Woodyanders Review of I Love Sarah Jane

I Love Sarah Jane (2008)

Excellent and inspired zombie horror short

[9/10 · 18 September 2010]

Zombie horror has become so exhausted and clichéd as of late that it's becoming exceedingly hard to find any fresh and original takes on this particular premise. Director/co-writer Spencer Susser gives the ol' lethal walking dead flesh-eaters bring about the end of the world as we know it story a much-needed potent and invigorating kick in the pants by focusing on how said apocalypse would have a profound impact on a handful of kids left to fend for themselves sans adult supervision. Naturally, said tykes would lose almost all residual traces of decent humanity and behave in the worst manner imaginable by degenerating into savagery (one particularly sadistic teenager gleefully tortures a hapless tied-up zombie), swearing excessively, and drinking beer. Moreover, there's a sweet central romance with the awkward Jimbo (well played by Brad Ashby) pining for the lovely Sarah Jane (a fine performance by the beguiling Mia Wasikowska, who went on to portray the title character in Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland"!). But it's the sudden moments of raw and vicious violence that provide an extra hard-hitting edge, with an especially disturbing conclusion in which Sarah Jane proves to be the toughest of the bunch. Cinematographer Adam Arkapaw gives the picture an effectively gray'n'gloomy look while the opening smooth tracking showing a corpse-strewn suburban wasteland is truly striking and impressive. Michael Lira's spare droning score likewise does the trick. The use of the cutesy ditty "Like a Lollipop in a Candy Shop" over the ending credits is simply brilliant. Why, this short even manages the remarkable feat of making the zombie (Richard Mueck in gnarly rotting skull-faced make-up) a rather pitiable figure as he's senselessly brutalized by the kids. Highly recommended.