The Battery
Director: Jeremy Gardner
Writer: Jeremy Gardner
Cast: Jeremy Gardner, Adam Cronheim, Niels Bolle, Alana O’Brien
Part of: /slash Filmfestival

Plot:
Ben (Jeremy Gardner) and Mickey (Adam Cronheim) used to play baseball together. But that was before the zombie apocalypse happened. Now they roam the country together, looking for other survivors. And not only because there’s safety in numbers, but because they don’t actually get along that well.

The Battery surprised me. It looked like a mix between mumblecore (which is SO not my thing) and zombie movies (which, if I like them, I usually like for everything but the zombies). And it was just that. But somehow it didn’t end in the catastrophe I expected. Instead it blew me away.

It feels like Jeremy Gardner had the same issues with zombies that I usually have: they’re loud. They’re slow (in most movies). They’re dumb. They’re clumsy. Why the hell would people be so freaking afraid, when you can just walk away at a brisk pace? Yes, there are situations that are scary and if there’s a whole lot of them, things go from bad to worse, but often, there’s like two zombies and a whole lot of stupidity on the part of the people getting eaten. But because they’re this classic monster, people are expected to be scared.

And Jeremy Gardner doesn’t treat the genre with any reverence. He calls it out on its shortcomings but at the same time, he makes a really decent and compelling zombie film himself. One that feels a lot more realistic than the most other zombie movies do. And that alone would be enough to love the movie.

But it’s not all there is to it. The Battery is not a comedy, but it does have its amazingly funny moments. I liked both main characters, even though both had their assholish moments.

The entire thing was beautifully shot, with long, slow shots and little camera movement. The soundtrack was pure genius. And both of that came together in my absolutely favorite scene: when Ben dances. An incredibly touching moment that felt emblematic for the entire movie.

Summarizing: So much yes.