The Living and the Dead (2007) 7/10

Even though the title may suggest it, The Living and the Dead has absolutely nothing to do with zombies, but it is a commentary on the sick and dying.

The Living and The Dead is about Jame, a mentally handicapped man living at home with his professor father and ill mother. When his father must go on a business trip James decides to lock out the normal caregiver and be his mother's nurse. Things go from bad to worse when James fails at even the simplest task and finds himself alone and over his head.

The film starts off playing on our fears of being completely incapacitated by illness and being taken care of by someone who is not qualified to do it. Because of James' mental handicap we know he can't fulfill the nursing duties and we also cannot be angry at him since he rally doesn't know any better. This puts us directly into the shoes of the victim, and that dear reader, is a place i wouldn't want to be. After playing this note for about a third of the film, the fear changes gears. As James begins to crack up due to stress we are placed directly into his shoes. The director achieves this shift seamlessly so that by the time you realize the perception change you're already in the heart of the terror. Very slick. James begins to hallucinate from not taking his medications and we no longer truly know what is real and what is not, and neither does he. This highly limited narrative style does wonders for this unique film.

The Living and the Dead is a brutally depressing and difficult film that asks many questions of us. Through unconventional story telling techniques and perceptions we delve into territories rarely explored by horror films. Though this film is very unconventional in its structure it is indeed a horror film, because the only emotions found are fear, confusion and loss. Great flick if you're looking to be challenged a bit.

Gore - mild

Nudity - none

Overall - 7/10