CARRIERS is a small flick that snuck in and out of theaters in the late summer and early fall of 2009. It was under-promoted by Paramount -- I don't think I saw a single commercial or trailer for the film until it was already out of theaters.
Still, it's an above-average epidemic flick, about a group of travelers led by a couple brothers who are attempting to get to what they perceive as a "safe" place after the U.S. is leveled by a highly contagious and fatal disease.
The group is led by Brian, played by Chris Pine, who you might recognize as the guy who played Captain Kirk in the latest STAR TREK movie. If you liked him in that one, you'll like him here -- he brings all the same smart-ass, bad-ass energy to this role that he brought to his much bigger budget job, only with more stubble this time.
Brian's girlfriend, Bobby, is played by the always likable Piper Perabo and his brother Danny is played by the brooding Lou Taylor Pucci (also with more stubble than usual).
CARRIERS plays as almost a darker cousin to ZOMBIELAND -- we've got a group of four, two chicks and two dudes, traveling down the road in a disease infested world, following strict rules to try to survive. Of course, they break all the rules, but in ZOMBIELAND they have fun doing it and in CARRIERS it just brings tragedy.
As mentioned before, Chris Pine knocks it out of the park. Maybe it's because I'm in love with him, I don't know. I'll admit my man-crush might be blind, but he seems to bring the same intensity to scenes of high drama as he does to scenes of light comedy, and that helps the movie sail along smoothly. So does the 84 minute running time, perfect for a flick like this. That's another similarity with ZOMBIELAND -- this flick knows when to call it quits.
In the short running time, there are at least 4 or 5 really cringe inducing moments. This flick really knows how to exploit our natural fears of infection, whether its through bodily fluids or coughs. We get nice shots of blood-stained surgical masks, makeshift quarantine barriers being torn down, and nasty rashes spreading on the bodies of the victims.
Still, when it all comes to a close, it is strangely affecting. Maybe that's my love for Chris Pine. Or, maybe it's the flick. Either way, it's worth a rent when it hits video stores in November.
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