Patient Zero Movie Review

Patient Zero is an English-language scientific horror film released in 2018. The film, written by Mike Le and directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky, revolves around a group of post-apocalyptic survivors trying to find an antidote for a deadly virus. It stars Matt Smith, Stanley Tucci Born in Peekskill, New York, Stanley is not only a >> Read More... , Natalie Dormer and others.

Plot

In Patient Zero, a mutilated form of the rabies virus has ravaged the world. People who get bitten by anyone possessing this virus is sure to turn feral or die. Billions of people around the world have already been affected by this virus. Amongst those trying to escape its claws are Morgan and Janet, played by Matt Smith and Agyness Deyn, a married couple, who become a victim of this virus. However, while Janet becomes infected, Morgan remains untouched but develops an ability to talk to those affected.

Morgan finds a place to hide in secret bunker, inhabited by civilians, military officers, doctors, etc, who are trying to shield themselves against the infected. There he meets Dr Gina Rose (played by Natalie Dormer), virologist, along with whom he begins to try to fins "patient zero" in order to find a cure to the virus. 

Star Performance

The film Patient Zero boasts an impressive star cast with well-known names of the industry. However, the acting falls short, perhaps because the characters are not entirely suited to the actors.

The lead role is that of Matt Smith, who plays the role of Morgan. His acting is adequate but sometimes comes off as too try hard. He goes for a badass, tough guy kind of persona, but fails to pull it off convincingly.

The same goes for Natalie Dormer. She fares a bit better than Matt Smith, but her performance felt lukewarm overall.

The saving grace is Stanley Tucci as the Professor. He is powerful and compelling in his role. His character is calm and collected, which Stanley Tucci delivers with ease. His arrival adds much-needed momentum to the film.

Analysis

Patient Zero aims to be a scientific horror film. However, it is not entirely successful.

The science part of the film is absolute nonsense at times, with claims that could have extreme implications that are beyond comprehension. Additionally, the general storyline is confusing in itself. There are many inconsistencies, and at times even the basic plot does not seem to be making sense. This makes the film very hard to follow. The film also begins on a somewhat awkward note, when the virus has already established a dominance, with no background being provided as to where the virus came from, what it does, or how long it's been there.

To its credit, Patient Zero employs a unique narrative. The main plot, that of a strange and deadly virus taking the planet by storm, is not very unique by itself, but there are elements to the film that director Stefan Ruzowitzky has added that make the film his own. They try to bring in a fresh perspective to the concept of zombies, which works to an extent, but there are parts of it that seem illogical.

Certain elements of the story are unnecessary, like the love triangle between Morgan, Gina, and Colonel Knox. It seems forced, and the film would probably be better without it.

It does have some philosophical thought behind it, though, and it takes the admission of Stanley Tucci in the story to show us that. His conversation with Morgan is one of the only highlights of the film. It provides a deeper meaning to a film that falls short in other aspects. It also has many points where the scenes allude to a more nuanced, more politically relevant meaning, but many of these scenes fall flat on their faces. 

What's There?

• Some scenes have a nice deeper meaning.

What's Not There?

• The execution of the plot is bad.
• The acting is subpar.
• The plot makes no sense.

Verdict

This is a film that had a lot of potential but failed to realise it because of its bad writing and messy storyline. Stefan Ruzowitzky makes a solid attempt, but there are too many flaws in terms of plot, narration, and acting for this to be an entertaining film.