Cargo is a film that enters into the genres of horror and zombies, directed by Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke, based on the short film of the same title and premiered in October 2017. I do not really consider it very much within the horror genre, but more like a drama, since it does not focus entirely on gore, violence, nor horror, but rather on what a father has to do to find a safe place for his daughter before succumbing to the infection that affects him.
Cargo is about a family of three, Andy Rose (Martin Freeman), Kay Caine (Susie Porter) and Rosie (Natasha Wanganeen), in an Australia consumed by an infection that turns affected in cannibals in a period of approximately 48 hours, depending on the status of the carrier. This family has been kept alive since they have been sailing on a river on a boat with enough food, but due to the scarcity they have to start venturing to replenish themselves.
Andy, after seeing a partially sunken boat takes risks and enters, to his surprise is full of provisions of all kinds, even finds a bottle of wine that he hopes to share with his wife in a forthcoming celebration, but the doubt of a door between open forces him to leave as quickly as possible.
His wife takes the vigil while Andy sleeps with little Rosie, and while checking a toolbox she gets the bottle of wine along with a note from her husband, which makes her want to do something for him. Without notifying anyone, she enters the same boat and gets the perfect gift, a shaver, but before leaving, she is attacked.
Kay manages to escape, but with a serious wound, which forces them to seek help before she bleeds, but knowing that the end is inevitable, even if Andy tries hard to deny it. They venture in search of a car to arrive as quickly as possible to a hospital that appears on the map, but no matter how hard they try they cannot fight against the inevitable, Kay transforms and in a desperate act of Andy, he is bitten.
During the rest of the film, Andy crosses the plains of Australia trying to find someone who can take care of Rosie, for which only it has left 48 hours or less. It is an almost impossible mission, but here they show what a father would be willing to do to save his daughter's life.
It is really stressful and exasperating to watch the scenes go by, watch the time run and not be able to decipher if he will be able to achieve his goal.
It is a film without many dialogues, but the excellent performance of Martin Freeman forces you to empathize with his situation, one at times can lose hope, but his determination is indestructible, even if the ultimate sacrifice gets in the way.
