The film opens in the aftermath of a viral outbreak - the Red Plague - which causes victims to suffer from skin lesions and a slow, catatonic decline rather than a typical zombie frenzy. The slow-burn pace is established immediately; long, lingering shots show Carter, an unassuming man (played with grit by Chad Sellers), navigating a world in which everything seems to have just, well, stopped.
In a harrowing flashback, we see Carter’s wife giving birth to their daughter amidst the rising chaos. As the "plagued" begin to invade - acting with a mindless, predatory drive - the parents encourage a friend to take the newborn to safety. Tragically, Carter’s wife dies in the escape, and he loses track of both his friend and the child. Believing his daughter lost to the void of the collapse, Carter flees to the desert where risks are minimised, beginning a cycle of survival that lasts for years.
Now living a lonesome existence in a shack somewhere in the American Southwest, Carter survives through a dispersed network of contacts, bartering for essentials like tobacco and alcohol. His isolation is shattered when a young woman, Daisy (played convincingly by Gaia Brooks), arrives at his door. She claims to be from a northern commune, separated from her group and her friend Emma after an attack by "hoodlums." Carter takes her in reluctantly - at gunpoint - eventually agreeing to escort her to a rendezvous point two hours away with her friends, pre-arranged in case anyone got lost.
The journey transforms the film from a survival horror into more of a Western. As they travel on foot, stopping at remote outposts to trade for ammunition, a bond forms. It is during these quiet moments that the weight of Carter’s past emerges, which I'll leave you to discover as it's vital to the plot. The slow pace makes the film feel meditative; the script is delivered with heavy silence and long pauses between lines. Carter adopts the persona of a weary gunslinger, a tone reinforced by the film's reliance on non-professional and theatre actors. While the faces are unfamiliar, the performances are strong and convincing. The music matches this atmosphere, shifting between moving orchestral swells and a simple acoustic guitar, sometimes played by Carter himself.
Interestingly, this laid-back feel extends to the violence. The action isn't cinematic in the traditional sense; it feels clumsy and unchoreographed, reflecting how real people, rather than Hollywood action heroes, might fumble through a life-or-death struggle. This realism sets it apart from high-octane action films, though it has led to some confusion regarding the film's ending - with rumours of different cuts existing to avoid comparisons with The Last of Us.
In the version I saw, the climax is not a shootout, but a reflective and moving reflection. Director Gio Ursino crafted a poignant piece of cinema here, using his own family property and private funding to bring the story to life. The "For Mum and Dad" dedication in the credits adds a layer of sincerity to this story of parental reflection. While the plot’s implications are dense, Red Plague is a thoughtful, rewarding watch for those who can track it down.
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