2009’s Carriers delivers a post-apocalyptic film that leans into the moral quandaries of its premise, and it offers a sober and compelling take on the genre.
What Is It?
This post-apocalyptic thriller follows four young survivors traveling across a desolate America as a deadly viral pandemic wipes out most of the population. Led by two brothers, the group adheres to strict rules to avoid infection, but as resources dwindle and desperation grows, their moral boundaries are tested. The film focuses less on the outbreak itself and more on how fear, survival instincts, and human choices shape the fate of those trying to endure it.
Cast: Lou Taylor Pucci, Chris Pine, Piper Perabo, Emily VanCamp, Christopher Meloni
Crew: Àlex Pastor (Writer/Director), David Pastor (Writer/Director)
Original Release: September 4, 2009
Legacy:
Carriers has developed a cult following for its sober look at post-apocalyptic reality, and it provided an early lead role for Chris Pine before he became a star with 2009’s Star Trek.
A Closer Look
This little-known post-apocalyptic entry delivers a welcome surprise, giving a sci fi spin on some of the themes typically reserved for the zombie genre. A pre-Star Trek Chris Pine heads up the cast as one of four plague survivors on a journey through the back roads of a ravaged America. Their goal is to try to avoid those affected by the virus that has wiped out most of humanity while heading to a location they believe will serve as a safe haven where they can ride out the apocalypse. They do, however, encounter other survivors along the way and find themselves faced with dubious moral choices, weighing their own survival against helping those in need.
Carriers delivers a very straightforward, linear film that does not rely on twists and turns, nor on placing the leads in one predicament after the next to build its story and conflicts. Instead, it examines the breakdown of society as it follows these four travelers on their journey to a coastal hotel that the two brothers know from their childhood and believe will provide safe ground. Along the way, they must make decisions based primarily on their need to survive in this post-apocalyptic setting, and in doing so, they must distance themselves from the dictates of a more civilized world.
We see a definite contrast between the older brother Brian (Pine) and the younger brother Danny (Lou Taylor Pucci), as Brian has more quickly dispensed with the mores of polite society in his bid to survive in the world that remains. He makes some very harsh—and at times amoral—decisions that Danny and their two female companions don’t always agree with, but he is driven by necessity. This ultimately pushes him over the edge, putting his brother in the position of dealing with an equally harsh decision. And you can argue about the morality of their actions all you want, but you also have to place yourself in the same circumstances and answer honestly how you would act.
Ultimately, this is what a good science (nay speculative) fiction tale does. It takes us just far enough away from our own world while at the same time using this possible reality to allow us to look at ourselves in the mirror and consider the implications and morality of our actions. Carriers may be slight on plot, but it still manages to make us think, and it succeeds in getting us to identify with the characters and put ourselves in their shoes. That leads to some uncomfortable moments throughout the film, but that appears to be exactly what the movie intends.
First-time directors Àlex and David Pastor (who also co-wrote the script) pull it off masterfully without descending into melodrama or relying on excessive gore or violence. The actors playing the four central characters also deliver excellent performances that help keep the film moving along at its brisk pace. Some of the ancillary actors are not always up to the task, though, and the middle section—where they encounter a group of makeshift, containment-suit-clad survivors—nearly bogs the film down. But the directors usher the movie past that, and it resumes its pace for a poignant yet bleak ending.
For some reason, Carriers was marketed as a horror film, which seems like a poor fit for its more sci fi–oriented subject matter. It may be that the studio did not quite know how to promote this somewhat sparse film made on what must have been a small purse (though it never really looks low-budget), or that they felt they needed to appeal to a niche audience. Because of its horror label, it does throw in a few cheesy jump-out-and-scare-you moments, though that never really detracts from the film.
It also has very much the feel of a zombie-apocalypse tale even though it lacks the walking dead (the plague apparently does zombify its victims to some extent, though that is never really explored). Chris Pine went on to a more lucrative career, and you would have thought that would draw more attention to this film, but it remains a cult entry at best. It is definitely worth checking out, though, and I would call this the best zombie movie without zombies that I have ever seen (a close second to George A. Romero’s The Crazies)!
Why Was There No Sequel?
Carriers was filmed in 2006 but then sat on the shelf for several years before it finally got a limited theatrical release in 2009, following Chris Pine’s breakout as Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek. That did not bring it much attention, though, and it was mostly designed as a self-contained film, so no sequel followed from its limited release, nor did it seem like Àlex and David Pastor had plans to carry on the story.
Should It Be Rebooted?
Carriers was done pretty well the first time around, so there is not really much reason to reboot it. It did set up an interesting post-apocalyptic world, though, and that might be worth exploring further. But with so many similar movies and TV shows delving into many of the same themes since this one came out, it might not have much more to offer with a revival.
Interesting Facts:
Unlike many pandemic films, Carriers never explains the origin of the virus in detail. There are no labs, no government conspiracies, just the aftermath. The focus stays tightly on survival and human behavior rather than the science.
Despite the fact that the film was marketed toward the horror niche, it plays out more like a bleak road trip story than a traditional horror or action movie. The tension typically comes from moral decisions and trust issues rather than jump scares or large-scale set pieces.
Where Can You Watch It?
This film has been released on DVD and Blu-ray, and it is also available to purchase VOD. It is currently available to stream on Paramount+.
