After being shelved for years and then shuffled out to theaters in a shameful limited release, "Carriers" was one of 2009's most under-appreciated films. That's unfortunate, because it is a rather compelling cinematic gem that, despite an all-too-tired basic plot, has a lot to say...not about the horror of the end of the world, but about the horror that comes afterward. Following a small group of survivors, including Chris Pine and Lou Taylor Pucci as brothers, "Carriers" is a bleak, but sadly believable portrait of what happens when physical survival requires the self-sacrifice of one's own humanity. Anchored by strong performances (Pine and Piper Perabo, playing his kind-hearted girlfriend, are especially good) and an engaging script, it is not the gore-crusted zombie film that many might expect (and that some might want). Instead, it is about something far more frightening. Fortunately, the Pastor brothers never feel the need to throw any unnecessary, gratuitous violence in the mix. As it is, small in scale yet profound in meaning, "Carriers" crawls under your flesh like a virus and plants a compelling question in its viewers' minds: what would I do if faced with a similar situation? That answer might haunt you.
Review of Carriers
