**A beautiful film with a handful of odd choices.**
I was hesitant going into this film. On one hand, it was a mainstream zombie film with a big budget and a competent crew. But on the other hand, it was in a franchise I have never loved, and it was the start of a new trilogy. So, while I was confident that it would be a solid movie, I did not know if it would work for me personally or if it would feel like it could stand on its own. I walked out of the theater satisfied with the film. And in the day since, I have grown even more positive on it and am giving it a **9 out of 10**. I think the part that will surprise people the most is the emotional weight that the film carries. And it all comes from the great set of characters and their relationships. There is a lot of heart and even some great humor to get you invested. This elevates the film above being just another fun zombie movie. But let's talk about the zombies/infected. There are a couple new ideas introduced with them in this that I really dig. They are more monstrous than ever, but they are also showing more humanity than ever. The action and kills are a lot of fun. Everything is as fast and terrifying as usual with this franchise. So, the action is mostly fantastic. I say 'mostly' because there are a couple of editing choices that I think distract from the action more than they enhance it. I can say the same for a handful of other points in the film. They chose to insert flashes of other footage at times. One of the times I loved it. One of the times it was weird and actually felt like a trailer for the movie. And another time, it was just very confusing. (I still don't know the meaning of it) Those are a couple of the times where the style didn't fully work. But for 95% of the film, it does! This film has a look that is so unique. **It feels both calm and like a nightmare at the same time!** I don't know how they did it. If you have seen the awesome trailer, you get a feel for the style of the film. It does not disappoint. Then, there is a scene at the end that sets up the future of the trilogy. This scene has a style and a tone that is like nothing else in the movie. Truly a WTF moment for the audience. It was bold, and it did not work for me. But since it was just a tease to the future films and not integral to this one, I am willing to forgive it. Because before that, we got an actual ending to the film that was emotionally satisfying. This film has no problem standing on its own. Sure, you are left with more to explore, and certain character arcs are left unfinished. But go in knowing it is a trilogy (and that the next one is coming as soon as this January), and these things hopefully won't bother you. - All in all, **I'm a happy zombie fan! :D**
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