Block Z (2020)
Strictly speaking “unremarkable” doesn’t mean bad; only “not particularly interesting or surprising”. I wasn’t bored while watching Block Z but only because I kept thinking it would take advantage of the opportunities presented to it. Instead, it simply repeats the same things we’ve seen before.
Medical students PJ (Julia Barretto), Erika (Maris Racal), Myles (McCoy de Leon), and Block Z basketball team captain Lucas (Joshua Garcia) find themselves in the middle of a rapidly-spreading viral epidemic. The virus turns people into raging monsters and spreads through bites. When the military quarantines the university, the friends’ only chance of escape comes from the school's president, Gelo (Yves Flores) - the son of a politician. A helicopter is coming for him on a rooftop across campus. Meanwhile, PJ’s father, Mario (Ian Veneracion), a security guard (Dimples Romana), and a young girl whose mother succumbed to the virus (Miel Espinoza) also navigate the dangerous corridors.
Released in the Philippines in January, the film was produced before the pandemic, which means it never had the chance to capture some of the real-world fears it easily could’ve. You can’t blame it for this, but amusingly, it almost accidentally does have something to say about politicians not being trustworthy and doctors/nurses being our salvation from a global threat - almost. There isn’t any kind of deeper meaning to any of this plot. Block Z doesn’t have any kind of Philippino flair either. There’s a message about family, teamwork, and sticking together but that’s not unique. The zombies aren't given any kind of novel spin. None of the country's customs or beliefs are incorporated into the plot.
It’s just a generic zombie movie. The group gets gradually whittled away as time passes and they move from one building to the next (8 hours to get across campus, really?). You know the drill. Someone gets bitten. Tears are shed as they realize what's coming. There's a heroic sacrifice. Despite everything, someone struggles to grasp that their loved one is a lost cause, etc. The gore and violence are fine but no kills stand out as unique. You might jump a few times. Mostly, you can tell as soon as the characters walk into a room if this is a safe spot where they can discuss their feelings or if more monsters will appear. When put in peril, the survivors handle themselves reasonably. Not so stupid that you grow frustrated (except in one instance) but never clever enough to make you perk up in excitement.
Director Mikhail Red compares his film to 28 Days Later but he’s done nothing to innovate - as if the genre has learned nothing since 2002. I can’t speak Tagalog so I can’t attest to the performances but they seemed fine for what they were. The material the performers are working off of is workman-like. You could do far worse in terms of stories about flesh-eating ghouls but no one will remember Block Z down the line. (Original Tagalog with English subtitles, October 25, 2020)
