Zygote | Short Film Review

Original, intense and fifty shades of messed up!

Zygote (2017) is the third short film directed by Neill Blomkamp under the Oats Studios banner. The film takes place in the near future, after a mineral rich meteor hit, and destroyed, parts of the United States, Canada and the Arctic Circle. Soon after, however, mining organizations send in humans to dig out the new metals and resources. The film starts out after the proverbial shit has hit the fan. Something is wrong in the mines and people are dying. Of the 100 original crew there are only 2 remaining survivors: Quinn (Jose Pablo Cantillo) and Barklay (Dakota Fanning). But they aren't safe yet because they are still in the facility and the monster is not far behind.

Thumbnail for Zygote short film.

Zygote's strongest suite is it's atmosphere and tension. You are thrown into the film knowing only that you are in a mining colony in the Arctic Circle and that the only two survivors, of the 100 member crew, are rationing out food surrounded by debris and blood trails. If that sounds like a lot, it's because it is. And this sudden jump into the middle of the story makes you listen carefully and grasp onto every bit of detail the characters say. Why can Quinn not see? Why can't Barklay use a gun? What is the origin of the monster? Zygote makes you ask a lot of questions which is good because it pulls you in and builds the anticipation. The set decorators should also be given plenty of props (haha) because the facility feels real. From the long blood stained hallways to the dead body on a table, with it's insides missing, the design of Zygote's setting adds to the films overall believability.

Then there's the monster. The thing is messed up, inventive and horrifying! If you listen carefully to everything that Quinn is saying then you'll have some idea of what to expect, but seeing it for the first time is still nightmare inducing. It's, presumably, a patchwork of the 98 who already died, meaning it's a blend of a couple dozen feet, hands, eyes and more. And it's scream is just the agonizing bellow of the people it has stitched together. Basically, as soon it get's introduced, with the clever finger print scanner sequence, it steals the show.

Dakota Fanning as Barklay.

However, the film does have a few problems that hold it back from being truly great. The whole back story with the meteor and the boom in the mining industry is cool and all but it isn't really explained in the film. It's briefly mentioned in a passing statement as an easter egg, but the only way to find out about it is to watch the short behind the scenes clip on the Oats Studios YouTube channel. Although the film gives you just enough to know what to expect for the monster, the story feels more like an afterthought. Or, more likely, as part of a larger version that ended up being cut or scrapped.

This brings us to the acting and writing. Dakota Fanning and Jose Pablo Cantillo are both good in the film, but they can't really shine due to the problems in the film's writing. Jose Cantillo is tasked with giving the audience what little story details slipped through the cracks. Dakota Fanning is a synthetic human, although what that entails isn't really discussed, and she spends most of the film breathing loudly. Her breathing would have been fine if it was addressed in some way shape or form. (Like Quinn saying to Barklay that "although you weren't designed for physical labor or high stress situations you can do this...") But alas it is not. All this accumulates into the ending which is the weakest part of the film. Barklay spends a lot of time literally just breathing and staring before she does anything. And when she does finally move she acts flustered, which wouldn't have happened if she just moved immediately in the first place. It won't make sense in my cryptic spoiler-free review language, but you will understand what I mean when you watch the film yourself.

In the end, Zygote is a very interesting and intense film by Neill Blomkamp and the team at Oats Studios. You can tell that they want to do more with the film and its story but some budgetary limitations caused it to be cut short. With that said, of all their projects so far this is definitely their best and as Volume 1 of Oats Labs comes to an end, I'm interested to see where the studio goes next. To watch Zygote, click here.