Watch Before Dawn For Free

Truly Dreadful Film

A Disappointing Continuation

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Someone urged me to watch this movie because they had seen it at a festiival a few years ago, but I couldn't find it anywhere, luckily a stream into UKs Horror Channel provided through Film On allowed me to see this.The guy that makes the movie is the same guy who made a Bait which I really enjoyed, but this is a whole different ballgame. For some unknown reason the cast were not recorded (sound) at the time of shooting, yes they say the lines but clearly no sound guy was tasked with recording actual audio. Therefore all that is done post filming, I believe they call it adr. This was awful there is no background sounds, everything deathly quiet. Worse still the performances because of the soap opera style approach to horror feel removed. Don't get me wrong performances are good, the film is quite good because it's a thinking zombie movie, it's different. But this whole sound issue, it does not allow you to fully engage in the film. You just simply don't feel that level of attachment. Because I could not get into the zone, the film simply does not work for me on any level.

First review I have ever written and felt compelled to do so in order to save other victims... sorry innocent viewers from exposing themselves to one and a half (plus) hours of sheer drivel! For a zombie movie to evade any zombie action for the first 40 minutes; I would expect and gladly welcome an alternate, strong intro, carried forward by engaging and relevant dialogue. Instead we are presented with two dimensional characters living lives I couldn't care less about and delivering banal dialogue that warrants a "can cause drowsiness" warning! Things only get worse as the (dare I call it) story? Attempts to move forward but is ultimately thwarted by stale performances, atrocious cinematography, lack of a sound engineer and on the whole, kamikaze film making. To get a film made is no mean feat and I have to applaud the film makers in that respect but why invest time, money and energy into a baseless project that exists for the sake of existing. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!

OK, I have never written a review before but my husband and i are major movie fans, major zombie fans (inc the walking dead) and major IMDb users and so here goes my review which i aim to be less long winded and more informative!I saw Dominic on some TV shows recently advertising his movie and it left me intrigued, there were only 3 reviews to go on so we downloaded anyway...To sum it up the film is average at best, the beginning is slow and it takes just under an hour before the slightest bit of zombie action! The first hour is about a failing marriage and an attempt to spend some time away together, you're left feeling slightly irritated by the actress (the wife) who's acting isn't great and is unrealistic, its small things, like the way they relate to each other that is unrealistic, esp when she comes back from a run bitten, my husband and i turned to each other and laughed because she got bitten then ran in to woods and looked up at the trees in a euphoric way like 'wow' these trees are beautiful and the next minute she's running back in the house totally distraught and hitting her husband, it just all looked very... fake, yes you'd run back like a nutter but the bit in the forest??! Also if you knew your wife had massive a bite mark and was feeling unwell you wouldn't put her to bed with a glass of water you'd go straight to the hospital! It's just stupid things like that. Attention to detail. Also because of the way the relationship was portrayed when the wife does turn you do not feel sympathetic or emotionally connected to the characters. A lot of it was too predictable too, its a shame because Dominic is a zombie fanatic and i was expecting a lot more.... the only good thing, the special effects are good.

What Before Dawn has managed to do is give a well needed dose of life and energy into a sub-genre which has been faltering somewhat of late. The tone, pace and aesthetic of the film are all marvellous. The relationship between Alex and Meg is so engrossing and believable that it draws you right in. This is very much an examination of human interaction, in which the zombie apocalypse just so happens to be occurring in the background. It's too easy to make the Mike Leigh and Ken Loach comparisons, because they are very unique filmmakers, thankfully, so is Dominic Brunt.The pathos which is generated by the shambling, partially alcoholic Alex is a stark contrast to the energetic and productive Meg; however, an emptiness exists in them both, cleverly accentuated by sharp, penetrating dialogue. The subtle jibes which they make at each other, even in the midst of kind gestures will ring true to anyone whose relationship has passed the point of no return. Alex's strained interactions with this mother in law are also particularly well written and delivered. Nicky Evans' Alex is one of the finest examples of survivalist character to appear in many years. He manages to generate both suspicion and empathy simultaneously, his appearance climaxing in a particularly effecting manner. This is not to categorise the film as a kitchen sink drama with zombies either, for that would be an injustice. It is merely the fact that the richness and depth of the characters on screen generates a connection that is rarely seen in genre features. A marvellous combination of astute filmmaking and deft knowledge of the horror film, Before Dawn is a film which warrants multiple viewings to allow the multitude of subtleties to sink in.Where the film really succeeds is that it delivers on the gore front as well. The zombies are of a new ilk, one which manages to create a new strain of terror, just when we thought we'd seen it all. Their stripped, shorn faces, accentuated by blood red eyes and frantic lunges become terrifying and we begin to feel as edgy as the characters within the piece. Before Dawn is a rare treat, an intelligent genre piece which has so much to offer. The performances are a testament to all involved and certainly one of the most talked about movies at Grimmfest. If there is any justice in the, this movie will take pride of place in any discerning horror fans collection. I can only hope that this is merely the first that we've seen of Dominic Brunt and Joanne Mitchell. Colin McCracken also writes extensively for zombiehamster.com as well as a number of genre publications. He can be found on Twitter as @zombiehamster