When Cabin Fever was released in 2002 it not only launched the career of genre heavyweight Eli Roth, it also proved that something different could be brought to the well worn “cabin in the woods” plot line. It also brought body horror back to the masses, which became a speciality of Roth’s, and paved the way for the torture porn (a terrible sub-genre title) surge of the new millennium. Twelve years later Marvel comics’ maestro Kaare Andrews has brought us Cabin Fever 3: Patient Zero which promises to erase the memory of Cabin Fever 2 and pay worthy homage to the original film.
A group of friends are celebrating the final day of freedom for Marcus (Mitch Ryan) before his pending nuptials the following afternoon. His best friend Dobbs (Ryan Donowho), brother Josh (Brando Eaton) and possible one-time, maybe more than “friend” Penny (Jillian Murray) have chartered a boat to take them to an uninhabited island for the night where they will drink beer, smoke weed and generally enjoy what could be last time they are all together. As is very often the case the island actually houses a secret; a medical research facility where the sinister Dr. Edwards (Currie Graham) is carrying out experiments on the unfortunate Porter (Sean Astin) who is unlucky enough to be carrying the flesh eating virus we know so well, but also lucky enough to appear immune. Very quickly the virus is released and all manner of unpleasantness ensues.
The first half of Andrews’ film plays like a bawdy comedy rather than a horror mixed with more macabre scenes of gruesome exposition in the island’s hidden facility, while the second references Romero’s back catalogue with the emphasis more on suspense and action. What is impressive though is how the filmmakers have really ramped up the effects on such a small budget. There are some extremely nasty scenes (in a good way!) that threaten the realms of taste but never cross the line.
The cast do a decent job with what could have become a script that slipped into the ridiculous and there is enough interest in the characters to keep the story engaging. Whether Andrews’ visual style is wholly influenced by his time with Marvel is difficult to say but certainly aesthetically this is an impressive film that delivers more than enough bloody intensity to keep gore fans happy. There are some issues however.
Sadly at times the film stumbles into genre crossover territory which doesn’t really work. There are a couple of moments that will pull you out of the carefully engineered suspense and may well make you sigh and groan at the screen. It’s clear what the filmmakers had in mind but it is too strong a knowing reference to sit comfortably here. There is also a potential problem with the timeline as the film suggests in the title that this is the beginning of the story but the virus is much more advanced than what was seen in the original film. This is a small point but it does offer up a shadow of doubt over the story.
OVERALL SUMMARY
Patient Zero is certainly not as bad as you might have expected it to be and is without doubt better than you would have thought it would be. There is real bravery in Jake Wade Hall’s script which is brought to life, and death, by Andrews’ visually stylised direction. Not everything works as well as it should and there are moments of accidental comedy that perhaps draw you out of the film somewhat but these slight failings can be forgiven when the film is judged as a whole. There was little else the filmmakers could have done with the franchise other than what they have with Patient Zero and credit is deserved for that alone. This isn’t a defining entry into the horror genre like the original but it does promise strong things to come from Andrews at least.
