Details

Release year: 2016

Storyline

A scientist and a teacher living in a dystopian future embark on a journey of survival with a special young girl named Melanie.

Top credits

Directors

Colm McCarthy

Writers

Mike Carey

Cast

Sennia Nanua — Melanie
Fisayo Akinade — Kieran Gallagher
Dominique Tipper — Devani
Paddy Considine — Sgt Eddie Parks

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Awards

0 wins & 1 nomination

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Did you know

• There is a real-life fungus that bears a remarkable resemblance to the one described in the movie. The O.unilateralis, or zombie fungus, thankfully only infects carpenter ants. When the ants are first infected they undergo severe whole body convulsions (as seen in the human hosts of the movie). The fungus then starts controlling their brain. Eventually, the zombie fungus directs the ant to climb up a tree where the 'next stage of the fungus' life cycle' occurs. Specifically, as seen in the movie, the fungus grows through the victim's head to produce a long stalk; when the conditions are right, pods open to make the fungus airborne, allowing it to infect many more hosts. Interestingly, the ant zombie fungus also protects its infected host from some environmental pathogens, as also seen with Melanie's symbiote.

• Some of the aerial footage was shot by a second unit in the ghost town of Pripyat, near Chernobyl, in Ukraine. Director Colm McCarthy: "I was very interested in post-apocalyptic imagery and urban exploration. We wanted to surprise people rather than have people coming in expecting a studio level film. We sent a micro drone unit to Pripyat, Chernobyl to shoot helicopter footage with Pripyat doubling for urban London." [2016]

• Glenn Close's sister-in-law, Deb Close, is a massive fan of zombie films, having always wanted to be in one, and has a small role as one of the "hungries" in the scene where the group has to work their way through a crowd of them. She is the one wearing a blue knit, with green facial fungus and blood around the mouth and neck, that Glenn stares at as her character walks past. Deb flew to the UK especially for the part, and the first thing Glenn did after accepting her role was call to let Deb know she was in a zombie film.