Zombies have been very hot topic over the last couple of years. Between the games industry putting ‘dead’ into as many titles as the market can fit (Dead Island, Dead Nation, Dead Rising, Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare) and the film industry spewing out zombie-related adaptations and franchises left and right (Warm Bodies, World War Z, Evil Dead (remake), Rec: Trilogy) plus the floundering-in-both-markets Resident Evil series, there’s a lot of undead shambling about. With that comes the resting of laurels and the rise of stereotypes and predictability that eventually puts a bullet in the head of any trend and puts it to rest for however long it takes for another generation to re-discover Dan O’Bannon and George A. Romero and the cycle to start again. But also like any trend, it means that occasional slivers of ingenuity and glimmers of hope can be found, usually within the indie scene. Jeremy Gardner’s The Battery is one such sliver of indie gold that has come about from this plague of mostly mediocrity and finally shambled onto DVD and Blu-Ray.
Starring Jeremy and co-producer Adam Cronheim, to say The Battery is a simple survival horror about two men who must outlive the apocalypse is to sell the film massively short. While it is, fundamentally, about two ex-baseball players who have found themselves in the impossible position of living in a world so populated with the opposite, the intertwining of themes and styles from across several film genres creates a richly entertaining narrative tapestry. Part buddy-comedy, part tragic love-story, part hard hitting drama, part slapstick satire, the amount of contrasting ideas that work their way throughout is at times staggering, and all of which are held together by the central performances. From every on-edge conversation, to every story of their horrid past told to every moment of silence, Gardner and Cronheim not only carry the plot forward, but also turn in excellent performances as the two men who are near-constantly at odds with one another. Not only is this impressive but its also incredibly endearing, and creates an emotional connection with the protagonists akin to that of Romero’s works from yesteryear.
And while anchored by these lead performances, the overall tone of the film is also something that has become lost with the myriad of zombie related products on offer. There’s a great sense of warmth from the characters and their surrounding environment as you see them celebrate being able to shower properly or possibly communicate with other human beings that when the loneliness of the overall plot seeps back, the weight of it is felt by both viewer and character alike. What Gardner has created transcends being told that the characters are sad and actually tries to make the audience feel sad with them without needing a specific reason to be; its the end of the world, there isn’t a lot of happiness to be found. Whether its Cronheim’s moody Mickey constantly listening to loud indie rock in order to find some sort of personal space, or Jeremy’s Ben taking charge 
constantly in an almost demented fashion, there’s a brokenness to the whole narrative that just feels so sincere and natural. By the time the soul-crushing conclusion is being met, the fatigue is felt by both protagonist and audience in a communal ‘it’s finally over….’, and most certainly in the best possible way.
I’ve championed this film before, but decided to wait until the DVD release to give it a full review, because I wanted to tell you all, straight up, why you should add this to your shelves. Jeremy Gardner and Adam Cronheim have made a film that is crushing, beautiful, daring and, I’m going for it, unique. This many ideas in this kind of film could have, and probably should have, failed spectacularly in a mish-mash of unrealized vision and blurry ideals, but instead they blend seamlessly. In essence, this is a zombie film, but in execution The Battery is a meditation on why zombie films have been regarded so highly in the first place and what it is to make a truly great film. Buy this on DVD and put some pennies towards making sure we see more work for film-makers like these guys, please.
A tour de force of great film-making and emotional narrative. 10/10
The Battery is available on DVD here.
