Tribal: Get Out Alive Review: Martial Arts Action Meets Zombie Horror . . . With A Fist

Release date: August 10, 2020
Running time: 86 minutes
Starring: Zara Phythian, Ross O'Hennessy, Rachel Warren

Elite military operative Caitlin Ross (Phythian) retires from service after suffering from PTSD. Along with former team member and close friend Brad Johnson (O'Hennessy), they opted for the "easy life" and now run a small security firm. The company are hired by young, troublesome millionaire Richard Kenning (Thomas Dodd) to clear and secure the land and property he has recently inherited. Rumours and stories surrounding the land and buildings are dismissed until people start disappearing and the team end up locked in with no escape. It soon becomes apparent they are being hunted and the race is on to get out alive.

I didn't really know what to expect but given the inclusion of Phythian and O'Hennessy, I figured this movie would be an out and out action fest.  And although the action is quite good, this movie is first and foremost a horror thriller.  The film has a few action scenes at the start, but when it really gets moving, the film is slowly paced to build the suspense.  Details are revealed gradually and characters disappear as you try and figure out what is going on. All this setup lets you get a chance to learn about the various characters in the film.  And one thing you will notice about this is the great diversity in the cast.  This seems to be something that Evolutionary Films does very well and Tribal Get Out Alive is no different.  The main character (and best fighter) is a female and you have several prominent female and minority characters round out the cast.  It really is nice to see movies (including the fun I Am Vengeance: Retaliation) that aren't afraid to give females prominent roles, and make them badass fighters as well.  

Tribal is equal parts horror at the start and action after.  The film starts off as a horror movie, establishing a good sense of dread and introducing enough scenarios to break up a fairly large team.  But the beauty of this film is that this horror turns to action as the team finds out more about what is going on.  And when the action does start, it is quite good.  As expected from a director who has a background in stunts, the film does a great job creating believable and varied fight sequences.  This mix of horror and action is reminiscent of Resident Evil, except Tribal did a better job of establishing the horror side of it.  However, although Tribal has a lot going on, there are a few nits about the movie.  There is inconsistent acting in the film.  The leads are believable and surprisingly good actors, but some of the teammembers are more difficult to find convincing.  And along with that, there is inconsistent emotion.  In one scene a person dies and no one bats an eye, then later a person dies and one of the team members is devastated.  But overall, Tribal is a movie that knows what it wants to do.  It sets up a suspenseful super enemy, then piles on the action to resolve it.  It is a fun film to check out during quarantine.  If a movie with equal parts action and horror sounds intriguing to you, then make sure to check this one out.  

Tribal is equal parts action and horror, with a tough, diverse cast of characters in some seriously entertaining fights.  Don't get out, stay in and watch this enjoyable film!

Rent it.

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