15: Blood Quantum (2019)

An interesting spin on the Zombie Apocalypse, Jeff Barnaby’s Blood Quantum confronts an oft-neglected yet central question within the genre: would you ethnically cleanse a refugee camp if you got your dick bitten off?

Blood Quantum flips the racial animus of the zombie apocalypse on its head: white people become zombies and First Nations people based on the Mi'kmaq are immune. The film doesn’t stray too far into the Noble Savage stereotype, likely due to its predominantly indigenous cast and crew, and instead provides a grounded look into the realities of life on a reservation and their reverberations into the apocalypse.

The movie isn’t without its issues, especially when it comes to tone, but we mostly enjoyed it. Blood Quantum’s high points are excellent, and most of those are centered around characters mowing down hordes of zombies.

At a tight 90 minutes, Blood Quantum is worth a watch for fans of the genre or if you just want to check out a First Nations-led film project (available on Shudder).

Motion Picture Pals is co-hosted by Cam Call, Rebekah Markillie, Joel Aleman, and producer Travis Lien.

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