Pontypool

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Pontypool

2009

1h 36m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

83%

Tomatometer

84 Reviews

68%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

When disc jockey Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie) reports to his basement radio station in the Canadian town of Pontypool, he thinks it's just another day at work. But when he hears reports of a virus that turns people into zombies, Mazzy barricades himself in the radio booth and tries to figure out a way to warn his listeners about the virus and its unlikely mode of transmission: the English language.

Critics Consensus

Witty and restrained but still taut and funny, this Pontypool is a different breed of low-budget zombie film.

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José Teodoro

Film Comment Magazine

03/27/2018

It's when our grasping for digestible concepts, clear causality, or anything resembling resolution is as thwarted as the characters' struggle to articulate or take action, that we're in the best position to absorb Pontypool's full impact.

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Stephen Farber

The Hollywood Reporter

12/17/2009

This low-budget picture is a little too claustrophobic, and it grows tedious. The ominous, overbearing musical score tries but fails to jack up the tension.

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Derek Malcolm

London Evening Standard

10/20/2009

3/5

An original take on genre movies of its kind.

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Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Sep 12

4/5

Pretty surprising that it took so long for someone to deliver a War of the Worlds-esque take on a zombie apocalypse, which succeeds fully thanks to Stephen McHattie.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

09/05/2023

3.5/4

A claustrophobic blend of high-concept scares and zombie terror.

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Emma Wolfe

SpookyAstronauts

05/11/2021

8/10

it has so many cool vibes to it... it's actually really clever.

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Ivan S

@RT87314986 Aug 3

This is a very weird movie. I didn't particularly enjoy it. The premise is very promising and has a lot to be unpacked and explored. Unfortunately, the movie doesn't expand on it, explain it or develop it. I was often left confused as to why characters are acting the way they are, if they are infected and how the virus spreads. The infection here spreads through word comprehension in the English language. Why just one language? Are all English-adjacent words affected? Is infection instant? Does it happen only in person? None of my questions were answered. The actors do a good enough job, I guess I expected this to be a different and better movie than what I experienced.

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Ollie W

@RT90619198 Aug 1

It made me feel deeply uncomfortable and unsettled. I did not enjoy this film. The premise was somewhat interesting but far-fetched. It was more unique than the average zombie film but also far less enjoyable. It is not convincing. The whole film takes place within a small radio recording studio. Some of the initial dialogue and character interactions are a bit odd.

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Derek T

@journalforyourself Jul 8

Really, really well written. I was so invested, felt like I was losing my mind along with the characters by the end of it. What a ride.

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Myer C

@MyerClarity Jan 21

You assholes couldn't find ONE French Canadian to do the voice of the Quebecois army broadcast? We're like six hours away... and you have internet c'mon Bruce

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agent s

@AgentSmart Dec 8

1 star for: language-as-virus concept 1 star for: McHattie’s voice doing 80% of the acting 1 star for: the claustrophobic radio booth 1 star for: the "kill is kiss" semantic twist 0 stars lost for: the slightly limp final beat

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Anthony M

@RT08300477 Dec 1

A tense, intelligent, little zombie movie that proves that in an age of CGI overblown productions, less is definitely more.

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Bruce McDonald

Director

Stephen McHattie

Grant Mazzy

Lisa Houle

Sydney Briar

Georgina Reilly

Laurel Ann

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Synopsis

When disc jockey Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie) reports to his basement radio station in the Canadian town of Pontypool, he thinks it's just another day at work. But when he hears reports of a virus that turns people into zombies, Mazzy barricades himself in the radio booth and tries to figure out a way to warn his listeners about the virus and its unlikely mode of transmission: the English language.

Director: Bruce McDonald
Producer: Jeffrey Coghlan
Screenwriter: Tony Burgess
Distributor: IFC Films
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 29, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 1, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.5K
Runtime: 1h 36m

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