By: Addison Wylie

Wyrmwood charges through our senses.  It’s easily the scariest, most effective zombie flick audiences will have seen as of late.

Kiah Roache-Turner uses a dangerous form of filmmaking that is rarely seen in modern cinema.  Mostly due to the fact that it’s an insane style that could go belly-up if the audience isn’t ready for its shocking invasiveness.

Roache-Turner throws movie goers in the centre of the intense life-or-death face-offs.  He positions the camera incredibly close to his actors to emphasize the claustrophobic nature of the featured apocalypse to highlight that a means to escape is slim.  Not many daredevils are able to get away with this “in-your-face” type of filmmaking, but Roache-Turner knows how to appropriately supply the right context.  The end product looks like the spawn of Dawn of the Dead and Crank.

Unfortunately, the latter half of Wyrmwood doesn’t measure up to the fantastic first half.  No matter how intriguing the screenplay becomes with its inventive use of the undead, Roache-Turner’s delivery resorts to the same ole’ zombie movie we’ve seen time and time again.  However, I suppose, it’s a exhausting triathlon for the filmmaker in order to keep up with the high mark he’s set for the audience.

Wyrmwood may run out of breath too early, but it’s a terrific trip before then.

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As Wylie Writes’ coverage of this year’s Toronto After Dark Film Festival wraps up, I’d like to showcase one last flick.  James Stewart and Nev Bezaire’s exceptional Foxed! screened before Housebound on Thursday, October 16.  Audiences may have seen it without the superbly executed 3D, but movie goers would’ve seen a great short film nonetheless.

If you missed Foxed! at TAD, you can purchase it on iTunes for $2.99 in HD quality.  It’s a worthy buy, and the right choice for Halloween.

Read my review here!

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Realted Links:

For more information on the festival, visit the official TAD webpage here.

TAD Coverage:

Wylie Writes reviews ‘Refuge’
Wylie Writes reviews ‘ABCs of Death 2′
Wylie Writes reviews ‘Time Lapse’
Wylie Writes reviews ‘Wolves’
Wylie Writes reviews ‘Suburban Gothic’

Do You Tweet? Follow These Tweeple:

Toronto After Dark: @TADFilmFest
Addison Wylie: @AddisonWylie