CARRIERS

US, 2009, 84 minutes, Colour.
Lou Taylor Pulci, Chris Pine, Piper Perabo, Emily Vancamp, Christopher Meloni.
Directed by Alex Pastor, David Pastor.

Carriers is a small budget post-apocalyptic story, filmed in 2006 but left on the shelf until 2009, until the popularity of Chris pine in Star Trek.
The film is the work of two Spanish brothers, Alex and David Pastor. They have a simple screenplay: a post-apocalyptic devastation of the United States by a virus, four young people travelling across the country to avoid the virus, encountering a father and daughter, the daughter being infected. The hospital they hope to go to has been closed and has no cure. The group goes to an old country club where they are set upon by a gang of survivalists. One of the group is infected and is ousted. There is an incident where the leader of the group shoots a couple to take the petrol from their car. He himself is wounded and his younger, more quiet, brother, struggles with him and kills him. The two remaining survivors and up on a beach, and it is not clear whether this is a despairing ending or they have some hope.

1. The title? The situation? The virus? The apocalyptic destruction? The spread of the virus? The ending – bleak or hopeful?

2. The locations, the trip across the United States, the car and the need for gasoline, the gang of survivalists, the hope for the hospital, closed down, deaths, violent behaviour and murder? Post-apocalyptic story?

3. No explanation given about the background? The audience immersed immediately in the action with the four?

4. The credits, the home movies, the characters in happier times? The musical score?

5. The four, relationships, the two brothers, from happy to bickering? To death? Brian, his age, leadership? Relationship with Bobby? Danny, younger, quieter, relationship with Kate?

6. The travel, their hopes to avoid the virus? The encounter with Frank and Jodie, father and daughter, concern? Going to the hospital advertising the cure,
its being closed down, no cure, failure?

7. Bobby, interaction with Jodie, the infection?

8. The survivalist gang, the attack, the group in the country club? Bobby and the infection, her being ousted?

9. Brian, his treatment of Bobby, harsh?

10. The couple in the car, with gasoline, Brian killing them, his being wounded?

11. Daniel and Kate, Daniel taking control, Brian and the struggle, Daniel killing him?

12. Daniel and Kate, arrival at the beach, desolate – or some hope?