It’s difficult to make a good zombie film these days. Flesh eaters have flooded the market for decades now, and The Walking Dead made them significantly more popular again after a bit of a lull. Writer/director Salvador Medina offers a fascinating character study into what a zombie apocalypse does to humanity, the strain it puts on already tenuous relationships, and the darkness that’s always lurked just below the surface. While the film lacks a horde of zombies that viewers might expect, it does supply a solid one-location horror story that still supplies skin-peeling scares to fill the void.
Elena (Jimena Bilsup) and Jaquin (Rolando Breme) plan a trip of reconnection. Their relationship hangs on by a thread, but they hope some time away from the hustle and bustle of their lives will do the trick. Rekindling their once-red-hot romance is top priority. But as they’re heading out the front door, they encounter a zombie apocalypse that’s ripping through their city and become trapped in their home. They always wanted to be close again, yeah? And they must contend with far more than the walking dead. As AMC’s anchor TV show proved, human beings are often the much bigger threat than the rotting ghouls.
When they offer Giovanni (Giovanni Gamba) safe refuge, he throws a big ole disturbing wrench into their already troubling situation. Their dire circumstances topple to the floor, as the group launches into a terrible fight for survival. Against all odds, they must set aside their petty squabbles if they have any hope of surviving the end of the world. Through a taut script, Medina juggles internal and external threats with acrobatic ease. For a zombie-hungry audience, Together Till the End might be a tremendous disappointment. The filmmaker instead zeros in on intense human connection (and the lack thereof) for an unsettling glimpse into the root cause of one’s derangement.
Together Till the End smartly and masterfully focuses its camera work on raw, in-your-face angles and gripping glides, courtesy of cinematographer Javier Najar, to heighten the emotional stakes and bite into the ensemble’s performances. As the clock ticks by in silence, it’ll certainly take a bit of patience to allow the story to hit into overdrive. Once it revs its engines, all bets are off as it descends into furious, wall-to-wall chaos. The story could very well work as a stage play, with its suffocating attention on character, which Medina excels in developing until the confrontation ruptures. Oh yes, and there will be blood.
It is 84 minutes of nail-biting that turns from a gentle simmer into a comfortably steamy, roaring boil. Together Till the End shows great promise for first-time feature director Salvador Medina, proving you don’t need a monster budget to scratch a terrifying itch. All you need is a clear vision, a team fully committed to the work, and a story worth telling.
Together Till the End is now streaming on BloodStreamTV and available to rent/purchase on Amazon.
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