Blood Quantum (2019)

 October Challenge Day 28:

I can't believe I'm not hearing more about this movie in my horror communities, so let's start now.

Blood Quantum

When I first saw there was a zombie film about a world were only the first nations' people are immune from the disease (including bites!) - I think I dropped everything and folks, I watched this film twice.

Twice!

Filmed on Mi'kmaq land in Canada (yes, the same nation from Pet Sematary), and directed by Jeff Barnaby, also of the Mi'kmaq tribe who grew up on the Listuguj reserve in Quebec, this movie immediately sucks you into a haunting but beautiful atmosphere that is ripe with anticipation excitement, and ass kickery.   

From the LA Times

The symbolism, metaphors, juxtaposition, and allegory in this film are powerful, and never let up. From the real horrors of drug addiction, alcoholism, poverty, and double standards to a lack of access to healthcare and resources, this movie has a lot to say about history, systemic racism, reservations, and the nightmares therein. Also zombies.

I grew up in South Dakota, just outside of two reservations where, like in the film, our communities were divided by one giant bridge. Something that resembled a shudder rippled through me. I'm still not sure what exactly it was. Either I found this similarity so shocking or it was the beginning of how much this was going to kick my ass with its quiet, justifiable rage - either way, I was hooked from the opening credits. 

I could talk for days about so many elements of this film and in the second viewing I saw still more - there's one scene in particular where a white man is carrying a blood-stained blanket into a safety zone and wholly shit, the peoples' response at seeing a blanket riddled with disease is nothing short of:

SALTY AS FUCK

As a zombie film goes, this one is typical with most zombie plot lines: outbreak suddenly happens and a band of people have to fight for their lives. It also has two distinct periods - the opening one (break out happens) and 6 months later (survival). Note, I had to pay the most attention to the second period, as that has the most attention to detail and feels very different from the first half.

Bloody, gory, thrilling, dark and gritty - this film has a lot to say and I think you should listen. As Barnaby said: “My films are a gateway drug to better conversations.”

There's so much about the making of this film, the tribe, the people involved, and hundreds of years of history that I could, again, go on for days. In the mean time let's start here - a fantastic LA Times article and interview with the director, and here's an in-depth look by the Guardian into the history and meaning of 'blood quantum', just to name a few things. Please check them out!

I watched this film on Shudder, or use the Find it! Watch it! links on Horror Habit's side bar to locate where else you can find this ground-breaking feature.