In a posh apartment building there seems to be more to a bizarre murder/suicide than first apparent. When this proves to be the case a scheme by an eccentric biology researcher to fund his project come to light and we see what led to the initial grisly murder. The resulting aftermath is even more horrifying.

David Cronenberg's first feature film has all the visceral themes of his early works and they are executed with a vengeance. Venturing far into dark and unsettling horror territory Cronenberg crafts a spiraling nightmare of zombie outbreak and promiscuous sex. The film is almost a prelude to the much revered "Dawn of the Dead" by George Romero as it shows the beginning of a zombie outbreak. It is also better and much richer in its story and horror metaphor though the characterizations are slightly more shallow than in "Dawn of the Dead." But the presentation of the irrational horror and unsettling gore is at least on par with "Dawn," despite this film's many obvious limitations.

That makes for a must see for horror fans and this is a great first film from a great director. 9/10

Rated R for graphic violence and gore