Pontypool
IFC Films | Release Date: May 29, 2009
6.6
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 57 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
36
Mixed:
12
Negative:
9
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
10
TomGlosMay 8, 2012
Excellent movie, interesting premise. Thinking that maybe those marking it down don't really get it.  Don't expect an action flick, heck it's not really even a zombie flick.  If you like intelligent, well written andExcellent movie, interesting premise. Thinking that maybe those marking it down don't really get it.  Don't expect an action flick, heck it's not really even a zombie flick.  If you like intelligent, well written and well acted understated performances and quirky sic-fi then this is a movie for you.… Expand
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
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8
djalexAug 13, 2010
I am a horror, zombie and sci-fi fan and this satisfies all of the above with originality and great tension. The acting and directing are very good in this movie. The concept is really clever as well. There is one moment near the end thatI am a horror, zombie and sci-fi fan and this satisfies all of the above with originality and great tension. The acting and directing are very good in this movie. The concept is really clever as well. There is one moment near the end that makes this movie an 8 and not a 10. MAYBE CONSIDERED A SPOILER: The DJ finally figures out what to do and right in the middle of building this moment up to a crescendo the writer/ director has him go into a preachy diatribe about war. It completely ruins the turning point of the story. It has nothing to do with what the characters are going through and is clearly the preachy voice of the filmmaker intruding in on the story and tension. Otherwise the movie hooked me and kept me guessing with great tension. I really hated that they ruined that with dialogue about men wanting war. In the very very end we are left to an ambiguous fonal moment that we think we know the answer to. I think we have had enough endings in films like that for a while I would have liked to see a clever execution of the very end they hinted at. of course filming this last moment would have probably cost as much as the whole movie so i can understand them leaving it to the imagination.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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8
JatsunApr 7, 2014
I thought this was a great, fresh movie. I feel like this should have been a laughably bad b-movie based on the premise, but it was written, acted, and directed so well, it didn't come off silly at all. The acting of the two main charactersI thought this was a great, fresh movie. I feel like this should have been a laughably bad b-movie based on the premise, but it was written, acted, and directed so well, it didn't come off silly at all. The acting of the two main characters was notably great. I want to reiterate what another user said, that this is NOT an action-packed or gore-heavy typical horror movie. It reminds me somewhat of the movie Resolution, in that it could easily have been a bad movie but, due to the great acting and writing, was instead awesome and captivating.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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9
ScienceAdvisorDec 31, 2017
A shoe-string budget, perfectly executed and horrifyingly captivating. The premise may be a little far-fetched in the physical aspect of "failure to acquire a victim", however the psychological foundation is very plausible. Those incapableA shoe-string budget, perfectly executed and horrifyingly captivating. The premise may be a little far-fetched in the physical aspect of "failure to acquire a victim", however the psychological foundation is very plausible. Those incapable of understanding such a complex possibility will find far less enjoyment in Pontypool.… Expand
2 of 5 users found this helpful23
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0
klogdFeb 15, 2012
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First 60 minutes are great, good acting and it sets a great eerie zombie mood. But then the story just got so dumb it actually made me facepalm.. Spoiler: You can get infected (become a "zombie") by words in the English language... Yes that's right, and you can get cured by pretending the word means something else for 15 seconds, and then you're free to use the word again apparently.. Sorry, but that's just so stupid it doesn't even belong in fiction. Maybe Dr Who or the Twilight zone could pull it off, but this movie does not… Expand
0 of 5 users found this helpful05
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6
JayHOct 8, 2009
I was impressed with the films original approach. It unfortunately goes a little off the deep end however, which was disappointing after such a promising first half. Good performances, great atmosphere.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
DaveMOct 13, 2009
this was smart, original, captivating and scary. It's disheartening to think that much of the mainstream media don't agree. I loved this movie, and its events and characters have stayed with me for quite some time.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
dragonpenchantMay 29, 2009
This movie is a diamond in the rough. smart and funny and equal doses, all the while keeping you glued to the edge of your seat.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
MartinS.Sep 12, 2009
was hooked on this from start to finish, nothing to what I expected and Stephen McHattie is superb in it also.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
7
ERG1008Nov 22, 2010
Man goes to work at radio station, strange events happening at Doctor's surgery in town whilst on air, trapped in radio building with producer & engineer, Doctor shows up, gets stranger.
A brilliant idea & a good take on the zombie genre butMan goes to work at radio station, strange events happening at Doctor's surgery in town whilst on air, trapped in radio building with producer & engineer, Doctor shows up, gets stranger.
A brilliant idea & a good take on the zombie genre but let down by its execution & stupidity in parts.
The film is mainly shot in one set, which is the radio station, with a few scenes of outside & it really does give a claustrophobic feel as it goes along.
The cast play it out pretty well but I really wanted Sydney dead about half way through due to her stupidity & plain annoyingness.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
VelsuanOct 28, 2015
Pontypool is a tale about the inherent disease that is contained in language, in the meaning of words, in this scary possibility that ‘making sense’ is what makes us zombies, like some modern Nazis. If I stick to the central meaning of thisPontypool is a tale about the inherent disease that is contained in language, in the meaning of words, in this scary possibility that ‘making sense’ is what makes us zombies, like some modern Nazis. If I stick to the central meaning of this film, ’Making sense’ is leading us to mass murdering, because ideologies and interests, spread by words, are always the worse part of humanity. The zombie apocalypse is maybe just an infection of the minds by ideas that lead to extinction. Far-fetched, isn’t it? I know, I am going too far with this interpretation, but this film makes me think a lot, to say the least!

Anyway... This film is thoroughly enjoyable for what it is: a feast of convincing sounds, of meaningful words, of wacky ideas! And it’s a remarkable and atmospheric huis clos, and a surprisingly weird dream-like story. I could have had this nightmare last night! I’m definitely impressed.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
CaKeSApr 16, 2017
While the fact the entire movie is spent inside and around a recording booth may seem like a cop-out on special effects, it creates a very interesting, realistic view point on an apocalypse setting. We join our main character, Mazzy, a radioWhile the fact the entire movie is spent inside and around a recording booth may seem like a cop-out on special effects, it creates a very interesting, realistic view point on an apocalypse setting. We join our main character, Mazzy, a radio talk show host, in what seems like just another day in the life. Quickly news spreads of a nearby outbreak of strange behaviour, and from there we're very slowly fed bits of information that explain what's happening, much like what would happen if you were hiding in your home watching the news during an outbreak. While immediately you may assume this is a typical zombie movie, it has a very, very interesting twist on the viral disease, which I don't want to discuss for spoiler reasons, given that it's a huge discovery and will leave you smiling once it's communicated to the audience. Personally it's difficult for me to call this a horror film, while it has it's resonating ambiance playing in the background, and over-the-phone deaths, and plenty of gore, it's not what I would typically consider horror: more of just a thriller, but perhaps that's because of it's lack of tropes (aside from the outbreak viral disease idea).

Nonetheless, whether it's Mazzy's silky-smooth voice, or the uniqueness of Pontypool's disease, it was an enjoyable and engaging watch. The low score is mostly due to the fact that the acting was kind of all over the place, while it wasn't bad in any respect, it seemed mismatched much of the time, throwing extreme emotions around where they shouldn't be, which just left me confused or chuckling. It felt slightly claustrophobic being filmed in such close-quarters the entire hour and a half, and the solution to the disease was extremely silly; showing the audience that the unique and refreshing writing stopped at the creation of the disease, and did NOT carry into the cure or resolution of the film. Regardless, I do recommend Pontypool if you enjoy outbreak films (I can't really call it a "zombie" movie, but it's very similar in spirit), and don't mind seeing a whole lot of nothing for a majority of the film. But I should remark that the story taking place without showing what was actually happening until later was handled very expertly and was made surprisingly interesting.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
horcrux2007Sep 2, 2014
"Pontypool" is one crazy movie. Its premise is very strange yet intriguing, and it's a fresh take on the somewhat tired zombie genre. "Pontypool" is a slow movie because the entire movie takes place in a radio station and not out in the"Pontypool" is one crazy movie. Its premise is very strange yet intriguing, and it's a fresh take on the somewhat tired zombie genre. "Pontypool" is a slow movie because the entire movie takes place in a radio station and not out in the action, but the film is still very disturbing because it relies mostly on some creepy sound effects. I recommend this if you can stick out the first 30 minutes because it really picks up after that.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
JLuis_001Nov 12, 2022
I respect its attempt to get out of the zombie formula. That's always welcome, however its narrative discourse ends too soon, and the claustrophobia gives way to tedium when neither the rhythm nor the tone gets a boost, while the plotI respect its attempt to get out of the zombie formula. That's always welcome, however its narrative discourse ends too soon, and the claustrophobia gives way to tedium when neither the rhythm nor the tone gets a boost, while the plot overstays its welcome.

Good concept though, it just lacked punch.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
FalaaxApr 8, 2018
The idea is interesting and I have a lot of respect for innovation but it felt kind of weird to me and I had some difficulties getting hooked to the story. The acting is good though, it makes the story look a bit better.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
AJGo85Oct 21, 2020
If A Quiet Place is the horror movie based around not speaking, and Bird Box is the horror movie based around not seeing, then Pontypool is the horror movie based around not hearing. Its conceit is fresh and interesting and, while not withoutIf A Quiet Place is the horror movie based around not speaking, and Bird Box is the horror movie based around not seeing, then Pontypool is the horror movie based around not hearing. Its conceit is fresh and interesting and, while not without flaws, remains haunting and unsettling. Pontypool has never fully left my mind since I first saw it two years ago. It has been on my mind a lot since March 2020. There are films with more violent and disturbing imagery that I’m recommending this Shocktober, but this is the only one that I hesitated in recommending at all. It didn’t occur to me in 2018 but it is clear now that Pontypool, like 28 Days Later, is not a zombie movie. It is a pandemic horror movie.

Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie) is a cowboy hat wearing, washed up radio shock jock reduced to doing morning news for a rural town in Ontario: Pontypool. Sydney Briar (Lisa Houle) is the morning show producer, who tries to keep Grant on track, reminding him that people just want their news and weather and don’t want to be antagonized. Sydney’s assistant Laurel-Ann (Georgina Reilly), is a young veteran that served in Afghanistan. These are the main characters, and, aside from a few callers and visitors to the station, the only characters. Once Grant arrives at the radio station, he and Sydney and Laurel-Ann slowly realize that the strange violent events overwhelming the town have trapped them in the station.

The film unfolds over a matter of hours on a frigid and snowy Valentine’s Day in one location, more or less. Before the sun is even up, the radio station begins receiving reports of strange and violent behavior in Pontypool. There is a hostage situation and a riot at a doctor’s office and military vehicles in the streets. We see none of this and no other news source is reporting the events. Sydney thinks that they are being pranked but the influx of reports and a call from the “sunshine chopper” reporter (who actually just reports from a hill overlooking the town) make it clear that something sinister is wreaking havoc and spreading. Those people acting strange and attacking others are also chanting and babbling incoherently, repeating the same word or phrase again and again. Mazzy and Sydney translate a message in French warning people to avoid contact with loved ones and the English language.

The sinister force at work is a strange virus that turns people into mindless zombies repeating phrases like: “A simple kind of sample” or “I’m not missing Mr. Mazzy.” The explanation for the virus comes in one of the film’s biggest contrivances, Dr. Mendez (Hrant Alianak), who breaks into the radio station and explains his theory on the virus. The idea he presents, that the virus spreads through understanding certain infected words, is what sets Pontypool apart from other virus/zombie movies. It's an intriguing concept. As Mazzy puts it, “How do you not understand a word. How do you make it strange?”

Pontypool would work equally well as a stage or radio play. There are scenes of blood and zombie attacks (for lack of a better term) but almost no pop-up scares. This film relies on the sheer talent of its leads reacting to the news they hear and the little they see while stuck inside to create suspense and tension. Stephen McHattie and Lisa Houle don’t just carry the movie, they make it as good as it is; the premise does not work without their top-notch performances.

I wouldn’t say that Pontypool falls apart in the third act exactly, but its intentions become muddled. Even as the characters are executing their plan it is unclear just exactly what they are trying to accomplish. Still, the tension is high and I was too caught up in their climactic performances to be concerned with the details. I am even more puzzled by the epilogue but equally intrigued for the same reason. Even with its flaws, Pontypool is a surprising and at times mesmerizing small scale horror movie that is unsettling and frightening not because of any intense visuals or effects but because of the overwhelming situation and ideas thrust upon the characters.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
OwynJul 27, 2021
Best main actor that's for sure, very atmospheric and a bit philosophical "zombie" movie, could be better yea but it's already good anyway.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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