that 48 hours countdown.
The cast choice was good,, I like Dr. Watson :D "Martin Freeman" he did a good job in here so did all the others.
I wouldn't say it's a family movie even though it kinda looked so sometimes ,, but watch it , you won't regret :)
A surprisingly good movie
85122221 June 2021
Greetings from Lithuania.
"Cargo" (2017) won't blow you away in terms of post apocalyptic genre by its size, scope or budget. This is a low key indie movie with a small budget but made with idea and passion, and you can see it during its whole runtime 1 h 40 min. Its well acted, directed and written story set in a very beautiful landscape.
Overall, "Cargo" was a surprisingly good movie. Its small, but its made so well that you won't mind spending 1 h 40 min with it. Very well movie overall.
"Cargo" (2017) won't blow you away in terms of post apocalyptic genre by its size, scope or budget. This is a low key indie movie with a small budget but made with idea and passion, and you can see it during its whole runtime 1 h 40 min. Its well acted, directed and written story set in a very beautiful landscape.
Overall, "Cargo" was a surprisingly good movie. Its small, but its made so well that you won't mind spending 1 h 40 min with it. Very well movie overall.
Fascinating concept, underwhelming execution
Ruskington10 May 2020
Cargo was a very intriguing but also frustrating viewing experience. This rather reticent depiction of a zombie apocalypse was refreshingly novel and outback Australia was a perfect setting for it. The story was a bit slow-moving and let down by some fairly dubious acting, with Martin Freeman feeling particularly miscast in his role. The ending was cleverly constructed but the final outcome of the movie felt a little trite and didn't really flow with the rest of the film. This was close to being a sneaky masterpiece but just felt a little cheap and rushed in places.
Soooo tedious and predictable
ackotovicz20 May 2018
I watched this movie because of its good IMDB rating. The positive reviews can only be being posted by production associates! Its really boring, predictable, the zombies are ridiculous and inoffensive, the survivors are weak and stupid. I watched until the end just to see ig it could get better, but it didnt. Dont waste your time!
These reviews are from movie snobs!
DdyBd_9023 May 2018
Some of the reviews here are extremely harsh on this movie. This movie is an adaptation of a 7 minute short film, was produced by netflix, didn't have a huge budget, and they still managed to create a fansastic film with incredible acting and a heartwarming, if tragic, storyline. This is not an oscar worthy film and wasnt created under the same standers as some of these comments seem to believe, but it was definitely worth the watch. If you want an exciting, emotional story about a parent's devotion to his child amidst the end of the world, give this movie a shot!
It's a Zombie film
a_mobbs15 January 2019
Tried this even though I'm not a fan of this genre. Some good acting from the leads, but the zombies were like every other zombie I've seen.
Quite liked then ending, it had a few good twists, so it wasn't a total waste of an afternoon
Potentially could have been good, is absolutely not.
mrgal-6601128 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I wanted to like this movie, and I gave it till the end to get better. It does not.
Plot holes and continuity issues abound! When Vic goes looking for Thoomi, Andi and the baby, he leaves the truck running, but then returns and starts the truck. Sometimes Andi is wearing the baby, but then she's inexplicably in a car seat or next to him. The plot line is confusing and fails to connect us to the characters in a way that makes sense, or thoroughly explain the scenes.
I'm truly surprised by the good rating here and the lack of any listed goofs, because there are PLENTY!
Plot holes and continuity issues abound! When Vic goes looking for Thoomi, Andi and the baby, he leaves the truck running, but then returns and starts the truck. Sometimes Andi is wearing the baby, but then she's inexplicably in a car seat or next to him. The plot line is confusing and fails to connect us to the characters in a way that makes sense, or thoroughly explain the scenes.
I'm truly surprised by the good rating here and the lack of any listed goofs, because there are PLENTY!
This is not a zombie movie.
andrew_james1015 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The "zombies" in this movie are people infected by a pandemic, who are about to die. They are not the resurrected dead. A well put together film that is about a man's attempt to survive with his baby, not the boring " there's a zombie, run away." Well acted and directed and the ending is excellent. Not a classic but well worth a look.
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