In an isolated village in the Quebecois hinterlands, an unidentified contagion is spreading, causing those infected to mutate into zombies who subsequently attack their loved ones. A handful of survivors sets out into the surrounding woods to search for any others who may have evaded infection. Ravenous appealingly combines the genres of road movie and zombie film. The film takes its time in delivering the obligatory horror proprieties, which generally appear suddenly and seemingly off-camera, intensified by ambient sounds and a hypnotic atmosphere. This refreshing approach extends to the zombies themselves, a community of individuals who actually possess a collective consciousness of sorts, even self-awareness. According to the director, the film’s genre elements constitute a purposive attempt to express his own fears concerning the current state of Western society.