Patient Zero is a Horror Movie by Stefan Ruzowitzky.
A strain of rabies that began in dogs has managed to jump species to humans. A strain whose rapid spread was aided by its mere 90 second infection to transformation time. In the end 7 billion humans are either dead, or infected.
In an underground bunker in an undisclosed location, a few remnants of humanity have taken shelter with the help of what now remains of the military. They've been capturing infected and interrogating them in hopes of finding Patient Zero, the first person ever to have this new strain, in the hopes of synthesizing a cure from their blood. Now, normally, interrogating an infected isn't doable, since infection seems to have reduced their language to feral growling and shrieking. The trick is that all of the infected are interrogated by Morgan (Matt Smith), a man who was bitten during the initial outbreak, but didn't turn. The bite DID however, allow him the ability to communicate with the infected.
So, with Morgan's help, the military scientist Dr. Gina Rose (Natalie Dormer) is trying to narrow down the location of where patient zero might be. However, things get complicated when an unusually intelligent infected (Stanley Tucci) is found and brought into the bunker.
The movie was released on August 14th, 2018.
Patient Zero contains examples of:
- Abhorrent Admirer: Col. Knox is a misogynistic and borderline psychotic creep who does a very poor job of hiding his twisted attraction for Gina.
- Air-Vent Passageway: Used more realistically (and terrifyingly) than most examples. Air vents are not designed to support the weight of a human body, let alone three human bodies trying to escape from a multitude that are pursuing them along same passageway.
- Alternate History: Dates in the security footage reveal that the movie is set in April of 2017.
- An Arm and a Leg: After being bitten by "Pete Townshend", Scooter is taken to an infirmary to have the bitten arm amputated. Sadly, they didn't get it off in time.
- Bittersweet Ending: The bunker is overrun by infected who kill most everyone in there, but Morgan and Gina have survived and escaped to continue the hunt for patient zero, as well as care for their unborn child.
- Cannot Tell a Lie: Every infected Morgan interrogates has this as a weakness. The Professor implies that he is an exception, but it is likely he was just messing with Morgan's head (it is never proven either way).
- Dirty Coward: After the base is overrun by infected, Knox guns down his commanding officer to save his own skin (and that of Gina, but for entirely dishonourable reasons). It very quickly comes back to bite him.
- Flashback: A number of these are shown in the movie, relaying Morgan's and the Professor's lives before the outbreak, and the Professor killing his family after he became infected.
- Hannibal Lecture: The Professor gives one to Morgan during his interrogation, essentially arguing that the infected represent an Evolution Power-Up for the human species. Morgan does not take this well.
- The Immune: Morgan has the virus in his system, but didn't turn into an infected like the others. Having the virus in his system does however let him communicate with the infected.
- Lack of Empathy: This is the infected's hat in spades. The exemplar of this is when The Professor, without a shred of remorse, gives an extremely graphic account of how he murdered his own family, and stating after that just because he did that does not mean he did not love them. The terrifying thing is, given what we know about the infected, he is in all probability, not lying.
- "Not So Different" Remark: What The Professor says to Morgan after successfully goading him into an attack.
- Off-into-the-Distance Ending: At the end of the movie, Morgan and Gina ride off into the distance on a motorcycle.
- Playing Possum: When some soldiers are checking dead bodies in the crematorium, one of them is revealed to have been doing this when he jumps up and attacks.
- Shipped in Shackles: Every infected human is brought to the interrogation room with their hands behind their back, a rope around their neck, and a device that holds their mouths open.
- Shrine to the Fallen: One of the hallways in the bunker is lined with names of people who lost their lives.
- Technically-Living Zombie: The infected are humans who contracted a mutant strain of rabies. As such, they can run, communicate in their own language, and formulate plans.
- Tracking Device: A tracking device is discovered in "Pete Townshend".
