Pontypool

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Pontypool

Released May 29, 2009

1h 36m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

83%

Tomatometer

84 Reviews

68%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

When disc jockey Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie) reports to his basement radio station in the Canadian town of Pontypool, he thinks it's just another day at work. But when he hears reports of a virus that turns people into zombies, Mazzy barricades himself in the radio booth and tries to figure out a way to warn his listeners about the virus and its unlikely mode of transmission: the English language.

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Critics Consensus

Witty and restrained but still taut and funny, this Pontypool is a different breed of low-budget zombie film.

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José Teodoro

Film Comment Magazine

It's when our grasping for digestible concepts, clear causality, or anything resembling resolution is as thwarted as the characters' struggle to articulate or take action, that we're in the best position to absorb Pontypool's full impact.

Mar 27, 2018

Full Review

Stephen Farber

The Hollywood Reporter

This low-budget picture is a little too claustrophobic, and it grows tedious. The ominous, overbearing musical score tries but fails to jack up the tension.

Dec 17, 2009

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Derek Malcolm

London Evening Standard

An original take on genre movies of its kind.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 20, 2009

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Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Pretty surprising that it took so long for someone to deliver a War of the Worlds-esque take on a zombie apocalypse, which succeeds fully thanks to Stephen McHattie.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 12, 2025

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

A claustrophobic blend of high-concept scares and zombie terror.

Rated: 3.5/4

Sep 5, 2023

Full Review

Emma Wolfe

SpookyAstronauts

it has so many cool vibes to it... it's actually really clever.

Rated: 8/10

May 11, 2021

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Jason H

Original, smart, scary, funny - and highly recommended.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/15/25

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David W

Mchattie is superb in this and holds the surprisingly high concept take on the genre together beautifully. A quirky, claustrophobic and fiercely indie feeling gem of movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/02/25

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S P

An important story with important and impactful underlying concepts that I earnestly believe everyone needs to watch and consider. Sort of like Severance on Apple TV.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/19/25

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Gabriel T

Despite its silly conception, the movie can be really effective. The soundproof room scene great be ause the danger is outside and inside at the same time. The way the infection spreads is frightening, you can't know what makes it pass on. Love the first death here. Really well done even low-budget constraints. On the negative side, I felt a bit of xenophobia against Arabs. The guy dressed as "Arab" holding a fake machine gun wasn't cool

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/26/25

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Lee B

Very cool take on the zombie/hoard genre. Cast did a great job. The suspense was there and very cool to have the view of an outbreak. While secluded in a radio station and getting your info from the callers. Also, this horror movie was based on an Audio infection. Which is really cool. I enjoyed it. Check it out if u have not yet!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/12/25

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Robson C

Em uma pequena cidade do Canadá, o radialista Grant Mazzy pensa que terá um dia normal de trabalho na rádio. Porém, acontecimentos estranhos vão se acumulando e Grant apenas narra o que acontece da sua cabine: as pessoas estão se transformando em uma espécie de zumbi. Depois que o gênero se estabeleceu, os filmes de zumbis ou mortos-vivos são obrigados a se reinventar ano após ano. Assim, antes os zumbis se arrastavam, agora correm. Em outros filmes, reagem a sons, como os alienígenas de Um Dia Silencioso. Neste filme, os zumbis também reagem a sons, pois eles perdem a visão. O que difere estes zumbis do resto dos outros é a forma como as pessoas são infectadas. Não vou dar spoiler porque acho que isso tira um pouco da graça de ver esse filme. Eu, porém, achei um pouco forçada essa ideia. Mas chega a ser interessante o motivo e uma das soluções, levando em conta que o filme se passa no Canadá. Toda a parte da infecção não me pegou, mas, de repente, pode haver quem ache a ideia interessante, até original.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/17/25

Full Review

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Bruce McDonald

Director

Stephen McHattie

Grant Mazzy

Lisa Houle

Sydney Briar

Georgina Reilly

Laurel Ann

Hrant Alianak

Dr. Mendez

Rick Roberts

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Synopsis

When disc jockey Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie) reports to his basement radio station in the Canadian town of Pontypool, he thinks it's just another day at work. But when he hears reports of a virus that turns people into zombies, Mazzy barricades himself in the radio booth and tries to figure out a way to warn his listeners about the virus and its unlikely mode of transmission: the English language.

Director: Bruce McDonald
Producer: Jeffrey Coghlan
Screenwriter: Tony Burgess
Distributor: IFC Films
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 29, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 1, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.5K
Runtime: 1h 36m