Siege of the Dead and Escaping a Zombiefied Berlin: A Movie Review

Siege of the Dead is a collaboration from three different production companies, including: MoneyPenny Film Germany. This film was previously called Rammbock until a change to the more North American sounding Siege of the Dead. This film recently released in the United Kingdom through Revolver Entertainment UK and now the film has made its way across the seas to be reviewed here! This is director Marvin Kren's first feature at the helm and most everything develops in his film in a strong, deliberate fashion. The performances are well executed, the action is intense and jarring, while the short runtime is supported by solid writing and some CGI enhanced shots. This film is one to watch!

The story develops in a slightly unconventional fashion for a zombie film, as a repairman, working on a radiator, spontaneously changes into a new member of the living dead (with no impetus). Others also change and soon there is a whole host of unfortunates clambering upstairs and into people's living rooms, with a bloody lunch on their minds. The radio broadcasts assure those uninfected that escape is possible. Those watching the film will learn that this phenomenon is a disease passed through bodily fluids e.g. bites. A curve ball is also introduced with those infected able to fight off the disease if they are able to remain calm. However, being still in a zombie apocalypse is more than a challenge for some characters.

A couple of elements set this film apart from others in the genre. First, these deadites are light sensitive, much like their vampire cousins. Secondly, Germans have a strange definition for team. One member of a surviving party takes central character Michi's escape plan and turns it into a solo mission. His days are clearly numbered. One factor which might detract from viewers' enjoyment is the German language, which is subtitled in English. There is a reason that German is not a romantic language, but here much of the dialogue is understood through body language, even without an English translation.

Some congratulations are in order for director Kren for not only getting the many filmmaking techniques correct, in his first film, but in Siege of the Dead he shows a knowledge for what viewers want. There is an undead romance, there is a love triangle, and yes, there is a great deal of gore and tense scenes for horror fans. Characters are developed and so is the story. The only minor misstep by Kren is possibly the lack of action sequences. This flaw is quickly forgotten when the climax welcomes a crosstown zombie chase through downtown Berlin.

This film currently has no plans for releasing in North America and that is a shame. Zombie fans everywhere on this continent need to bite themselves off a piece of this film and hopefully the US arm of Revolver Entertainment hears your groans for more: braaaiiinnnssss! For those looking for a little more Siege of the Dead, the film's synopsis and DVD art can be found at the Revolver link below.

Treatment/attitude/believability: 8 (mostly dramatic tones with an occasional comedic flourish).
Characters/believability/interaction: 7 (some well rounded, some flat, but some almost forgotten).

Overall: 7.5 out of 10.

A second review of the film from Fantastic Fest by Scott A. Johnson at Dread Central:

http://www.dreadcentral.com/reviews/rammbock-2010

Siege of the Dead at Revolver:

http://www.revolvergroup.com/uk/dvd-bluray/view/siege_of_the_dead