Apparently, filmmakers are not concerned with showing the best and brightest humanity has to offer during a zombie apocalypse; instead, we are left only with protagonists who make incredibly poor decisions, and are then completely flummoxed when things don’t go their way. The horror genre as a whole has been accused of exploiting dumb characters for the sake of narrative flow, and it is just as true for zombie films as it is for the rest. It makes it difficult to critique a story when the characters lack common sense, pulling us out of the story and forcing us to stack their decisions against the theoretical ones of normal, sane, self-preserving people in the real world. In their defense, these kinds of films are not without value, they just hinder themselves with such overused and lazy characterization. If one can get past the occasional stupidity of the characters, Bo Mikkelson’s What We Become is not a terrible film, but merely an adequate one, hitting all of the points necessary to be passable.
Set in the neighborhood of Sorgenfri in Copenhagen, this Danish horror follows the Johansson family and their idyllic life in the suburbs. However, what begins as a pleasant summer turns into something much darker, as a virus sweeps through their neighborhood, decimating the local population and initiating a national emergency. The government swiftly jumps into action, sealing off all houses in the area and refusing to let anyone leave. When the Johansson’s teenage son, Gustav (Benjamin Engell), sneaks out to investigate the situation, he makes some shocking discoveries about the nature of the virus and the reactionary response of the Danish government.
Though none of the characters display much intelligence when dealing with their new circumstances, it is Gustav that bears the blame for exacerbating an already horrific situation. Like most teenagers in films (horror or otherwise), Gustav acts rashly, in defiance of his parent’s, and even the government’s directives. This could be forgiven if it wasn’t so distracting; stupid people exist, so, if realism is the ultimate goal, these kinds of characters still have a place. However, when Gustav continues to do dumb things, even after seeing the horrible consequences of his actions, he ceases to be merely stupid and begins his descent into complete absurdity.
Inane choices aside, the story has a generally entertaining, albeit predictable flow. A family is trapped in their house, unsure of the exact nature of the threat, and unsure if they can actually trust the military personnel who are meant to protect them. Other characters come into the mix, as the family attempts to escape their prison, but they add little to the overarching plot. There is nothing noteworthy about What We Become’s story, but it manages to create the proper mood and tension.
One aspect of What We Become that takes away from the overall experience is the set decoration. Usually, when mise en scène is constructed in a very specific, methodical way, it serves a larger purpose. Perhaps the visuals are meant to echo thematic elements of the story, or symbolize concepts that transcend the plot, but were nonetheless important to the filmmaker. In What We Become, everything looks very cleanly reproduced, but without any meaning or direction. The sets look like just that: sets. Even when the Johansson’s are seen sneaking through trash-strewn streets, each individual piece of garbage looks carefully curated and placed in a way that is very clearly meant to set the visual tone. As a result, the film loses any sense of visual realism, and instead looks like a cheaply crafted group of set-pieces, far to clean-cut and manicured to be convincing.
Though some will find value in the juxtaposition of an intimate family drama with the backdrop of a zombie epidemic, What We Become covers no new territory. It is entertaining, and there are instances of genuine horror, but its weaknesses overshadow its strengths, which takes spectators out of the narrative. What we are left with is a rather bland attempt to rework the genre that accomplishes none of its lofty goals, and only manages to be an adequate zombie film in the process.
What We Become (2015) Movie Rating: ★★½ out of 5
If you’d like to watch What We Become (2015), it is available to rent or purchase via Amazon here.