What is it about a film that piques your interest, drawing you in and solidifying your attention? What makes you want to watch that film? In the case of Endzeit (Ever After), it was simply a photo. When I initially received the promotion information for the film, it was the image enclosed that I could not shake – two women helping one another, the look of terror and desperation on their faces screaming out. The pink hair and relatability of the two girls drew me in. There was just something in this image that would not let me go. While I initially passed on the film due to time constraints, I found myself available and the film still unreviewed – and I am so glad I had the chance to see it.
You know the filmed testimonials of audience reactions that are used for promotion? Endzeit should fall into this category. There is so much emotion and intensity packed into this film, along with an appropriate amount of actual and implied gore. I can testify that the emotions I not only felt but showed had such a range. My reactions alone would be enough to draw someone into this film. There is horror, terror, heart-pulsing intensity and fear, though equally accompanied by grief, loss, and regret. Go one step further, and the film reveals itself to be even more emotional, a plea against our treatment of the earth and a call to the basic human need for connection.
This is not your typical Zombie film.
A Primer
Set in a dystopian future in Germany two years after the breakout, only two towns remain – Jena and Weimar. There are drastic differences to each in the handling of the outbreak and its survivors. Jena tries to save those who have been bitten or injured, while Weimer has a strict policy, killing anyone that is believed to be infected on sight.
Brutality and hope are traits that encompass our two female protagonists. When Vivi (Gro Swantje Kohlhof) finds that she can no longer live (or die) in Weimar, she sets out to find her demons and lay them to rest out beyond the walls. She finds herself unintentionally accompanied by Eva (Maja Lehrer), who has also stowed away on the same unmanned train – as she has been injured just a few hours earlier by a zombie. She knows that staying in Weimar would mean instant death.
There is no need to suspend your belief to transcend into this dystopian society. There is such a relatability that you are slowly drawn in. You do not fear the zombie outbreak per se, but rather the effect of humans on the planets and the effects of the mind. You start off worrying for these two individuals, a zombie attack at any moment imminent, yet you find yourself transitioning into a fear of what caused the apocalypse. At the same time, there is also tranquility that sets in, an understanding of the beauty of nature and the true lack of control we really have.
There is a parallel in the beauty crafted here within this dystopian world riddled with zombies, the earth’s attempt to recapture its beauty parceled with gorgeously crafted shots. The cinematography, from Leah Striker, is epic and gives you time to take each gloriously constructed shot in without disengaging viewers from the story.
It is an exquisite marriage between intensity and fear, as well as peace and tranquility, the cinematography heightening both. There are moments, Vivi sitting beside a tree with the sun poking through its branches that will take your breath away, giving you a reprieve from your racing heart, yet the next minute will capture the power and strength of a zombie, his rise from the floor one of the most gorgeous shots in the genre’s history.
Where there are fear and tranquility, there is also innocence within Endzeit, a need to cling to the past in any way possible. Cameras, nail polish made from marker, hair color – anything to break the monotony of the world they live in and recapture a past-life forever gone. There is a naivety captured in these moments, a world and a life taken for granted, only now to be lamented upon. These little moments bring breadth to the film, deeply enriching it and creating a strength in the pull it has on its audience to draw them further in.
Director Carolina Hellsgård brings Olivia Vieweg’s story to life in arresting fashion, crafting a solid staple within the genre. However, it is her ability to not only capture but elevate each of the story’s underlining layers that speak to near perfection. The film’s leads Gro Swantje Kohlhof and Maja Lehrer each deliver captivating and strong performances. Audiences will care about how the film plays out for them no matter their character’s faults. Kohlhof especially finds the perfect balance in her performance, each of the several emotions she is tasked to encompass executed to perfection. It is she who will draw out the most emotional responses from audiences – not the zombies.
My only complaint with Endzeit is the transitions between scenes. While at times the close to black worked, especially between scenes that lent themselves to a heightened intensity, others felt as though it was a product of poor editing and timing. There are moments when a scene just ends, fading out, then picking up at a different place and time altogether. It threatens to momentarily lose its audience in contemplation and confusion, though thankfully is able to recover itself shortly after.
Not Your Typical Zombie Film
Many zombie films have a tendency to focus heavily on the zombie, usually attacking one group, family or individual. That is the focus. Viewers wait with anticipation, rewarded for their patience as the body count rises and hope seems fleeting. What makes this film standout amongst the zombie films before it is that it is not a zombie film, it is rather a film that just happens to have zombies.
The zombies are less of a narrative construct and more of a timekeeper, a tool to create the tension surrounding these women. Rarely seen on screen, these creatures play as much of a role offscreen as they do on – but could easily have been replaced by another menacing monster with the same effect.
What also makes these zombies different from films before is the multifaceted representations they encompass, speaking to a variety of societal and personal issues we’re all facing today. Climate change, Mother Earth, depression, grief, and fear are each tackled beautifully within the lines of zombie rage and uncontrollable consumption. While this may not be wholly new to the genre, the way that it is crafted only further elevates the film.
The zombies themselves are wonderfully constructed and shot, the power and rage illuminated in the film’s lighting, fitting perfectly into the settings they are free to run in. While they do speak to different films and TV series before (The Walking Dead with the virus within and rising after death and World War Z in regards to speed), there is an originality to their characteristics that speaks to the earth’s move to reclaim humanity and reset itself once again. While new to this genre, the additional characteristics may somewhat recall last year’s Annihilation.
Grief, Loss, and Regret
There is a richness in the layers of the story, as well as the emotion. While many may see a film about two girls traveling across zombie-ridden territory, I found myself immersed within a story of grief, loss, and regret. Yes, in a dystopian zombie society, everyone has lost someone. Yet, there is a depth here that looks at the “assholes” who lived, those who survived because they saved themselves, and the regret they will spend the rest of their lives living with.
This dystopian society is depression and the grief that consumes us. Plunged into darkness, unable to control the rage, guilt, and grief, we find the world no longer a welcoming and safe place. The only thing to do is to stay indoors, stay hidden. Yet, as much as this is the focus of Endzeit, there is also a look at the process of healing and living beyond our grief and depression. It is a beautifully constructed message, delicately handled within the horrific nature that is the zombie genre.
Endzeit: Is It Really an Ever After?
The ending may leave some scratching their heads, but let it sink in. While not the ending you would expect, there is a beauty within it, and it proves a satisfying conclusion to the journey we have shared with these two girls. Endzeit has definitely become one of my favorite films of the year, and one of my favorites of the genre. It is a refreshing take on not only these horrific creatures but also the meaning behind them and the apocalypse they bring. With the presence of zombies in cinema (and TV) hardly waning, it is a breath of fresh air to see that there can still be originality in a tired troupe.
What are your favorite zombie films? Let us know in the comments below!
Endzeit will be released in The US on June 13, 2019. For all international release dates, see here.
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