ERK I was more than surprised by the quality of this movie, especially when I found out the previous title was "Battle Apocalypse." I'm glad they changed it to Chrysalis, because a serious drama benefits from a serious (and not overdone) metaphor. The locations and cinematography are excellent, as are the dialog and acting. I don't have any real complaints - this isn't an action or horror film, though action and horror both play a part. This is a very human film, driven around the nuances of character and relationship, and to boot is much more hopeful than most of the post- apocalyptic genre. I'm very glad I saw this movie, and hope the filmmakers make many more.Much more solid and assured than most indie films, this might be the best one I've seen at any film festival.
chrismackey1972 I thought it was extremely well done. The beginning was a little slow, but because the film was rich in characterization, that's gonna happen. To me, character development is a plus, because then you actually care about the characters. I have to say that if you're looking for a movie with zombies, zombies everywhere, this isn't it. This has zombies, walkers, biters, infected, whatever you want to call them, but the main focus is the character development.For low budget - according to IMDb.com, it cost $35,000, they did a great job on making the sets look like they are from an apocalypse. I've seen movies with much bigger budgets that had much worse results, so give this one a try. There wasn't a weak link in the acting, writing or directing IMO, except the one sex scene, which was kinda out of place and unnecessary, but the girl did have nice breasts. lol. The people were in such a hurry to get out of that area, but as soon as Abira leaves to find some water, Josh and Penelope share a verbally intimate moment, and then a sexual one. lol. It's not that the scene was badly done, it wasn't. Just that it took away the feeling of urgency that they had for getting out of that place.The actors all looked like the world sat on them and kicked them to the side of the road, and that's how they should appear since it's an apocalyptic situation. It went through the dire need to find food. When Abira was asked if she'd eaten, her response was "Today?" Showing that eating every day was not a usual event for these characters.Towards the end, Abira tells Josh and Penelope that the zombies are chasing them because of her. I didn't see that coming, and I thought it was rather unique. However, I don't know why the zombies wanted her over anyone else. That needed a bit more explaining.And no, I had nothing to do with this movie other than being an audience member.Many zombie movies are done in an action-adventure way, like Dawn of the Dead. If that's your speed for zombie movies, then this probably won't be for you. However, if you like movies that - again - are rich in character development, along with some zombie moments that are scary, you should give this a try. Personally, I thought this was much better than that Brad Pitt behemoth, World War Z. I don't think anything touches The Walking Dead in the zombie genre, another that does great character development, but this doesn't try to. They simply had a story to tell, and I think they did a great job telling it.As an indie-movie maker wannabe, I have a ton of respect for those who have a story, are willing to chase their dreams, and do what they can to bring those dreams to life on film. Bravo to everyone involved in this production. I've given this an 5-star rating. One thing I didn't like about the film was the title. I understand what they were getting at, because I assume they named it after the Chrysalis butterfly, but they should've given it a catchier name that has to do with zombies or an apocalypse. But hey, if the movie's title is the biggest problem, you'd have to agree that the movie makers did a pretty good job.
akurstin14 I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I was pleased to discover that this was a pretty decent zombie movie - very well made for a low budget production. The film revolves around three main characters who are struggling to survive in a postapocalyptic world. The actors portray these unrealistic struggles in a surprisingly realistic way. There are certainly parts where the plot drags on a bit, but overall, the story moves along nicely and has an interesting twist at the end. It's not World War Z, but it doesn't try to be. There is more of an emphasis on character examination and less on special effects. It's not too gory, but it does have its moments.
