PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Unlike a majority of horror fans I know, I’m not big into the zombie genre. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate and love the classics such a George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. I just recently had the pleasure of watching a modern-day retelling of this groundbreaking horror film called ReBirth and I was blown away by this film and the love and passion that went into it. Rebirth was written and directed by Roger Conners (read our interview with him – HERE). He also stars in the film alongside Aswan Harris, Alvin Hudson, Rachel Anderson, Bradley Michael Arner, Taylor Nelms, Jim Strang, and more!
Synopsis for Rebirth
What begins as an annual visit to their family grave-site quickly becomes a night of sheer terror as two brothers are unexpectedly forced to fight back against a sudden onslaught of violent assailants.
Although I love the remake of Night of the Living Dead and Tony Todd is everything, Rebirth wins for me. It’s an obvious retelling of a beloved classic, but there’s so much more to take away and unpack from Roger’s story. Beyond zombies, it addresses several issues such a government control, racial prejudices, grotesque homophobia in modern-day society. Proving once again that the true monsters are humans and our disease is how we treat other people.
I was blown away by the acting in this film. Everyone kills it. Roger not only wrote and directed Rebirth, but he delivers an emotionally draining performance. His character is unique and helps shed light on certain demographics we don’t see enough of in cinema. Aswan Harris was everything in this film and delivered such a dominant role but also very supportive. His character was a badass and the type of person you want by your side. Rachel Anderson was equally phenomenal and another character you want by your side and can dagger you with just her eyes. I pretty much wanted to feed Alvin Hudson to a zombie myself, which means he did his job at playing the perfect bad guy/villain. The Dolores Umbridge of zombie films (if you’re a Harry Potter fan, you’ll know what I mean).
The dilemmas and chaoticness between the different characters may have been what captured my attention, but don’t worry, I didn’t forget about the zombies. The zombie action is great. There’s just enough blood, gore, and action to satisfy your hunger, and the special effects are incredible. It’s always refreshing to see a new take on zombies and a different look, even if only slightly than your average walking dead.
Rebirth premiered at the Cedar Lee Theatre in Cleveland Heights, Ohio back in October, and audiences were blown away by the film and I can see why. Roger Conners has been involved with the film industry for a while now, however, Rebirth was his directorial debut, and it delivers on all aspects and gives us something truly special. The quality of this film is exceptional and doesn’t feel cheap like some indie films out there. I can only imagine what greatness we will see from him in the future. Rebirth is set to release in 2021 and I highly recommend checking it out when it does especially if you love George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead and good-story telling.
