The Battery

The Battery is an independent zombie-apocalypse film released in 2012, directed by Jeremy Gardner, who takes on a starring role alongside Adam Cronheim, and Niels Bolle. The film is a uniquely human story set within the confines of a horror genre that explores the strains and rewards of companionship during dire circumstances. While continuing the cinematic tradition of zombie-centric storylines, The Battery takes a different approach, focusing more on the human relationships and emotions, rather than the undead.

Jeremy Gardner plays Ben and Adam Cronheim stars as Mickey, friends and former baseball players who find themselves surviving, by necessity, in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. Ben, the more hardened and pragmatic of the two, serves as the team's catcher while Mickey, a former pitcher and the more introspective and reserved partner, struggles to cling onto the remnants of their previous, comfortable life.

The movie foregoes the usual frenzied zombie action of hordes of undead causing widespread carnage typical of the genre. Instead, the film opts to tell a character-driven narrative where the audience gets to witness the dynamics between the two main characters as they navigate their relationship amidst the backdrop of a bleak and desolate world. As their aimless wanderings across the ruined landscape continue, tension starts brewing between this buddies, each owning distinct attitudes towards adapting to this new existence.

The ravishing beauty of rural New England serves as the setting for The Battery, offering a stark contrast to the nightmarish situation the characters are in. The stark flora and serene landscapes paint an eerie tranquility that underlines the horror lurking in its midst. The cinematography sets a unique tone that shrouds this movie with an aura of desolation and dystopia, making it a profoundly poignant and visually stunning experience.

As for the undead, they serve more as an environmental hazard instead of the prime adversaries. They're remarkably slower and lethargic, but relentless in pursuit, posing a constant threat that looms in the background. Their presence continually influences and dictates the choices that our characters must make, even as they wrestle with their personal demons.

For the portion of the film, we encounter two men grappling with isolation, despair, and profound boredom. Without any female companionship and no other human contact, they are left with no option but to examine the essence of their stamina, patience, and bond, which go through immeasurable tests in their desperate circumstances. The film offers an intense psychological exploration of these companions under strain and deals with themes of friendship, trust, survival, and the human spirit's resilience.

Adam Cronheim beautifully portrays Mickey, a character who struggles with a naive sense of denial, refusing to accept their grim reality and dwelling over the life he left behind. Simultaneously, Jeremy Gardner's Ben lends an air of steely determination, a man resigned to the circumstances and geared for survival. Their chemistry explores the dichotomy of perspectives, offering a deep-seated tension and an intriguing contrast.

On the technical front, the film pushes the envelope in terms of amateur film-making. The music in the film, primarily from Connecticut-based rock band 'The Rocking Dead', is carefully selected and blends well with the narrative, defining and redefining scenes at appropriate moments. The screenplay is tight and filled with both silent moments of deep reflection and sudden bursts of emotion, illustrating the growth and strain on the relationship between Mickey and Ben.

The Battery, despite its modest budget and independent status, manages to be a stirring, convincing, and essential entry in the zombie genre. It's a testament to excellent filmmaking that it not only serves to entertain with the horror tropes but simultaneously raises intriguing existential questions about the essence of humanity and companionship amidst catastrophic circumstances.