Devil’s Crossing is the first film from writer/director James Ryan Gary. It features a world ravaged by nuclear war, in which humanity’s remaining survivors take refuge in small settlements, resorting to the ways of the old west to survive. With the dead roaming the earth, it’s only a matter of time before confrontation ensues.
There’s no arguing that zombies are in right now. Vampires and werewolves are a dying fad, with zombies taking over as the next big thing. Zombie westerns are nothing new to the horror genre, which put Devil’s Crossing at a disadvantage from the get go. In fact, it wasn’t too long ago that we had Cowboys vs Zombies. The difference between Devil’s Crossing and C vs Z, though, is that Devil’s Crossing is actually pretty good. Although hindered by the same issues that plague many independent horror, Devil’s Crossing is an intense, visceral zombie flick, with plenty of action and gore to spare.
Devil’s Crossing returns to a classic formula for a zombie movie (something we can thank George A. Romero for), a group of people held up in a building fighting for survival until them, or the zombies, are all dead. Its almost a full-proof formula, and can be attempted regardless of film budget.
The zombie effects aren’t really that convincing or scary. The zombies instead look like regular people with dirt on their faces. The gore effects are generated through some very unconvincing CGI, but luckily most shots are so fast you won’t necessarily notice.
Devil’s Crossing takes quite a while to get to where it’s going, with the first half hour acting purely as exposition, introducing us to the main characters and the rough brutality of the future world. We don’t see a zombie until all this exposition is over and done with, though it’s OK because the strength of the drama that we’re shown is good enough to keep you captivated, and once the zombies do arrive, they do so in vast numbers, and the action is more than entertaining enough to make up for the slow start.
OVERALL SUMMARY
A highly entertaining and visceral zombie flick. Don’t be put off by the slow start; it builds up to an exhilarating zombie-showdown.
