Deon (Jeff Smith) is a high school delinquent struggling with school. Despite his anger issues and violent tendencies at school, Deon cares for his Mother, Isma (Mini Theo), whose Alzheimer’s requires the need of constant care. The mother and son are scraping by in a large city in Indonesia, living out an everyday life, until one of Deon’s classmates bites the school nurse. Reports of an outbreak begin to flood the news networks, encouraging residents to evacuate or stay indoors; the dead are walking, and only the strong will survive.
Writer and Director Amanda Iswan wastes no time thrusting the audience into the hordes of the undead in Zeta: The Dead Awaken. There is some slight prologue, but as soon as Deon gets in a fight at school, the waves of zombies begin to pour into the city. Survival instincts kick in, and Deon makes his way back to his apartment, fearing for his mother’s life. The days soon begin to drag on. Food and medicine becoming scarce; Deon must adapt to the new world or perish.
Zeta: The Dead Awaken centers mostly on Deon’s journey through the zombie apocalypse. He and his mother soon meet up with a fellow survivor, Reza (Dimas Aditya), who promises that his doomsday-prepper brother is the key to their safety. However, the film occasionally cuts between Deon’s plights with the zombies to give the government’s perspective and how the military plans to deal with the armies of the undead. These intercuts of military planning center on Deon’s estranged father, hinting that Deon’s connection to the zombies may go deeper than mere survival.
“…waves of zombies begin to pour into the city.”
Characters in Zeta fill the roles of a typical post-apocalyptic thriller. The cast brings emotion and terror to their roles, but most characters focus on survival. Yet, the plot and the plot twists (even small ones about zombie rules/lore) add a nice wrinkle to the zombie genre. Character choices make sense in most scenarios; the zombie chases are thrilling, and most of all, the zombie kills are satisfying. Even the reasons why the zombies won’t attack Isma make sense in the world Amanda Iswan has created and make her take on the post-apocalypse feel unique. The film even offers a few light critiques on militarism and governmental conspiracies, making it feel a little more George Romero-esque.
Video games significantly influenced Iswan’s vision of the living dead. Several scenes feel straight from zombie shooters like Left 4 Dead or even a zombie map on Call of Duty. Humans vs. zombie battles feel tense and are as exciting as a good round of either game. The camera even goes POV for a few shoot-outs, lending to the FSP (First Person Shooter) comparison. Building on its gaming inspirations, Zeta offers palpable tension in every encounter with the undead. Iswan uses jump scares with reserve, favoring more daunting hordes of sprinting flesh-eaters.
Amanda Iswan makes a strong debut as a writer and director in Zeta: The Dead Awaken. It’s a good zombie film, and considering its budget, the feat is even more impressive. Fentic video-game-style action is creative and stylish. Plot twists feel earned and organic to the overall story arc. And even the subtle changes to the typical zombie-virus backstory and intrigue to the government sub-plot. There are flaws with characterization, but not near enough to spoil this worthwhile zombie affair. The film is a great watch for fans of the genre and would make an excellent double feature with One Cut of the Dead (watch One Cut second to lighten the mood).
"…wastes no time thrusting the audience into the hordes of the undead..."
