“At its best/worst, ‘Zombie Wells’ hallucinatory idiocy inspires open-mouthed horror at what happens when an ill-conceived premise leads to an even more jaw-droppingly misguided execution.” – Bruce Bayerson, Trinity Bay Journal
“The kid in front of me at the theatre spent most of the movie playing Tetris on his phone. I didn’t care enough about the movie to ask him to stop or find a cooler game to play.” – Reece Rhyder, The Houston Times
The Bottom Line
A bone-chilling thriller that proves that if you mess with republican energy policies, the ground will literally come back to haunt you.
Director-Screenwriter
Jique Frindella
Cast
Michael Sheen, Bella Thorne, and special guest Rachel Notley
Abandoned oil wells in the quiet area of Trinity Bay, Texas rise as vengeful, sentient monsters, targeting Democrats responsible for their shutdown through recent energy policies. As they terrorize South Texas, survivors uncover a dark political secret. Battling the wells, they realize some threats never truly die, only lie dormant, waiting for the next policy mistake.
From the same Jique Frindella who brought Frack No More to straight to Betamax in 2013 – his only cinematic credit – this time around his focus is not on fracking, but on abandoned wells. The former 7-11 manager channels his inner fear of dealing with drunks at 3am on a daily basis to bring us a chiller that will have you dropping your 64 oz Big Gulp and chilli cheese dog and running for your mother.
Frindella’s “Zombie Wells: The Partisan Plague of Trinity Bay” breathes new life into the horror genre with a cast as impressive as its concept, transforming the familiar landscape of Texas oil fields into a terrifying battleground. The film stars Michael Sheen as Ben Derkson, a former oil industry insider turned environmental activist who must face his past when abandoned oil wells rise from the depths, seeking revenge against those responsible for their demise.
Ben is reluctantly joined by Amanda Poker, played by Bella Thorne, a passionate but skeptical energy journalist who provides a sharp contrast to his brooding cynicism. As they navigate the chaos unfolding across Houston and South Texas, their chemistry adds moments of tension and reluctant camaraderie, bringing humour and humanity to the story.
The real standout, however, is former Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley as Red Eagle Wildcat, the lead zombie oil well. Commanding an army of abandoned wells, Red Eagle Wildcat is a formidable and surprisingly charismatic villain, directing her rusting minions with both fury and cunning. Her performance is a chilling blend of power and eerie grace, giving these monstrous wells a voice that’s both haunting and strangely empathetic.
“With 2013’s ‘Frack No More,’ I was told that I got people on the edge of their chesterfields, but with ‘Zombie Wells’ my goal is to get them jumping out of their couches and running for cover, slowly peaking around every corner in their home before the make the turn. I’d say the star of the show was rachel Notley, who played the lead abandoned well, because she saved the producers over $5000 in make-up costs over the course of 2 months of filming – she’s a natural, I’ll tell ya.” – Jique Frindella, director
The film follows the eerie resurrection of abandoned oil wells in Trinity Bay, Texas, but with a sinister twist – these monstrous wells have a singular target: Democrats. Fuelled by a vengeful rage against those whose energy policies led to their demise over the past four years, the wells embark on a relentless quest to terrorize residents with a progressive stance.
The concept is as audacious as it is terrifying. These abandoned wells aren’t just mindless zombies; they represent a bygone era of fossil fuel dominance and a disdain for the shifting tides of green energy. Each well embodies a unique personality, and as they uproot themselves, their rusty, serpentine pipes and gushing crude oil seem almost sentient, moving with purpose across Houston and South Texas, singling out those who advocated for renewable energy.
The visual effects are stunning, capturing the grotesque imagery of wells uprooting and slithering across Texas, while the sound design amplifies the fear with creaks, groans, and ghostly echoes. The political undertones are unmistakable, and the film isn’t shy about pointing fingers at decades of poor policy decisions. It’s a bold, satirical commentary on the consequences of neglecting the past in the rush toward a greener future.
In closing, I’d like to say that the movie had potential, but with a $11,750 budget and filmed entirely with a 37 year-old Sony DCR-TRV130 camcorder, its falls well below our threshold of entertainment value and dives squarely into file 13.
2P News gives this film 0.2 out of 10 stars.