Although he would rather be playing poker and drinking beer with some of his friends, "Tom" (Liam McIntyre) is convinced to spend the weekend with his adolescent daughter "Mira" (Aundrea Smith) camping in the woods instead. While driving there he hears strange reports of violent mobs suddenly breaking out all over but pays no real mind to it. Having then arrived at the camping site the two of them get situated and later on have some dinner with a group of other campers who have also recently arrived. The next morning, however, things change dramatically as those same campers become enraged zombies who swarm the two of them leaving Tom to fight them off while Mira runs into the woods. Eventually, Tom manages to barricade himself inside the camper and tries to come up with a plan to rescue Mira who has managed to allude the zombies but is left on her own without any food or shelter. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this film had some outstanding action scenes. Unfortunately, the director (David Matalon) had nothing else to contribute as he kept repeating one nearly identical scene after another to the point that the film not only became somewhat monotonous but also quite exhausting to watch as well. At least, it was for me. That being the case, I have rated it accordingly. Slightly below average.
67 Reviews
It could have been much more...
paul_haakonsen4 March 2021
A zombie movie that I had somehow missed? Needless to say that when the opportunity to watch the 2020 movie titled "The Clearing" here in 2021 then I jumped at the chance to sit down to watch it.
And while this movie definitely is watchable, it is ultimately just another zombie movie. Sadly so, but that is the truth. "The Clearing" from writer and director David Matalon just didn't revolutionize the zombie genre, nor did it bring anything that hadn't already been seen before.
Sure, I enjoyed the setting and environment of the movie. I mean, the concept of someone being away from civilization and just casually brushing off news bulletins of outbreaks of random violence and such, that was definitely interesting. But it was hardly something new to the zombie genre.
But of course, as is the way to go about it in 99% of all zombie movies, there was no explanation to the outbreak, what caused it and how did it manage to get to that remote area so quickly?
It should be said that if you enjoyed movies like "28 Days Later", then chances are high that you will most certainly also like "The Clearing". And don't get me wrong here, "The Clearing" is not a bad movie, it just caved in on all the tropes and archetypical presentations and angles of the zombie genre.
Personally I don't enjoy fast and agile zombies, and when they can run and jump, then it starts to get to the point where I am ready to get off the bus. Sure, I can understand why newly turned victims would be agile as rigor mortis haven't yet set in, but for me it just doesn't work as well with having zombies running and especially not jumping or being able to use choreographed fighting.
Visually then "The Clearing" was actually good enough. It wasn't the usual horrible low budget zombie make-up with faces painted gray and the rest of the body left to its normal skin tone. Nay, "The Clearing" actually had some good special effects and adequate amounts of gore. At least it was enough to keep a seasoned gorehound as myself content.
The acting in the movie was actually good for this type of movie. Sure, it wasn't award-winning performances, but the lead actor - Liam McIntyre - actually carried the movie quite well with his convincing performance. The movie has a very small cast, so there was more of a pressure to deliver on the leads. And they did manage that well enough.
Now, I must address the storyline, because it was a very simplistic storyline that was present in "The Clearing". Nay, I will say that it was actually also a weak and nearly non-existing storyline. I mean, everything took place at a campsite, with the protagonist being either trapped on the roof or locked inside their camping unit. So if you are looking for a zombie movie with a deeper and more profound plot and script, perhaps with some jabs at society like Romero did, then "The Clearing" will leave you wanting for more, that's for sure.
Ultimately "The Clearing" fell into being a stereotypical zombie movie. It was watchable, for sure, but it just failed to stand out in the vast ocean of zombie movies exactly like it. As such, my rating of "The Clearing" lands on a very mediocre five out of ten stars.
And while this movie definitely is watchable, it is ultimately just another zombie movie. Sadly so, but that is the truth. "The Clearing" from writer and director David Matalon just didn't revolutionize the zombie genre, nor did it bring anything that hadn't already been seen before.
Sure, I enjoyed the setting and environment of the movie. I mean, the concept of someone being away from civilization and just casually brushing off news bulletins of outbreaks of random violence and such, that was definitely interesting. But it was hardly something new to the zombie genre.
But of course, as is the way to go about it in 99% of all zombie movies, there was no explanation to the outbreak, what caused it and how did it manage to get to that remote area so quickly?
It should be said that if you enjoyed movies like "28 Days Later", then chances are high that you will most certainly also like "The Clearing". And don't get me wrong here, "The Clearing" is not a bad movie, it just caved in on all the tropes and archetypical presentations and angles of the zombie genre.
Personally I don't enjoy fast and agile zombies, and when they can run and jump, then it starts to get to the point where I am ready to get off the bus. Sure, I can understand why newly turned victims would be agile as rigor mortis haven't yet set in, but for me it just doesn't work as well with having zombies running and especially not jumping or being able to use choreographed fighting.
Visually then "The Clearing" was actually good enough. It wasn't the usual horrible low budget zombie make-up with faces painted gray and the rest of the body left to its normal skin tone. Nay, "The Clearing" actually had some good special effects and adequate amounts of gore. At least it was enough to keep a seasoned gorehound as myself content.
The acting in the movie was actually good for this type of movie. Sure, it wasn't award-winning performances, but the lead actor - Liam McIntyre - actually carried the movie quite well with his convincing performance. The movie has a very small cast, so there was more of a pressure to deliver on the leads. And they did manage that well enough.
Now, I must address the storyline, because it was a very simplistic storyline that was present in "The Clearing". Nay, I will say that it was actually also a weak and nearly non-existing storyline. I mean, everything took place at a campsite, with the protagonist being either trapped on the roof or locked inside their camping unit. So if you are looking for a zombie movie with a deeper and more profound plot and script, perhaps with some jabs at society like Romero did, then "The Clearing" will leave you wanting for more, that's for sure.
Ultimately "The Clearing" fell into being a stereotypical zombie movie. It was watchable, for sure, but it just failed to stand out in the vast ocean of zombie movies exactly like it. As such, my rating of "The Clearing" lands on a very mediocre five out of ten stars.
Poor writing
ferdmalenfant15 June 2020
The acting was okay. The writing and directing sucked.
draftdubya12 January 2021
Full of cliches and massive plot holes. Why did the little girl leave the camper in the first place? For a person who rather play on her phone, why did she leave it? Zombies now can climb ladders and like to fist fight.
At Least it Was Short
Neon_Gold18 June 2020
This really felt student-y. It had no budget and that is fine because you can work with that. However they did not.
It is really predictable and kinda just runs around all over the place plot wise. The first half of the movie isn't a zombie movie, it is a movie about a single father, then it becomes a zombie movie and then it looses all the zombies and because some sort of scene study about 2 men struggling in an apocalypse situation.
The action scenes are shot really fast and cartoon-y. I struggles to find my bearings when i was watching it.
I would give it a miss as it kinda just dodders around doing nothing for an hour and 20 minutes and then gives you the most predictable ending it could have.
It is really predictable and kinda just runs around all over the place plot wise. The first half of the movie isn't a zombie movie, it is a movie about a single father, then it becomes a zombie movie and then it looses all the zombies and because some sort of scene study about 2 men struggling in an apocalypse situation.
The action scenes are shot really fast and cartoon-y. I struggles to find my bearings when i was watching it.
I would give it a miss as it kinda just dodders around doing nothing for an hour and 20 minutes and then gives you the most predictable ending it could have.
Lacks everything that makes a good movie
Valid_ID27 October 2021
Lacks originality, logic, it's repetitive, and the acting is absolutely terrible all around.
If you've ever seen 10 minute of a zombie movie, imagine playing that in a loop, and you get this movie.
Without giving anything away (there's nothing to give away!), here are a few inane points: zombies appear out of nowhere, in the middle of nowhere, where a father is camping with his daughter for a couple of days only. What are the odds?!
Also, the zombies scream in pain when hit; aren't zombies supposed to be dead, and unfeeling?
Year 2020 saw cheap, silly movies like this one popping up like mushrooms after the rain. I don't know if it's the fault of COVID-19, or the free streaming lowered the entertanment standards, but movies like this are worthless, and a total waste of time, and other resources such as bandwidth.
If you've ever seen 10 minute of a zombie movie, imagine playing that in a loop, and you get this movie.
Without giving anything away (there's nothing to give away!), here are a few inane points: zombies appear out of nowhere, in the middle of nowhere, where a father is camping with his daughter for a couple of days only. What are the odds?!
Also, the zombies scream in pain when hit; aren't zombies supposed to be dead, and unfeeling?
Year 2020 saw cheap, silly movies like this one popping up like mushrooms after the rain. I don't know if it's the fault of COVID-19, or the free streaming lowered the entertanment standards, but movies like this are worthless, and a total waste of time, and other resources such as bandwidth.
Please don't waste 2 hours of your life for nothing!
medkmail2 November 2020
A 50 minute story turned into a 100 minute movie
Joejoesan9 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
After seeing the trailer I had high hopes for The Clearing. Too bad it's just an okay zombiefilm, certainly not a classic.
The movie is about a father and daughter who go camping in the middle of nowhere. One morning the father wakes up and discovers that his daughter is gone. Just when he goes out to look for her, he meets several crazy (running) zombies who want to bite him and tear him apart (there's no eating in this film). He does see his daughter outside and tells her to run away. He himself goes back to the caravan - and stays there almost the whole film. That's it actually. The father tries to get rid of the zombies in front of his door to go after his daughter, but every time he fails and must get back in. At one point that becomes boring.
Of course this movie was made on a low budget and at first that doesn't show. The performances are okay, the zombies look great and the action is satisfying. But.almost 70% of the movie takes place on one location and that feels... cheap? Some unlikely and illogical things also happen. In the beginning of the zombie invasion his cellphone still works. So why not call for help? And how can his daughter survive in the woods for so long while he is safely in the caravan? How did the father learn to fight so well and how is he able to survive his latest trick on the undead?
The Clearing could have been a great first part of a movie. With a second big location, let's say a mall, airport, holiday resort or even a big ship, the story would have been much more exciting and interesting. Now it looks like they turned a 50 minute story into a 100 minute movie. It's not bad and The Clearing certainly has some nice scenes. It's a good effort with the budget they had, but if they spent a few millions more it could have been great.
7/10
The movie is about a father and daughter who go camping in the middle of nowhere. One morning the father wakes up and discovers that his daughter is gone. Just when he goes out to look for her, he meets several crazy (running) zombies who want to bite him and tear him apart (there's no eating in this film). He does see his daughter outside and tells her to run away. He himself goes back to the caravan - and stays there almost the whole film. That's it actually. The father tries to get rid of the zombies in front of his door to go after his daughter, but every time he fails and must get back in. At one point that becomes boring.
Of course this movie was made on a low budget and at first that doesn't show. The performances are okay, the zombies look great and the action is satisfying. But.almost 70% of the movie takes place on one location and that feels... cheap? Some unlikely and illogical things also happen. In the beginning of the zombie invasion his cellphone still works. So why not call for help? And how can his daughter survive in the woods for so long while he is safely in the caravan? How did the father learn to fight so well and how is he able to survive his latest trick on the undead?
The Clearing could have been a great first part of a movie. With a second big location, let's say a mall, airport, holiday resort or even a big ship, the story would have been much more exciting and interesting. Now it looks like they turned a 50 minute story into a 100 minute movie. It's not bad and The Clearing certainly has some nice scenes. It's a good effort with the budget they had, but if they spent a few millions more it could have been great.
7/10
Fun and clever
jaygarrettemail28 September 2020
I found the direction and the pacing enjoyable because the characters and their story were meaningful. I like it when a story can pull off a movie with limited setting and characters and The Clearing did that. The writing and directing were intelligent and reminded me of the hopes I had for The Walking Dead Television show. Ian McIntyre and his daughter had relatable chemistry in their conflict and I found him believable in the action scenes which is so often lacking. If you're a fan of the genre or just a fan of a contained movie well told, I really think you'll enjoy The Clearing.
A hit with a lot of misses
darrenk-6121912 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
No bad, but could of been a lot better. I liked the acting and the tense but affable bonding between father and daughter. There's not much to go on which made some plot holes. 1) I figured the daughter left to go check on the turtles, but why leave her phone on, if she snuck out and they were 20 feet from the camper? 2) How did Mira learn how to make a fire without matches? Being her girl scouts training were watered down and they don'tgive out those badges anymore. 3) Why end the movie without concern about the mother. 4) How did the out break start, besides saying some were acting violent? 5) Why continue the camping trip when the radio clearly said there's "rash of violent attacks" and the CDC was in was involved? 6) Why did the (lady zombie in the grey shirt) at the beginning was the only one who chest explode? 7) Why did the 1st zombies who attacked the 1st victim bite her in 2 seconds, but throughout the movie, they fought and grabbed but didn't bite?
The Clearing
a_baron17 November 2020
Often there isn't a great deal to zombie films, but most have at least a ghost of a plot. This one is basically a guy stuck out in the wilds. His caravan is robust, and he has a firearm. Then the zombies invade. And that is it, or almost it. There are a couple of side plots but for most of the time it's just him fighting them off or literally fighting them. He is quite strong physically but nothing special, yet somehow he manages to batter, slash and stab the whole lot. Yet still they keep coming. He has a radio, and it seems this could be an end of the world scenario, the end of entertainment having already arrived.
Pathetic Shallow Story line
davey18416 June 2020
So he can fight off 20+ zombies unarmed at a time without getting infected. The zombies can break car windows open with ease. But can't open the door or unlocked windows on his camper van. The whole film is of him killing zombies single handed. No plot, no story and no point.
Absolute waste of time.
vegicat7 July 2020
Warning: Spoilers
No story, no plot. Did I mention there is no story? Also, nothing that happens in the movie is believable. Unless a dude single-handedly fighting an entire zombie army on his lonesome with essentially his bare hands, while making stupid decisions and not being logical is something you'd consider to be a story.
Somehow dude doesn't ever get bitten, despite the fact that these acrobatic zombies can jump, climb ladders, and magically get on top of things. -- like speeding cars. Except when they can't. They are very quick on their feet, as they can almost out-run a truck, and while they feel the need to try to rip said dude apart, they don't want to eat him. Whut?
The daughter fared better. She was able to out-run the zombie horde a couple of times, even without food or water. And though she had no real wilderness experience, she managed to find her way clear to the top of a mountain where she lit a fire for a smoke signal. Because, even though they weren't expecting the zombie apocalypse and she'd just left the camper presumably to use the toilet, she happened to have matches on her while she was sleeping. Presumably in the coat she lost along the way. Can you say plot holes?
Here's another plot hole -- when dude tries to call his daughter on her cell phone, it rings in the camper. So he has two working cell phones, and obviously is getting a signal or the daughter's phone wouldn't have rung... but at no point does he try to use one to call his wife or 911, or anyone at all for help. Instead, he fiddles pointlessly with a HAM radio.
The film doesn't bother explaining where the zombies came from, what happened to the wife, or how they're going to get down the mountain to safety (is it even safe back in civilization?) without a vehicle, food, water, or a story line.
Save yourself the aggravation and watch something else.
Somehow dude doesn't ever get bitten, despite the fact that these acrobatic zombies can jump, climb ladders, and magically get on top of things. -- like speeding cars. Except when they can't. They are very quick on their feet, as they can almost out-run a truck, and while they feel the need to try to rip said dude apart, they don't want to eat him. Whut?
The daughter fared better. She was able to out-run the zombie horde a couple of times, even without food or water. And though she had no real wilderness experience, she managed to find her way clear to the top of a mountain where she lit a fire for a smoke signal. Because, even though they weren't expecting the zombie apocalypse and she'd just left the camper presumably to use the toilet, she happened to have matches on her while she was sleeping. Presumably in the coat she lost along the way. Can you say plot holes?
Here's another plot hole -- when dude tries to call his daughter on her cell phone, it rings in the camper. So he has two working cell phones, and obviously is getting a signal or the daughter's phone wouldn't have rung... but at no point does he try to use one to call his wife or 911, or anyone at all for help. Instead, he fiddles pointlessly with a HAM radio.
The film doesn't bother explaining where the zombies came from, what happened to the wife, or how they're going to get down the mountain to safety (is it even safe back in civilization?) without a vehicle, food, water, or a story line.
Save yourself the aggravation and watch something else.
extremely low budget but with heart
tony-146-69562616 June 2020
This is worth a watch, but only once. Good fathers day movie for teens to watch, they may appreciate dad a little more.
It is a shoe string budget production with limited number of sets and locations. Special effects are extremely minimal with very quick camera shots to hide it.
The acting by the main character, the dad , is very good. With a better script and more money he could have carried the movie a lot farther. Oh well.
This movie is more like a snapshot of a couple days , not explaining how the sickness starts or even if it is world wide. For all the audience knows it could be just the immediate few miles. No way to tell.
I would not call it a zombie movie. The infected would be a better way to see it. They are not dead. And they die just fine. More of a 28 days effect than anything else.
The sick are pretty convincing, I have to admit. The daughter is your typical spoiled teen brat so no issues there.
There is no closure to the bigger infection story, the audience is asked to be content with the predictable ending involving father and daughter.
Probably a better watch if you drink a few beers first. I have given up alcohol, so I had to watch it dry.
I seen worse.
It is a shoe string budget production with limited number of sets and locations. Special effects are extremely minimal with very quick camera shots to hide it.
The acting by the main character, the dad , is very good. With a better script and more money he could have carried the movie a lot farther. Oh well.
This movie is more like a snapshot of a couple days , not explaining how the sickness starts or even if it is world wide. For all the audience knows it could be just the immediate few miles. No way to tell.
I would not call it a zombie movie. The infected would be a better way to see it. They are not dead. And they die just fine. More of a 28 days effect than anything else.
The sick are pretty convincing, I have to admit. The daughter is your typical spoiled teen brat so no issues there.
There is no closure to the bigger infection story, the audience is asked to be content with the predictable ending involving father and daughter.
Probably a better watch if you drink a few beers first. I have given up alcohol, so I had to watch it dry.
I seen worse.
Not a bad movie.
marcuswoods-9655519 June 2020
The worst top ten
howardmichaelc21 December 2020
watch it and decide for yourself
JUICEZ-49ers27 July 2020
Proper zombie flick, if it ever were to happen, a zombie takeover this is what it would be like, realistic. Slow paced, well acted. Yes films like dawn of the dead ect are more entertaining, but if you want realism and emotion, not just hack and slash then give this a shot
Decently acted but failingly cliched.
jmbovan-47-1601732 May 2021
The acting is decent, especially from Liam McIntyre, and that is good as he is the entire film. It felt as if they extended the "zombie" storyline by adding cliched ideas from every other zombie film. Ho hum. I would have appreciated more set-up whether more before the plot starts, like the opening scene, or with flashbacks, as they did a couple times. Otherwise, backstory was established in a few lines between father and daughter to explain their conflict. That could have extended the movie and given us more to connect with the father and daughter. Decent watch even though it gets a bit slow due to unoriginal plot points.
Intense and fun
reeldeal728 September 2020
Intense zombie horror flick. Great usage of the enclosed space, which hits home even more during the time of Covid. Tension is constant throughout the movie, with well shot and fast-paced action sequences. But it is the relationship between the dad and the daughter that keeps it grounded and relatable. Fans of the genre will love it.
all the zombies
Pancakes_and_movies28 September 2020
Wasn't impressed
Jgraham173 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Found myself saying really and no way a lot. I mean seriously had parts that made no since.. my glasses are missing a lense and shattered but I will leave them on my face dumb.. Don't start watching because although it is very bad, you can't stop watching..
A boring zombie movie
toddmcl16 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
A zombie apocalypse takes place at a small campground and you get the view point from a dad and his daughter. The daughter is missing through the majority of the movie and the fathers concern and urgency seems a bit on the late side if you ask me.
We only see the same 20 or so zombies throughout the film. Worms seem to be the source of the takeover of humans which was a cool twist. Worms protruding out of people's faces and limbs was a neat take but the behavior was odd. Instead of clawing and biting zombies, they were grabbing and petting; not nearly as scary. They brought back the fast zombies but didn't do much with them. They mostly surrounded a camper throughout the film and you forget their uniqness.
The dad causes an explosion at the end, killing everyone except him; Rambo style.
Pretty boring overall, would not recommend or watch again.
We only see the same 20 or so zombies throughout the film. Worms seem to be the source of the takeover of humans which was a cool twist. Worms protruding out of people's faces and limbs was a neat take but the behavior was odd. Instead of clawing and biting zombies, they were grabbing and petting; not nearly as scary. They brought back the fast zombies but didn't do much with them. They mostly surrounded a camper throughout the film and you forget their uniqness.
The dad causes an explosion at the end, killing everyone except him; Rambo style.
Pretty boring overall, would not recommend or watch again.
Ok film
kathmummybear18 June 2020
A non-movie
dmgil-4736318 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This seems like the notes to a movie that was never made, an idea or outline that never manifested. We're dropped into a situation then the movie flashes back on what happened before this situation. I love it so far. Intrigue is good. However, after being introduced to the characters and brought up the present on the opening scene there is still no begining to the movie. How did the zombie apocalypse come about? Maybe later...action ensues, lots of action, then no action. Then it's over. Where did the plot go? Where's the climax? This is not a story.
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