Outside – Movie Review | Netflix (3/5)

OUTSIDE on Netflix is a new Zombie Horror Drama from the Philippines but with a very universal story and much English spoken. At 2 hours and 22 minutes, it’s quite long but not too long by much. Read our full Outside movie review here and find it on Netflix!

OUTSIDE on Netflix is a new Zombie movie from the Philippines. However, if you’ve watched other movies from this country, you’ll know that a lot of English is spoken. In other words, you’ll be able to keep up just fine even without the dubbing option.

OTHER FILIPINO MOVIES ON NETFLIX

Be sure to check out Eerie (2018) which became almost infamous upon release >

With a runtime of 2 hours and 22 minutes, I was afraid it would run on for far too long. And yes, I do feel that it’s longer than what would be best for the story. However, it isn’t by much thanks to the many twists in this story. Most of which evolve in ever more desperate ways.

Continue reading our Outside movie review below. Find it on Netflix from October 17, 2024.

Outrunning a zombie outbreak

In Outside, we meet a family trying to outrun a zombie outbreak by returning to the childhood home of the patriarch. The family consists of husband Francis (Sid Lucero), wife Iris (Beauty Gonzales), and their two sons, Josh (Marco Masa) and Lucas (Aiden Tyler Patdu).

The relationship between Francis and Iris is clearly strained and the impending zombie apocalypse isn’t helping matters. Especially as they don’t even seem to agree on how to react to it or where it could be safest for their little family.

While the house is big and in a remote area, Francis did not have a good childhood there. We see in flashbacks how he was mistreated by his brutal father, who punished him to turn him into a “real man”.

All Francis wants for himself and his family is a sense of normalcy. Of course, this is nearly impossible in the middle of a zombie outbreak. Unfortunately for them all, he is becoming increasingly unstable as the stress of the situation wears him out.

A universal story

I loved how the story of Outside could play out anywhere in the world. Sure, we’re in the Philippines and the weather is extremely hot. Other than that, we could just as well have been in the Midwest or rural England.

In that sense, there’s nothing that should keep you from getting completely immersed. And with this zombie horror drama, the story does pull you in and make you suffer right alongside the characters.

At times, it feels like a zombie horror drama in the vein of Handling the Undead. However, it does also pick up the pace quite a lot, as the family does get confronted with many zombies in various situations throughout the story.

A new kind of zombie in Outside

Something I loved about the zombies in Outside was that they had a new trait. Oh yeah, in this movie, the zombies can speak but only say whatever their last words were over and over again. For one, it’s simply the word “Sorry” while for another it’s “Passport please”.

It’s a small detail, but one that becomes terrifying when a new creature with black eyes approaches you, repeating their final words (or singular word) non-stop. Maybe it doesn’t sound all that intriguing, but it really is.

Especially if the person speaking to you (or at you!) is someone you knew before they turned!

Watch the zombie movie Outside on Netflix

The director of the new Netflix zombie movie is Carlo Ledesma, who also wrote the screenplay. He has stated that Outside is more than “just” a zombie film and I couldn’t agree more. He also labels it as a “terrifying psychological thriller” which I can get behind. Drama is also a key element. Then again, when isn’t drama an element in movies?

The horror breakthrough for Carlo Ledesma came more than a decade ago. In 2011, his found-footage feature film debut The Tunnel, was a hit. He even did an episode of Bite Size Halloween, so his international adventure has also begun.

Outside is his most personal project to date, and draws on his personal experiences growing up in Negros paired with the feeling of isolation during the pandemic. I recommend avoiding all spoilers for this movie to get the optimal experience, so check it out as soon as possible.

Outside is on Netflix globally from October 17, 2024.

Details

Director: Carlo Ledesma
Writers: Carlo Ledesma, Anton Santamaria
Cast: Sid Lucero, Beauty Gonzalez, Marco Masa, Aiden Tyler Patdu, Enchong Dee, Joel Torre, James Blanco, Bing Pimentel