The post-apocalyptic zombie movie CARGO is not about the apocalypse or zombies.

Released by Netflix, CARGO is a film about a father searching for someone — anyone — to care for his baby daughter.

Starring Martin Freeman (THE HOBBIT, THE OFFICE) as Andy, CARGO is a family drama more concerned about what you would do with two days left to live than the zombies or the virus that decimates all of Australia.

In the beginning, Andy, his wife Kay, and daughter Rosie are floating cautiously down a river by boat until a fateful encounter with an abandoned yacht changes their lives forever.

Like their boat, the movie’s pace is slow-moving, and the action is limited as directors Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke seem more interested in exploring Andy’s emotional journey than scaring or shocking viewers with violent zombie attacks.

The crux of this zombie epidemic is that you have two days before the virus takes hold, prompting bitten humans to strap what looks like a Fitbit onto their wrists but is actually a timer counting down the 48 hours they have left to live.

Without giving away too much, I’ll simply say I enjoyed CARGO, although it’s a downer and the runtime of one hour and 45 minutes felt 15 minutes too long.

However, Freeman’s aching but measured performance anchors the film and infuses it with a heartfelt hopefulness in the face of utter despair.

Check out the trailer on YouTube here.

RATING: ♥ ♥  ½ (out of 4)

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