A 2013 sci-fi thriller directed by Ruairí Robinson (MA-15)
A crew of 8 have been stationed on Mars for 6 months, testing samples and completing various research. With only 19 hours left until a pre-arrange lander picks them up for their journey home to Earth, a discovery is made by one of the scientists. Without consulting with his peers he journeys to pick up more samples. When he reaches the sample site the ground falls away from him and he falls into a surface fissure. The remaining crew embark on a rescue mission, during which they find living bacteria. The Alien bacteria transforms those in contact with it into the water and bloodthirsty zombies. With less than 19 hours until pick up will the remaining crew survive the night and journey safely back to Earth?
If you love your biological based zombie movies, then The Last Days on Mars will appeal to you. There was not a long wait until the action began and the story starts to unfold. Where the film fell short was character development. Because all of the exciting bits happened fairly early there was not enough time to really relate to any character, thus making it difficult to care when they all start dropping off one after the other during the film. The film touches lightly on the relationship between the lead male and female characters, but again not enough to engage the viewer. I was impressed by the level of realism they achieved in the action scenes without the use of excessive, unnecessary CGI that some contemporary Sci-Fi films fall victim to (*Cough* Star Wars I, II, III). This gave the film a feel more reminiscent of 50/60s Sci-fi, and there is nothing wrong with that.
The Last Days on Mars, is a quick, easy to watch, a low budget film that isn’t going to win any awards but is pleasant enough for those that are satisfied with your typical zombie film.
| Stars: | 3/5 |
|---|---|
| Best Bits: | Fast Plot, The action and plot is quick and to the point. |
| Worst Bits: | Poor character development. |
| Watch if you liked: | 28 Days later, The Walking Dead, World War Z |
| Available on: | Netflix, ITunes |
