“Mutants” is a 2009 French science fiction film directed by David Moreau. The film stars Xavier Samuel as a young man who discovers that he has the ability to transform into a werewolf. The film also stars Mélanie Laurent as a doctor who tries to help him control his condition. “Mutants” is a well-made and entertaining film that is sure to please fans of the genre.
Virus infects people, turns them into angry killers a la 28 Weeks Later, we join the action a bit later in a ravaged world and pick up with the tale of a couple survivors. Standard fare, you know the score already.
Two points really hamstring it from the get go.
The survivors are all a pretty uninteresting bunch, it’s impossible to give a shit about them really, other than raise the occasional eyebrow in disgust at their stupidity. The main chick, obsessed with love amongst the viruses and some horrid subtext of love conquering all, is particularly annoying. Just put a bullet in the fuckers head for gods sake, you’ll know what I mean if you watch it.
And the heavy reliance upon trying to create an atmosphere and an alternate plot to standard infected movies. That could have worked so well, but it is doomed to fail when you’ve guessed everything 5 minutes before it has happened on screen, there is nothing unexpected, and only the characters in the film were so stupid as to not see it coming.
Without characters you can care about, or events that will surprise, it’s as flat as the tits on an anorexic teenager. It’s a real shame really, there is a decent film here struggling to get out, but it never really manages to show itself for more than a few minutes at a time, and never enough to rescue the overall effect from being one of mediocrity.
If you want rampant infected then go for 28 Days/Weeks, from which this borrows heavily, if you want love conquering the zombie curse then go for Zombie Honeymoon. Save Mutants for a bored and rainy day, watch the first 5 mins, then sleep and set your alarm clock to wake you up in time for the last 20 minutes.
The acting is good, the special effects are well done, and the story is interesting. However, the film is not without its flaws. The pacing is a bit slow at times, and the film’s ending is a bit unsatisfying. Overall, “Mutants” is a good film that is worth checking out.
Synopsis
In the near future, the world is plagued by a new strain of the rabies virus that turns people into violent, feral creatures. In France, a small group of survivors take refuge in an abandoned school, where they try to hold out against the hordes of mutants that now roam the country.
As the group struggles to survive, they must also contend with the fact that not everyone is who they seem to be, and that some of their own number may be infected with the virus.
Will they be able to hold out long enough to find a way to stop the virus? Or will they succumb to the madness that has overtaken the world?
Mutants is a 2009 French horror film directed by David Morley. It stars Vincent Lindon and Hélène de Fougerolles.
Movie Details
Director : David Morlet
Writers : Louis-Paul Desanges, David Morlet
Actors : Hélène de Fougerolles, Francis Renaud, Dida Diafat, Luz Mandon
Release Year : 2009