[Film Review] Herd (2023)

There are a lot of zombie films out there. Some are great, some not so much. Herd offers a relatively fresh perspective, something that seems impossible in a world already overrun by the infected. This film keeps audiences guessing where it will lead them next, with subtle and nuanced changes in the narrative that will surprise even the most zombie-literate to a degree.  

Directed by Steven Pierce, Herd tells the story of wives Jamie (Ellen Adair) and Alex (Mitzi Akaha) who decide to take a canoeing trip in Missouri as they attempt to save their marriage, during the outbreak of a virus that is being quietly warned about in the media. Closer to Jamie’s hometown than she has been in years—a place with a problematic past— the couple come across trouble after an accident leaves them stuck in the area. It’s revealed that the town is overrun by infected ‘Heps’, and Jamie and Alex must fight to survive whilst stuck in between a war of competing militia groups.

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The most refreshing parts of Herd come from two main elements. First is the ‘Heps’ themselves. Without going too far into spoiler territory, there’s something about the infected that differs from the standard zombie in other films. The refreshing ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ variation that these creatures take wraps Herd up in a nice little bow in a way that makes the movie feel more grounded, even with all the chaos of a once quiet Missouri town taking matters into their own hands. It is with great certainty that it can be claimed that audiences will be thinking about the infected long after the credits roll, if one cares to pay attention to them. 

The more obvious revitalising element of Herd is the step away from certain stereotypes. Do not misunderstand, there is still a firm use of the ‘backwards town resident’ cliché, but other characters are surprising in their responses to the events around them. The protagonists, Jamie and Alex, for example, aren’t always looking out for the greater good as seen with many other typical female horror roles. The couple are secretive and naturally flawed when certain things happen within the story, but they fully embrace these moments as a place of learning to better themselves later down the line. There are also many other side characters that don’t follow the expected path that the film seems to be taking them down. In moments of emergency, when the world seems to be falling apart around them, it feels more real that some people would react impulsively and violently, whilst others take a step back, breathe and methodically assess how to respond to what they’ve experienced.

With this in mind, it is worth noting that Herd is not a horror film about the infected, it is primarily a thriller focused on the response to a pandemic that reflects how this could play out in the real world, especially in scenarios where people have a basic understanding of zombie films under their belt but not of how infections and illness work. There are also elements of ‘trust the government’ undertones within Herd that may leave a sour taste in the mouths of certain politically aligned people, but overall, this film is a solid survival tale of love, loss, and the past coming back to haunt you. An enjoyable romp through rural Missouri with genuinely likeable characters, Herd joins the hoard of infection films with a solid shamble but not quite a full-blown sprint.

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