A mysterious woman on the run, and the resourceful fixer assigned to bring her in. Their two unique stories inextricably link, as the stakes of the pursuit rise to apocalyptic proportions.
Written and directed by feature-length newcomer, John Rosman, New Life stars Sonya Walger (For All Mankind, Lost), Hayley Erin (Pretty Little Liars: Perfectionists & General Hospital) and Tony Amendola (Rebel Moon Pt I, Annabelle).
The film is currently sitting at a respectable 93% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes following its hugely successful festival run, including FrightFest and Fantasia and is stirring up a bit of a buzz. Is it all warranted though? Honestly, I’m a little torn.
All the elements are here for a great horror film; I don’t think anyone in their right mind can argue that. Rosman takes us on a pretty powerful, emotional journey across multiple States and introduces us to a plethora of well-acted, likeable, and colourful characters. This is all set to the backdrop of some gorgeous cinematography coupled with a serene score and tight editing. It is, for a debut film, an incredibly well-structured and thought-out film that anyone would be proud of…but…
You know how fancy restaurants take something–for this example, let’s go with a cheeseburger–and then do a “deconstructed” version of the dish? Like, instead of the cheeseburger, we get a delicious, garlic-buttered brioche, a few slices of brie and camembert, some fancy-ass pickled salad and steak tartare. Well, that’s exactly what Rosman has done with New Life; he’s taken a zombie movie and deconstructed it into something far more fancy than its humble origins. All the pieces are there–the tropes that one has come to expect from a zombie film. The difference is that it is all presented to us uniquely and deliciously. We aren’t even aware for most of the film that what we have on our plates is–in fact–nought but a zombie thriller.
Now, this isn’t inherently a bad thing. The film is incredibly clever with how it manages its pacing, narrative, and overall feeling so that we are fooled into thinking one thing while the back of our mind is screaming, “Hold on! Is this going where I think it’s going?” And it most definitely is. This is especially great for people who don’t generally enjoy a zombie flick as they’re going to be feeling like they are watching something more akin to a murder mystery for most of the runtime. You could call it the adult version of hiding your veggies.
So why am I feeling a bit lukewarm towards New Life when I have nothing negative to say about it? The acting and casting were outstanding, the script superb and the overall production was spot on. It’s a great film. I think, at the end of the day, I felt like I was cheated out of a cheeseburger. Sometimes you’re in the mood for some fast food and not something gourmet. New Life is absolutely a premium cut and you should go out of your way to grab a copy, physical or digital, once the film becomes available. It will be hitting all digital platforms this Monday, June 3rd. Thanks for reading and as always, stay sordid. The trailer and artwork are below.
