What’s Left of Us [Review]

Tension runs high in Christoph Behl’s What’s Left of Us as his vision follows a new take on the typical zombie film. This story from South America follows three survivors living in a post apocalyptical zombie world of untold origins. The survivors, Ana, Jonathan, and Axel, must navigate not only through the rough landscape that is this barren new world – but also through living closely with the only other humans they know to be alive. While the film doesn’t offer too many intense zombie scenes, there is more than enough raw emotion throughout to keep viewers on their toes.

One of the main story telling devices used by Behl is the “therapy room” tapes. The therapy room was meant to be a place the survivors can privately share their thoughts on tape, however, when one of the survivors starts to watch his companions videos, the dynamic of the group shifts. Hatred fumes as the subject of the aforementioned survivor’s voyeurism discovers the secret and the group descends into chaos. Behl’s use of these tapes as a way to tell is story is unique in many ways This is different from a found footage film while still incorporating the personal aspects which make those types of films so attractive to viewers.

Some of the most intense scenes in the movie involved games the survivors would play. For example, while What’s Left of Us didn’t have any of the classic zombie film gore, it did have one of the most intense games of Battleship known to man. The rules of this small bunker are discussed in one of the therapy room tapes and include a rule that states if one survivor wants to play a game, they all must play. Through games of truth or dare, the true intentions of the survivors come out. This game brings about tension, awkward silence, and eventually a horrifying “pet” being brought into the group.

This film definitely left a lot to be desired as far as gut wrenching horror goes, however, the amount of character development that goes on throughout is mind boggling. As heat and tensions rise viewers see this tight knit group of friends bend and break against the odds. Behl may not succeed in scaring his viewers out of their seats but he is giving them something to think about. What happens when there’s no one left alive? How long can people live together like this before going mad? What’s Left of Us also leaves viewers with many unanswered questions. One simple question that is generally addressed in films of this nature is how the world got to be the way that it is. One simple flashback or newspaper clipping could have told the story, yet there is nothing. Viewers are left with much to ponder by the end of this emotionally charged film.