Descendents (2008 film)

Descendents (also Solos in Chile) is a 2008 Chilean experimental horror film directed by Jorge Olguín, written by Carolina García and Olguín, and starring Camille Lynch. Lynch plays a young child who attempts to cross a land divided by brutal fights between the military and roving zombies.

Descendents
Solos
Directed byJorge Olguín
Written byJorge Olguín
Carolina García
Produced byAna María Aguilar
Monserrat Astudillo
StarringCamille Lynch
Karina Pizarro
Christobal Barra
Carolina Andrade
CinematographyJuan Carpintero
Edited byJorge Olguín
Guillermo Perez
Music byClaudio Perez
Production
companies
Screen Media Films
OlguinFilms
Chile Films
Sleeping Giant Entertainment
Distributed byLionsgate Films
Release date
  • April 7, 2008 (2008-04-07) (BIFFF)[1]
Running time
74 minutes
CountryChile
LanguageEnglish
Budget$100,000[2]–$200,000[3]

Plot

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After a virus causes a zombie apocalypse, the military engages in brutal warfare against the roving zombies. Young mutants, who are immune to both the virus and the zombies, band together and attempt to escape the violence. Camille, the oldest child, expects to find a safe haven by the coast, and she leads several younger children through the land, where they must avoid bloodthirsty soldiers who mistake them for zombies. During the journey, flashbacks reveal background information about Camille and her mother.

Cast

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  • Camille Lynch as Camille
  • Karina Pizarro as Camille's mother
  • Christobal Barra as boy
  • Carolina Andrade as girl

Production

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Director Jorge Olguín shot Descendents while he was waiting for his next project, Caleuche: The Call of the Sea. His first English-language film, Olguín cast the film after looking for English-speaking actors for Caleuche.[4] It was shot in seven days.[3] Descendents is billed as the first Chilean zombie film.[5]

Release

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Descendents premiered at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival on April 7, 2008.[1] It received a theatrical release in Chile on October 16, 2008.[6] Lionsgate Films released it on DVD in the United States on May 15, 2012.[7]

Reception

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William Harrison of DVD Talk rated it 1/5 stars and wrote, "Repetitive, confusing and boring, Descendents is a waste of time."[8] Gordon Sullivan of DVD Verdict called it "an impressive zombie flick" whose execution does not live up to its ambition or vision.[9] Devon Ashby of CraveOnline rated it 2/10 stars and wrote, "Descendents' awkwardly unconventional execution and overreliance on child performers gives it an unfinished, diffuse quality that tragically disappoints rather than inspiring."[10] Marc Patterson of Brutal As Hell called it "smartly made and quite stunning to watch" but said that it eventually becomes boring, unsubtle, and superficial.[11] Peter Dendle wrote, "Despite its limitations, the movie uniquely situates the infected against an unforgettable, anemic world, one saturated throughout with sickness and veiled in pale ochre."[12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Brown, Todd (2008-03-01). "A Look Behind The Scenes At Jorge Olguin's SOLOS (DESCENDENTS)". Twitch Film. Archived from the original on 2014-03-17. Retrieved 2014-03-16.
  2. ^ González, Rodrigo (2009-03-17). "Jorge Olguín estrena Solos, el primer filme chileno de zombies". La Tercera (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2014-03-18. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
  3. ^ a b de la Fuente, Anna Marie (2011-05-06). "Fresh faces of Chilean cinema". Variety. Retrieved 2014-03-16.
  4. ^ de la Fuente, Anna Marie (2007-07-20). "Vampire maestro tries film in English". Variety. Retrieved 2014-03-16.
  5. ^ Brown, Todd (2007-12-28). "Zombies Invade Chile In Jorge Olguin's SOLOS". Twitch Film. Archived from the original on 2014-03-17. Retrieved 2014-03-16.
  6. ^ Zúñiga, Alejandra C. (2008-10-07). "Jorge Olguín habla de Solos, su nueva cinta: "Son niños que se desenvuelven en un mundo hostil"". La Tercera (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2014-03-17. Retrieved 2014-03-16.
  7. ^ Barton, Steve (2012-05-07). "Lionsgate's Descendents Are Coming Home for a Bite in May". Dread Central. Retrieved 2014-03-16.
  8. ^ Harrison, William (2012-05-15). "Descendents". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2014-03-16.
  9. ^ Sullivan, Gordon (2012-05-11). "Descendents". DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on 2014-03-17. Retrieved 2014-03-16.
  10. ^ Ashby, Devon (2012-05-29). "DVD Review: Descendents". CraveOnline. Retrieved 2014-03-16.
  11. ^ Patterson, Marc (2012-05-22). "DVD Review: Descendents". BrutalAsHell.com. Archived from the original on 2014-03-17. Retrieved 2014-03-16.
  12. ^ Dendle, Peter (2012). The Zombie Movie Encyclopedia: 2000–2010. McFarland Publishing. pp. 76–77. ISBN 9780786492886.
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