Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Dead Within’

Written by Scott Edwards 

​Some people are able to find solace in solitude and to them, I applaud. I on the other hand have to have some sort of interaction in my daily life or else I go crazy in my own thoughts. Even one person to talk to will keep me from going nuts, but if after a while the conversations fall back to everything that we have previously talked about, it might be able to drive me a little bit further down the rabbit hole. But as stated previously, if you can survive with no one around and not go crazy, it is a trait that many people do not possess and you should be commended.

Kim and Mike have been held up in a cabin for six months as an outbreak has over taken the nation. As reports started rolling in about what happens to infected people, the couple were unfortunate enough to face this head on during their dinner party. Having to kill their friends in order to survive, Kim and Mike have made this cabin their home, but time is running out as they are running out of supplies.

Mike leaves every day on supply runs as Kim is stuck inside doing her daily cleaning and miscellaneous jobs. Not asking for anything too demanding, she is always looking for a way to make her life much more meaningful. Losing her child to the disease as well, Kim has formed several barriers to keep herself sane, but time is not on her side as each day is the same as the last. During Mike’s daily outing, Kim is surprised to find that the water supply has run dry. With no water to wash the dishes or to clean with, she asks what life is like outside of the cabin, but Mike is hesitant to give her any real accounts of what is happening outside of the locked door.

Wanting to know what is really happening, Kim continues to try to make contact with the outside world with her walkie-talkie. But when someone answers on the other end, she is dumbfounded. Ranger Mark Rand starts talking to Kim while Mike is out, and although he seems like he wants to help out with the situation and rescue the couple, his attitude changes drastically, causing Kim to question herself. With the loss of her child, and a new person on the radio to talk to, Kim is still waiting for Mike to return from his latest supply run. Mike always returns before sundown, but this day has faded quickly and Mike is still out in the unknown and Kim is left alone against the terrors that are looming outside of the cabin.

This is one of those movies that you have to watch not only for the story, but for the characters. As Kim and Mike have only been talking to each other for the past six months, it shows how the relationship between the two has tensed up. When Mike is the only one allowed to leave the house to roam the outside world, Kim slowly falls into a state of depression, and that is something that this movie does not pull any punches about. This is a great character study piece of what could happen to a couple that is all alone with nothing but their thoughts and memories of loss to fall back on. Both Kim and Mike have their own memories and although they are trying to make the best of the situation, there is not enough good to outweigh the terrors of the outside world to keep them sane. Stay Scared.

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