Pontypool

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Pontypool

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

03/27/2018

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.

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Stephen Farber

The Hollywood Reporter

12/17/2009

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.

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Derek Malcolm

London Evening Standard

10/20/2009

3/5

An original take on genre movies of its kind.

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Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Sep 12

4/5

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.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

09/05/2023

3.5/4

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

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Emma Wolfe

SpookyAstronauts

05/11/2021

8/10

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

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Anthony M

Dec 1

A tense, intelligent, little zombie movie that proves that in an age of CGI overblown productions, less is definitely more.

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Jason H

Sep 15

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

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David W

Aug 2

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.

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S P

Jul 19

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.

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Gabriel T

Jun 25

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

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Lee B

May 12

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!

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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

Ken Loney

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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