Carter (2022): A Review

Martial Arts and Zombies

Carter follows a man thrown straight into a dangerous mission with none of his memories intact. This man must escape death while trying to figure out who he is, how he ended up here, and who is the mysterious voice in his ear calling him “Carter”?

This movie is a lot. There is a good amount of action, it is fast paced, and tells a very compelling story. This is a plain fun popcorn movie. The runtime is two hours and while it does drag a little bit, for the most part it needs the runtime to comfortably set up all the action and conflict.

Joo Won absolutely crushes the role of Carter. You really believe that this man woke up in a crazy situation and is in the wrong place at the wrong time. He also has to carry a lot of the movie and I hope he does more horror in the future.

The action is very over the top and extremely stylized, but it is a lot of fun. It reminded me a lot of the Uncharted game franchise. Due to this, it also feels a bit cartoony at times. However, that is not a bad thing because it fits with the over the top theme.

Carter has some great shooting techniques which should be the standard. The camerawork is unlike anything I have ever seen before. The way shots transition, how the cinematography is captured, and the angles covering the action are incredible. The editing stood out as well with a style that suits the overall aesthetic and look of the film.

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All of the fight scenes are incredible sequences. The director Jung Byung Gil and the martial arts director Kwon Gwi Deok both statements about wanting to show urgency with Carter’s situation by switching out one on one fights for several characters in dangerous situations at the same time and all the stunts are real action and no CGI.

It is clear that the extras and cast really knew martial arts. Nothing is cheated, but rather all the fighting looks real because it is. As a viewer even with no martial arts knowledge, you can feel the intensity. I do believe that you will enjoy Carter a lot more if you know anything about or practice martial arts.

The stunt work is definitely top notch as well. Everything is expertly crafted and it is apparent that a lot of care and thought was given to the action. The car chases, motorcycle chases, and every other stunt is executed perfectly. This should be the new baseline for all action movies.

This is a zombie film unique enough to stand out and the lore in Carter is interesting. There are elements and themes that have been visited before in other similar stories, but there are fresh plot points. Ultimately, the story is serviceable.

Carter is now streaming on Netflix. Check it out if you like zombies, action, or both.