Mulberry Street: Film Review.(2006)

by: Rick Romanowski

Director: Jim Mickle

Writers: Nick Damici (writer) Jim Mickle (co-writer)

I absolutely loved this movie; it was one of the best apocalyptic movies since 28 Week Later. It was beautifully crafted; the acting was superb, very tense, horrific and funny. This movie had the look and feel of something much more mesmerizing and than just your typical outbreak story, it had family values, emotional battles, REAL looking people and some very sad and unexpected moments. This movie would probably be the best HorrorFest movie I have seen. Even for a very restricted budget this film was delivered.

First off, the acting was equivalent to 28 Days. Unlike its predecessors, Mulberry Street is an isolated outbreak strictly in the Manhattan and New York area. This outbreak was not cause by a virus, or at least confirmed that it was virus, or an outbreak or even a gas, it was simply caused by sewer rats. When bitten, people turn into "rat people." Something about this particular apocalypse movie was different from the others and that’s bringing us back to old school horror. One of the scarier moments was when the building super, who got bit, started crawling up the inside of the walls and ceilings.

The characters in this movie were not your typical drunken, sex-craved, teens, but were typical lower class, New York tenants. It had believable characters that acted like real people in such situations and with outstanding performances. Another great element that drives this movie is the emotional feel and the chemistry between those characters. For example: A father, along with his flamboyant friend wait for the arrival of his long seen daughter, and just the respect and love they had for each other was powerful. All of these aspects and more made this film emotionally driven.

Another great and unexpected aspect of this film was the humor. The old guy with the breather is hysterical even in the most hectic situations. There was plenty of humor in this film that lightened the mood including the bar's owner, who found a great way to defend himself with none other than a frying pan.

Overall, this movie had great scares, some very emotional moments, sad moments and hysterical moments. It would fit greatly in the apocalypse line up of films. If you haven't seen this, I would strongly recommend it. A lot of people found it stupid but it was very well done, unlike some b-movies where the director doesn't push his actors performances. For this movie, there is no need for Arsenic, just a chance.