Voodoo Child. 3 / 5
Directed by Bertrand Bonello.
Haiti, 1962: A man is brought back from the dead only to be sent to the living hell of the sugarcane fields. In Paris, 55 years later, at the prestigious Légion d’honneur boarding school, a Haitian girl confesses an old family secret to a group of new friends - never imagining that this strange tale will convince a heartbroken classmate to do the unthinkable.
Visceral from the very first shot, Zombi Child is a bold and unique look at tradition, life, and death.
From Haiti in the 60s to modern-day France, the groundwork is set for a mysterious and new take on the zombie genre. Where the film failed to fully capture my interest, it definitely piqued my curiosity filling me with a growing unease throughout.
A synth-heavy angelic score groans in the background as you try to work the film out. Filming with mainly natural lighting gave the night scenes a realness that made this fantastical story stand out even more.
The pacing really threw me off with long scenes build up to ultimately amount to nothing. That being said, director Bertrand Bonello rips you from your comfort zone especially in the final act, and where I have no idea what was going on half the time, I do not regret giving Zombi Child a chance. Read our latest reviews at: letterboxd.com/TheJackAling