Colin review

Famously shot for 45 quid on a camcorder with a bunch of mates, Brit-director Marc Price’s debut eschews the tongue-in-cheek, cheesy larks of much no-budget horror.

Instead, this near-dialogue-free flick reaches for a more melancholy, poetic feel, following newly bitten zombie Colin (Alastair Kirton) as he wanders through epidemic-hit London against a backdrop of smoky skies and distant gunfire.

The little we learn about Colin comes only later, in flashbacks; as earnestly as Kirton lurches and moans through the mayhem, scant characterisation makes it hard to feel for his dehumanised predicament. And while there’s gore aplenty – including an all-out zombies versus humans street battle – the pace often meanders.

All the same, the effects are inventive on such a tight purse, with the opening scene – a cramped kitchen assault – offering proof of Price’s resourcefulness.

If a Credit Crunch Oscar existed, his DIY chutzpah would take the gong.