Variant

Director - Joe Meredith (South Mill District, Teratomorph)

Starring - Ceus Rob (Death Files, Slimoid), Cidney Meredith (South Mill District, Teratomorph), and Toby Johansen (Backyard Vampire, Hacksaw: Documentary of a Psycho Killer)

Release Date - 20202

Genre - Horror/Sci-Fi

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Sometime last year I started looking into the films of Joe Meredith.  I picked the name up from his connection to a few films from James Bell and was lucky enough to meet him and his wife Cidney at Cinema Wasteland.  His films are unique but deliver a very immersive horror experience.  His South Mill District and Teratomorph are oozy horror/sci-fi hybrids that I would highly recommend to indie horror and extreme horror fans alike.  The gore may be the centerpiece of the film but both films offer up a coherent story that most extreme horror films lack.  When Joe announced his newest film Variant, aka Zombie 8: Variant, I couldn't wait to check it out.  Sometime last week Joe reached out to me to check it out and I couldn't say yes fast enough.  Thanks Joe for allowing Horror Society and myself the opportunity to check it out.

     The film once again follows EonCorp who is secretly running experiments on aliens and alien bacteria when one of their embryos is stolen by a former solider with an even more sinister plan.

     Joe Meredith is a talented filmmaker.  His movies have a unique tone and setting that puts me in mid of the mid-90s S.O.V. horror mixed with the dark and surreal images that you can find in underground horror.  He puts a lot of time into his shots and it shows.  His films definitely stand out when you compare him to his counterparts.  Variant is another strange foray into the EonCorp saga and I can't wait for more of this!  The acting in this one is solid for the film.  The cast is dedicated and give the film their all but inexperience does show from time to time.  The characters are not ones that stand out or are that memorable but they fit the film and the cast does a decent job moving the story along.  The story for this one is bloody and fun.  It's nothing overly critical or requires that much attention but it works nicely to hold all the gory scenes together.  I typically avoid extreme horror films because they spend way too much time and energy on gore or torture scenes with no story.  I love gore just as much as the next horror fan but gore for gore's sake is rather boring.  Variant delivers a solid story that fits very well with the imagery Joe gives us.  Finally, if you want some blood and other disgusting images then this film is for you.  We get some great practical effects that look even better with that S.O.V. look that Joe was going for.  Fans of bloody horror will love what this film delivers.  Overall, Variant is another fantastic horror film from Joe.  Honestly, if you are a fan of indie horror then you need to be looking up Joe's work.  It's bloody and raw with no bullshit.  It gets straight to the point and delivers.  Variant is another hit from this talented young man so check it out!