Thursday 30 January 2020

Review: Stalled (2013)

Related imageStars: Dan Palmer, Antonia Bernath

Budget: £45k

Directed By: Christian James

Why it's taken me so long to review this I don't know this has to be the second best British zombie comedy next to Shaun of the Dead.
Shot on a tiny budget too that makes very creative use of a tiny set for 90% of the movie. Dan Palmer who stars in the films main role also wrote the screenplay. That's another great way to keep the cost down, have yourself do as many jobs as possible lol.

The film relies mostly on visual comedy and gags for it's laughs, as well as tense but comedic scenes. The film does have a very heartfelt vocal part when it's realised there's another survivor in one of the other stalls.
Some of the ways he defends his cubicle against zombie attacks are amusing but rather effective too.

There was talks of a sequel which i'm on two minds about i'd love to see more, though i feel like the whole story was told in the time it had, speaking of the time the film clocks in at around 84 minutes long. So Dan Stars as W.C. (yeah a play on water closet) a maintenance worker who looks clearly fed up with his job, is in the ladies toilets trying to do some repairs.
When an all out zombie apocalypse happens he gets trapped inside one of the stalls, might get a bit boring i hear you say. but no enough happens periodically to keep the pace going plus its shorter run time never seems boring.

Occasional attacks through stupidity or through accident keep the pace, as well as some dialogue between another survivor in a stall further down than WC's. We never see her but the two build up quite a rapport and you genuinely feel sorry for her come what does later on in the film.

This is a decent film and there's not much left to say on it that wouldn't spoil watching it, it's not spotless like Shawn of the Dead but it's a close contender. THN awards Stalled a strong 4 out of 5 stars, with a recommendation to watch.