Island Zero

2/22/2021

_**Something eerie is happening on an isle off the coast of Maine**_ An island 40 miles off the Maine coast is increasingly cut off from the mainland and, worse, islanders start coming up missing at sea. What’s going on? Adam Wade McLaughlin stars as a marine biologist who suspects what’s really happening. "Island Zero" (2018) is a competent low-budget mystery/horror that mixes Stephen King with flicks like “Island of the Burning Damned” (1967), “Night of the Living Dead” (1968) and “The Fog” (1980/2005). It’s also a little reminiscent of the contemporaneous “A Quiet Place.” So the basic plot is old hat, but the authentic locations, camerawork, score, acting and gore are all quite good. The fact that this is a low-budget movie isn’t really evident until the closing reel. Whil

11/29/2023

Perhaps if more of the modern-day horror directors were to watch some of the older - less technically sophisticated/lazy - efforts in this genre, they might realise that cutting off cellphone and wifi coverage doesn't actually create a scary environment for a story. It really takes some proficient acting/writing talent and some imagination - creative elements that this film sadly lacks. Anyway, an island off the coast of Maine suddenly finds itself incommunicado and the increasingly hysterical residents start to wash up on the beaches. Luckily, they have the military-trained "Maggie" (Laila Robins) on hand and after a bit of panic, some duplicity and a degree of rudimentary deduction a band of half a dozen who manage to keep their heads, deduce just what's pursuing them. Thing is, though -