For fans of Demolition Ranch/Off The Ranch, you are going to recognize Matt and Hickock45. They had teased this zombie movie some time ago, and now it is out. Strain 100 has a simple, straight forward premise. A woman is in a car accident and when she wakes up, people are snacking on people.
My first thought as I watched the first few minutes was surprise. I was honestly not expecting the level of cinematography. A part of me was assuming this was going to be college movie project quality. So it was a pleasant surprise how good the cinematography was. Unfortunately, the professional quality of the cinematography didn’t carry over to the special effects. They might have had a high quality camera but that didn’t leave much money left over for special effects. The blood squirts are B- to straight B quality at best.
Time to Run
After a brief into where a scientist panics and tells her daughter Jesse to get someplace safe and hold up. The next thing we see is how Jesse ends up on the side of the road. Literally, we see her in her car which is on its side, on the road.
Jesse’s girlfriend, who she was trying to save after the girl was bitten at camp, has turned. This leads to a nice bit of gore in the car as Jesse is forced to kill her first Zombie. I guess her friend was still “fresh” enough to have a lot of liquid blood on board.
As she runs, we get the obligatory, kid zombie scene as well. It is just a random scene inserted for fun before Jesse finds her way into a strangers house.
Inside the house Jesse listens to a stranger’s voicemails? This made me think it was her house at first – because why else listen to them? But it turns out its just the first house she found with an unlocked door.
After Jesse listens to the voicemails she wanders deeper into the house. She slips on a massive puddle of blood which leads us to Jesse’s second zombie kill. It was an over the top, covered in blood kill.
Emma
With the Zombie killed, Emma, who has been hiding in the closet, decides to pop out now that its safe. Emma is apparently a combination waitress and EMT. She challenges Jesse about her bite wound. Emma doesn’t understand how Jesse has been bitten, and not showing signs of turning.
This leads to a common trope in Zombie Movies. Let’s not tell anyone else about the bite! I’m sorry, if I see people eating people and your bitten, I might let you live, but your going to have handcuffs on and a hockey mask/motorcycle helmet until I’m 100% sure your not going to turn.
With questionable decisions made Emma leads Jesse to the diner, and the small group of survivors holed up there. The survivors are the classic mix of individuals. We have the bossy gun toting owner of the diner, the old male chauvinist and his wife, the trash talker, and the nice guy.
When the generator at the diner goes out we see Roy, the owner with his back to the dark, talking loudly as he’s trying to get the generator going, which predictable results. The remaining survivors split up, with Jesse driving away with the group who wants to live while the old man and his wife decide to end things. It’s not super clear if the younger girl who stayed behind also did herself? There were three of them, and only two bullets after all.
Atlanta
On the way to Atlanta, Emma finds her sister, and her niece, but her niece didn’t make it, which results in Emma and her Sister giving up. I get what they were going for, showing how brutal live would be, but at the same time, these scenes felt a little forced.
This leads the dwindling group to seek supplies at a quickie mart, where Brandon quickly gets overrun. Again, I think I know what they were going for, but I felt like Brandon was smart enough to tap on the windows before going into the store?
On the way to the brother and sister’s family the car dies, which leads to an act of bravery as the sister’s brother makes a run for it to distract the zombies. Thankfully the older brother is fast and makes it to a truck that luckily has the keys in the ignition. This leads to a ridiculous bit of redneck shooting as a father and his two grown children decide they have to save the truck by shooting at it?
In the Uncle’s barn, we find that he’s maybe not the nice guy the survivors were hoping as he tells Jesse and the little girl that its time to receive “The Blessing”.
Following another played out trope, the Uncle isn’t really the Uncle, and he’s not interested in helping the girls. As he’s prepping what looks like a bomb the little girl’s brother creates a distraction by driving over mines? Why the hell does the vehicle got explosions around it?
The brother rescues the girls, but he’s been shot and dies along with the truck. No, it’s not really explained why the girls end up walking after he bites the big one.
Hickock45
As the girls are walking along the road they are swarmed by Zombies, which is when Hickock45 shows up to the save the day. I feel like the directors at this point knew this was a dud, and tried to leverage a few YouTube stars to try and guarantee that at least their viewers would buy/rent the movie.
The whole Hickock45 and Matt from Demo Ranch felt completely shoehorned into the movie, and while fans of their channels might want to see Strain 100 just for that reason, I have to be honest with you that it’s a little painful to watch. I love Hickock45 and Matt, but their scenes in Strain 100 didn’t really add anything to the story and felt very forced.
As Jesse and her ward go to leave Hickock45s house, we find out that Grace, the kid, was bitten. This leads to the obligatory scene where Jesse has to put the kid down and bury her by the side of the road, complete with a little stick cross.
Strain 100 ends with Jesse reaching Atlanta, where she meets up with a gun toting security guard badass. The security guard apparently brings Jesse inside to watch her moms final recording. Her mom has known her daughter has some super human immunity, and with the package she gave Tory, the security guard, she believes there might be hope for humanity.
The movie just kind of suddenly ends with Tori driving Jesse away on a motorcycle as she blasts away at Zombies, taking Jesse to another lab in Washington which leads to a WTF ending where Skynet is distributing the cure made from Jesse’s blood.
Strain 100 Score
Strain 100 earned a score of 42/100, putting it in the Rainy Day Movie Category. The first thirty minutes of Strain 100 were on track to earn a score in the low 70’s but the scenes at the diner cost the movie a few points and then things quickly went downhill from there. The other issue with the movie is the general atmosphere. The acting was B+ but the dialogue was often a little hokey and peoples reactions didn’t quite fit the gravity of the situation. Everyone seems a little too relaxed after having seen multiple people get attacked, eaten, and bitten. The other issue I had was the whole religion/reason for the Zombie Apocalypse. It’s been done in a ton of other movies, and quite frankly, done better.
In the end Strain 100 doesn’t really break any new ground. It suffers from feeling like someone watched a bunch of other zombie movies and tried to write a movie script using what they thought were the best parts of those movies, but everything doesn’t quite feel like it fits together smoothly, or at all. There are a lot of jagged edges to the story, and the atmosphere never quite feels right for the Apocalypse. If your going to watch Strain 100, save it for a rainy day when your having a few drinks.
| Review | Year | Score | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zombieland | 2010 | 100 | Comedy / Action |
| Train To Busan | 2016 | 100 | Action / Infection |
| 28 Days Later | 2002 | 100 | Action / Infection |
| World War Z | 2013 | 100 | Action / Infection |
| Night Of The Living Dead | 1968 | 100 | Action / Horror / Classics |
| Dawn Of The Dead | 1978 | 100 | Action / Horror / Classics |
| #Alive | 2020 | 100 | Action / Infection |
| Serenity | 2005 | 99 | Action / Sci-Fi |
| Flesh And Blood | 2018 | 99 | Shorts |
| The Girl With All The Gifts | 2016 | 95 | Action / Infection |
| Land Of The Dead | 2005 | 94 | Action / Horror |
| Resident Evil: Apocalypse | 2004 | 93 | Action / Infection |
| Resident Evil | 2002 | 92 | Action / Infection |
| Rampant | 2018 | 91 | Action / Infection / Mid Evil |
| Day of the Dead | 2008 | 90 | Action / Infection |
| Cooties | 2014 | 89 | Comedy / Action |
| Night of the Comet | 1984 | 85 | Comedy / Action |
| The Return of the Living Dead | 1985 | 85 | Comedy / Action |
| Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula | 2020 | 84 | Action / Infection |
| Zombieland: Double Tap | 2019 | 83 | Comedy / Action |
| Fido | 2006 | 82 | Comedy / Action |
| Shaun Of The Dead | 2004 | 81 | Comedy / Action |
| 28 Weeks Later | 2007 | 80 | Action / Infection |
| I Am Legend (2007) | 2007 | 80 | Action / Infection |
| The Evil Dead | 1981 | 80 | Classic / Action |
| Zombie | 1979 | 80 | Action / Horror |
| Overlord | 2018 | 79 | Action / Horror |
| It Stains The Sands Red | 2016 | 79 | Action / Infection |
| Infection | 2019 | 79 | Action / Infection |
| Plan Z | 2016 | 78 | Action / Infection |
| A Little Bit Zombie | 2012 | 78 | Comedy / Action |
| Dead Rising: Endgame | 2016 | 77 | Action / Infection |
| Day of the Dead | 1985 | 77 | Action / Horror / Classics |
| Wyrmwood: Apocalypse | 2021 | 77 | Action / Infection |
| The Dead | 2010 | 76 | Action / Infection |
| Freaks of Nature | 2015 | 76 | Comedy / Action |
| Here Alone | 2016 | 75 | Suspense / Infection |
| Cockneys Vs. Zombies | 2012 | 75 | Comedy / Action |
| Shed of the Dead | 2019 | 74 | Comedy / Action |
| The Battery | 2012 | 74 | Drama / Infection |
| State of Emergency | 2011 | 73 | Action / Infection |
| Survival Of The Dead | 2009 | 73 | Action / Horror |
| Alone | 2020 | 73 | Action / Infection |
| The Rezort | 2015 | 72 | Action / Infection |
| Dance of the Dead | 2008 | 72 | Comedy / Action |
| Dawning of the Dead | 2017 | 72 | Action / Infection |
| Remains | 2011 | 72 | Action / Infection |
| Daylight's End | 2016 | 71 | Action / Infection |
| Witness Infection | 2021 | 71 | Comedy / Action |
| The Army of the Dead | 2021 | 71 | Action / Infection |
| The Dead 2: India | 2015 | 70 | Action / Infection |
| Zombie Hunter | 2013 | 70 | Action / Infection |
| Dead Rising: Watchtower | 2015 | 70 | Action / Infection |
| Zombie Night | 2013 | 70 | Action / Infection |
| For A Few Zombies More | 2015 | 70 | Action / Infection |
| Night of the Living Deb | 2015 | 70 | Comedy / Romance |
| Resident Evil: Afterlife | 2010 | 70 | Action / Infection |
| Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse | 2015 | 70 | Comedy / Action |
| Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead | 2014 | 70 | Action / Infection |
| The Valley Of The Dead | 2021 | 70 | Horror / Infection |
| Bird Box | 2018 | 69 | Action / Horror / Possession |
| Exit Humanity | 2011 | 69 | Action / Infection |
| Among The Living | 2022 | 69 | Suspense / Horror |
| Ravenous | 2017 | 68 | Action / Infection |
| Blood Quantum | 2019 | 68 | Action / Infection |
| Republic Z | 2018 | 68 | Action / Comedy |
| The Night Eats The World | 2018 | 67 | Suspense / Infection |
| Forget Everything And Run (F.E.A.R.) | 2021 | 67 | Suspense / Horror |
| Quarantine | 2008 | 67 | Infection / Horror |
| Trench 11 | 2017 | 66 | Action / Horror |
| Cargo | 2017 | 66 | Suspense / Infection |
| How To Kill A Zombie | 2014 | 66 | Action / Comedy |
| Ultimate Zombie Feast | 2020 | 66 | Shorts/ Action |
| Zoombies | 2016 | 65 | Awesomely Bad |
| Zombie Town | 2007 | 65 | Action / Horror |
| Dead County | 2021 | 65 | Drama / Horror |
| Zombie Apocalypse | 2011 | 64 | Action / Infection |
| Quarantine 2 | 2011 | 64 | Action / Infection |
| The End? | 2017 | 64 | Horror / Infection |
| Red Spring | 2017 | 63 | Action / Infection |
| Resident Evil: Extinction | 2007 | 62 | Action / Infection |
| Virus:32 | 2022 | 62 | Horror / Infection |
| Resident Evil Retribution | 2012 | 61 | Action / Infection |
| Resident Evil: The Final Chapter | 2016 | 60 | Action / Infection |
| Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead | 2023 | 60 | Comedy / Action |
| Life After Beth | 2014 | 59 | Comedy / Action |
| Diary Of The Dead | 2007 | 58 | Action / Horror |
| Revelation Trail | 2013 | 57 | Action / Horror |
| My Mates vs. The Zombie Apocalypse | 2015 | 56 | Comedy / Action |
| Eat Brains Love | 2019 | 56 | Comedy / Horror |
| Anna And The Apocalypse | 2017 | 55 | Musical / Infection |
| Deadsight | 2018 | 55 | Suspense / Infection |
| Bong of the Living Dead | 2017 | 54 | Action / Infection |
| Amigo Undead | 2015 | 54 | Comedy / Horror |
| The Dead Undead | 2010 | 53 | Action / Infection |
| Black Friday | 2021 | 53 | Action / Horror |
| Deadheads | 2011 | 52 | Comedy / Romance |
| Redcon-1 | 2018 | 52 | Action / Horror |
| Day of the Dead: Bloodline | 2018 | 51 | Action / Infection |
| Dead Don't Die in Dallas | 2019 | 51 | Action / Infection / LGBTQ |
| Disaster L.A. | 2014 | 50 | Action |
| Road Wars | 2015 | 50 | Action / Infection |
| Within the Woods of Undead County | 2016 | 49 | Action / Infection |
| Zombie Strippers! | 2008 | 49 | Horror / Comedy |
| I Am Alone | 2015 | 48 | Action / Infection |
| Rise of The Zombies | 2012 | 48 | Action / Infection |
| Day Zero | 2023 | 48 | Horror / Infection |
| Valentine DayZ | 2018 | 47 | Action / Infection / Awesomely Bad |
| Savageland | 2015 | 46 | Horror / Drama |
| Lethal Virus | 2021 | 46 | Action / Horror |
| Infected | 2019 | 45 | Shorts |
| Zombie Warz: Falls The Shadow | 2011 | 45 | Action / Horror |
| Block Z | 2020 | 44 | Action / Infection |
| Bridge of the Doomed | 2022 | 44 | Horror / Infection |
| The Dead Don't Die | 2019 | 43 | Spoof / Drama |
| Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City | 2021 | 43 | Action / Horror |
| Strain 100 | 2020 | 42 | Action / Infection |
| The Plague | 2006 | 42 | Action / Horror |
| When the Fever Breaks | 2019 | 41 | Suspense / Infection |
| Before Dawn | 2013 | 41 | Drama / Action |
| Infected | 2021 | 41 | Action / Horror |
| Hostile | 2017 | 40 | Action / Infection |
| Zombie Undead | 2010 | 40 | Action / Infection |
| Dead Before Down | 2012 | 39 | Horror / Supernatural |
| Gangs Of The Dead | 2006 | 38 | Action / Infection |
| Zombies | 2017 | 37 | Action / Infection |
| American Zombieland | 2020 | 36 | Comedy / Infection |
| Another World | 2014 | 35 | Action / Infection |
| Deadlocked | 2020 | 35 | Action / Infection |
| Dead Trigger | 2017 | 35 | Action / Infection |
| Zombie Diaries 2 | 2011 | 35 | Action / Infection |
| Cannon Fodder / Battle Of The Undead | 2013 | 35 | Action / Horror |
| KL24: Zombies | 2017 | 34 | Action / Infection |
| Evilution | 2009 | 34 | Action / Horror |
| Antisocial 2 | 2015 | 33 | Action / Infection |
| Re-Elected | 2020 | 33 | Comedy / Suspense |
| Antisocial | 2013 | 32 | Action / Infection |
| Aquarium of the Dead | 2021 | 32 | Comedy / Horror |
| Dead 7 | 2016 | 31 | Action / Infection |
| By Day's End | 2020 | 31 | Suspense / Infection |
| Pandemic | 2016 | 30 | Action / Infection |
| Attack of the Southern Fried Zombies | 2017 | 29 | Comedy / Action |
| Zombie Hood | 2013 | 28 | Action / Infection |
| The Dustwalker | 2019 | 27 | Action / Parasite |
| Day of the Dead 2: Contagium | 2005 | 26 | Action / Infection |
| Anger Of The Dead | 2015 | 25 | Action / Infection |
| Solar Impact | 2019 | 25 | Action / Horror |
| The Last Hope | 2017 | 24 | Action / Infection |
| The Day of the Living Dead | 2014 | 23 | Drama / Detective |
| Zombie Road | 2018 | 22 | Shorts |
| Zombie Wars | 2007 | 21 | Action / Infection |
| Last Rites Of The Dead | 2019 | 20 | Drama / Thriller |
| Army of Thieves | 2021 | 20 | Heist / Horror |
| The Mad | 2007 | 19 | Comedy / Infection |
| The Living Dead | 2020 | 18 | Horror / Drama |
| Zone of the Dead | 2009 | 17 | Action / Infection |
| Killer Weekend | 2018 | 16 | Comedy / Not Zombies |
| G Zombie | 2021 | 15 | Drama / Infection |
| Quarantine L.A. | 2013 | 14 | Action / Infection |
| Driven | 2020 | 13 | Drama / Suspense |
| The Hive | 2014 | 12 | Demonic Possession / Horror |
| The Horde | 2016 | 11 | Action / Gore |
| The Last Starship | 2017 | 10 | Action / Infection |
| Rebirth | 2020 | 10 | Action / Horror |
| Rise of the Zombie | 2013 | 9 | Drama / Action |
| Rising Undead / Rise of the Undead | 2005 | 9 | Action / Horror |
| Flu | 2013 | 8 | Infection / Not Zombies |
| Plague | 2014 | 8 | Suspense / Drama |
| Red Days | 2016 | 7 | Action / Infection |
| The Returned | 2013 | 6 | Drama / Romance |
| Apocalypse Nerds | 2012 | 5 | Comedy / Action |
| Zombie with a Shotgun | 2019 | 4 | Infection / Drama |
| Soon Enough | 2018 | 3 | Action / Drama |
| Range 15 | 2016 | 2 | Comedy / Action |
| Army of the Dead | 2008 | 2 | Action / Horror |
| Eyes Of The Dead | 2015 | 1 | Action / Infection |
| Pandemic | 2009 | 1 | Drama / Action |
| Nazi Undead | 2018 | 1 | Paranormal / Horror |
| Dead End | 2003 | 0 | Horror / Thriller |
| Broadcast Dead | 2018 | 0 | Horror / Thriller |
| Afflicted | 2013 | 0 | Drama / Infection |
| Carriers | 2009 | 0 | Drama / Not Zombies |
| Curse of the Blind Dead | 2020 | 0 | Horror / Not Zombies |
| All My Friends Are Dead | 2021 | 0 | Horror / Not Zombies |
