Hell is Full (2010)

Review by Sean Patterson



The small Western Kentucky town of Madisonville is besieged by zombies, but how did the infection start? This is the premise of Hell is Full, a quite interesting low-budget movie from writer/director Steve Hudgins.
I'm a little torn over this review. You see, Madisonville is my home town and I know several of the people in this movie. Normally that would be more than enough reason for me to recuse myself, but the concept and execution is good enough to merit some comment from me. I'll compromise and keep the review short.
The story is told in pieces, working its way backwards and forwards in time. Think Memento, except not quite as easy to follow. This structure turns what could be a simple zombie movie into an interesting quest to find patient zero, zombie numero uno. Each piece of the story follows one character as they deal with their daily dramas and eventually become infected. As the pieces intertwine and eventually come together, it becomes clear that Hudgins was meticulous in working out all the details in the screenplay.
The piecemeal structure goes a long way toward hiding the movie's flaws. The acting in particular is hit or miss, as you would expect from small-town amateur actors. Not lingering on one character for too long helps the movie's pacing stay swift and keeps it from becoming too melodramatic. In general, the movie works and is genuinely funny in parts.
I'd also like to compliment the audio quality of the dialogue in the movie. Having seen many low-budget horror flicks, it's usually the case that the sound quality is terrible, which can sometimes make an otherwise entertaining movie nearly unwatchable. That's not the case with Hell is Full, and it's clear from the blooper reel that the production invested in at least one boom mic. I hereby declare that this is essential for any movie production.
It was fun for me to revel in a bit of nostalgia at seeing my hometown featured in a horror flick. My friends and I used a few of the same sets for our own short film back in High School. My freshman English teacher has one of the best parts in the movie. I can't be sure I'm not giving a biased review here, but Hell is Full surprised me with an interesting premise and by being well-directed. I wouldn't have bet that something this fresh and fun could come out of Madisonville, Kentucky.