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DVD Fase 7
 Run time: 95 min Rating: 5.9 Genres: Sci-Fi | Thriller Director: Nicolás Goldbart Writers: Nicolás Goldbart Stars: Daniel Hendler, Jazmín Stuart, Yayo Guridi |
| Storyline Inside a quarantined apartment building a man must protect his pregnant wife from his new neighbors. |
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| Plot Keywords: neighbor, apartment building, mass extinction, knife, gun | |
| Details: Country: Argentina Release Date: 3 March 2011 (Argentina) |
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| Box Office Budget: ARS 2,500,000 (estimated) |
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A block of flats is quarantined off as a result of a deadly virus that is sweeping the world. The inhabitants quickly succumb to psychological deterioration as paranoia and claustrophobia set in.
This Argentinean epidemic movie is pretty impressive. Its setting is necessarily limited but the film-makers make the most of it. The narrative is powered mainly by a decent array of characters, well played by the entire cast. The dramatic tensions in Phase 7 come not so much from the virus but from the interactions between the neighbours. As time goes on the microcosmic society of the tower block breaks down and primal instincts begin to take over. The scenario is not unlike one you would imagine J.D. Ballard coming up with, with its look at social norms deteriorating rapidly as they are tested under unusual conditions. The movie benefits too from a nice moody soundtrack that recalls the work of John Carpenter. There is at least one very well executed – and unexpected – gore scene too. In fact, the movie moves into some quite tense thriller territory in the final third. So overall, it tries to make the most of its basic set-up and deliver some suspense and atmosphere along the way. Phase 7 is a very worthwhile psychological sci-fi thriller.
I saw this film as part of the "Imagine" film festival 2011 in Amsterdam. The story gets very close to a post-apocalypse situation. An apartment building is quarantined due to an unnamed disease. Apart from the initial appearance of health care personnel, and some helicopters we see and hear circling above the building, there are no interactions with the outside world. What we see happening is completely contained within the apartment building.
Initially I was afraid that the story would focus too much on the seven month pregnant couple with their internal struggles, tensions and mood changes. I was relieved that this was not the case at all. Dramatic developments came from interactions with various kinds of neighbors. Most of them were to be considered potentially hostile. This is not unusual when it comes to survival issues, harvesting food and weapons, and suspecting others from spreading the disease that started the quarantine.
When leaving the theater, I gave an "excellent" score for the public prize competition. As an after burner, the film makes you think how you and your neighbors would act in such a situation. It gives an extra meaning to the name of this festival.
I still remember the time when the influenza pandemic made us all paranoids. This is a microcosm sample of that time. A few neighbors isolated in quarantine fighting each other for survival. Great gags, performances and music with moments of extreme stress. It is great to see Argentinian cinema renewing and betting on risky products. Ironic and somewhat bizarre at times, Fase 7 is a fantastic story that might not like everybody, though. But the discerning viewer can not deny that seldom has been so great production on this land and from now on we should not doubt about our filmmakers' abilities. This is an Opera Prima with a stomping debut that it's well worth seeing!
So imagine if in Shaun of the Dead, Liz was 7 months pregnant, they'd just done their monthly supermarket shop and instead of going out, they'd decided to hole up in her block of flats. And the zombies don't bother to attack (there are no zombies in Phase 7, but it has the feel of a zombie film). But the rest of the apartment block goes a bit mental. That would kind of be along the lines of this film. It's funny (most the humour is pretty subtle but there are a few real laugh out loud moments) and it is quite bonkers but in a really enjoyable way. It's maybe not fair to compare it to SotD, it's not quite in that league, but it is a really enjoyable film with some great fun performances that's worth checking out if you get the chance.