The Revenant

The Revenant occupies that particular hybrid of zom-com and military satire. A soldier is to kill as directed if need-be when on mission in the Middle East, and he or she should not to get out of the truck when it appears a child is in danger (because the child can be a ruse used to kill you and jeopardize your unit). Bart does so and pays for his humanity when a group opens fire on him, killing him. He rises from the grave a sort-of zombie/sort-of vampire, needing human blood to survive. Anything he eats returns in black goo vomited forth. Joey is his pal that winds up being part of Bart’s zombie adventures. Joey is a loser with few redeeming qualities. He even makes out with Bart’s gal, Janet, right after the funeral! He does provide Bart a place to stay, drives him around, and encourages him to feed from the head wound of a gangster “from the wrong side of the tracks”. It is sustenance, for a while, but eventually it continues getting worse and worse. The visit to the blood bank goes awry as a nurse tries to convince him that he should turn from his wickedness, but at least gets off with a few packs (feuding with him over blood until she sees his eyes and realizes he’s undead).

Then things get really complicated as Janet is told Bart is not quite dead by her pal, Matty (a Wiccan), and sees for herself. The film follows that ironic path where the military sees an opportunity to exploit the revenant soldier and have an army of the undead at their disposal. Before this whole deal, the film remains the zombie comedy that features a number of absurd plot twists that typically come in something of this sort. Part of the comedy’s humor derives in the resources available to Bart to satiate his need for blood. A hood in a liquor store goes on and on about his race and the white man, and he soon becomes another victim lying facedown in a pool of his own blood, providing sustenance to Bart. Then one of two urban racist scumbags gets a couple of shots off, and, like other criminals, provides Bart with blood he needs after he takes the bullet.

Zom-coms typically feature the what-the-fuck events that leave mouth agape. There’s satire involved that comments on our society and uses contemporary items we identify with in unique ways. Like a severed head only able to communicate thanks to a mechanical dildo. Or canisters of the bloodthirsty undead released over Iran by the military. Two undead zombie vampires gone vigilante on the unlawful of Los Angeles (eventually even killing dirty cops!) eventually turning on each other. The attempt of the undead to commit suicide (bullet in the mouth, hanging, and even a jump in front of subway train) and failing miserably. The allowance of blood drink from a willing participant for the undead man she loves that leads to her own demise when he cannot stop himself from draining her dry! Bodies dumped off a bridge over and over as crime descends thanks to the undead vigilantism. A friend with a crush will risk her life (and lose) to expose the vigilantes because she loves her bestie that much. One friend reveals his misdeed (sex with friend’s girlfriend after his funeral) to another and the result is a shootout that neither can die from as guns go off seemingly for eternity. The undead lead is imprisoned for body dumps and murder, collapses due to the daytime curse that causes unconsciousness, and winds up in the morgue, only to awaken to frighten the coroner into a coronary!

The Revenant even has a poignant moment where our “hero” says goodbye (and love you) to his friend’s severed head right before squashing it under a forklift. A tragic end thanks to a willingness of one to sacrifice her blood for the man she loves is a dramatic malady that leaves the film’s hero having to cut off her head and dispose of her remains. So with all the lunacy is tragedy. Nothing goes the way Bart hopes and because of his affliction, he winds up on Iranian soil. At least, he has a mission and purpose, far beyond killing thugs as his undead friend plans to work the Las Vegas nightlife searching for hookers and kicks.