This shares a title with the acclaimed French film/television series 'The Returned', but other than that, these projects are not connected.This picture works on many levels: it is about the lengths people will go to to protect themselves, about fear, stigma, about hopelessness – and about dead eyed zombies eating people. In a climate where Living Dead films have flooded the market, it is to be applauded when a project attempts to try something different with the genre.In a post-zombie environment, a serum 'The Return Protein' has been developed which – if administered in time – will allow any infected person to live a normal existence, provided they inject the drug daily for the rest of their lives. This, of course, costs a great deal of money, which causes resentment and protest among 'normal people'. Thus, with this film, being bitten could be a metaphor for many present day prejudices, and works very well with that in mind.Kate (Emily Hampshire) and Alex (Kris Holden-Reid) are living with the disease, as Alex is 'a returned'. As such, he faces stigma and hatred on a daily basis. As supplies of the protein become scarce, his life is also the subject of much envy from others. Even his best friend Jacob (an excellent tortured performance from Shawn Doyle) is so afraid of losing his partner Amber (Claudia Bassols), he is driven to take measures that not only betray his friend, but also prove to be utterly futile.The desperation of human kind, and the control money has over peoples' lives are the real monsters here. Actual zombies are featured so infrequently, there are times when 'The Returned' seems to dissolve into a series of endless, intense conversations. But the viewer is advised to stay with this, because the build-up to the finale is edge-of-the-seat stuff. Although the ending appears to provide closure of sorts, the very human desire for revenge means that the story is far from over even as the credits role.

The premise of this movie is that people infected with the zombie virus can keep their zombie-like predilections at bay by daily injections of a super-drug. The drug is in short supply and people are getting jittery. This is where the zombie element of the movie begins and ends.This isn't The Walking Dead or The day of the Dead. it is essentially a film about AIDS. The zombie infection is a none too subtle metaphor for the paranoia that gripped the world back in the 80s, when AIDS sufferers were feared and shunned in equal measures.If you are expecting a 'brains, nom nom' type of zombie film, you'll be disappointed. If you can deal with a parable about a dark period in our human evolution you might enjoy it.And try as I might, I could not get Chris Martin out of my mind every time the lead character was on screen. :)

Why You Might Like It: The premise really makes the movie and it is an interesting take on the whole zombie apocalypse theme. Essentially, there is a cure for being a zombie that can return you back to being a human if used daily, but the supply is running out. Although most of the cast aren't headliners, the acting is actually pretty solid and doesn't take away from the movie. I thought the directing and other technical aspects of the film were also well done. I was surprised by the movie and thought it was an interesting and entertaining watch.Why You Might Not Like It: This movie isn't so much about zombies as it about the idea of a shortage of the cure. If you are expected a movie with zombies running around everywhere, then this won't provide that for you. Again, it really is more of a drama than a horror/thriller movie. There are also a few small plot holes that you might catch if you pay attention, which might be a problem for some viewers.Acting/Casting: 6* Directing/Cinematography/Technical: 6*Plot/Characters: 7* Entertainment Value: 6.5* Total - 6+6+7+6 = 25/4 = 6.375*

If you enjoy watching paint dry than this movie is for you. There was nothing entertaining that happened during the entire movie. I kept waiting for something to happen and besides the Canadian scenery nothing did. It's impossible to care about any of the characters and I kept wondering why this doctor would destroy her life for a music teacher loser. The concept was interesting but the execution was a complete failure. As seen with the Walking Dead, 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later you can add drama to a zombie story and make it successful. It was not funny, dramatic, sad, scary, or anything that makes a movie entertaining. Watch Odd Thomas, not great, but entertaining.