Pathogen

No‑Budget Ambition Worth Celebrating

I was very impressed with this no‑budget SOV zombie apocalypse, especially knowing it was written and directed by a 12‑year‑old Emily Hagins—a remarkable calling card by any measure. Thanks to AGFA, this film finally gets the attention it deserves, even if its no‑frills execution won’t be for everyone. As an early work by one of the few female SOV horror directors, it’s absolutely worth noticing and appreciating.

This is what Austin used to be like

Movie: What a treat! This was really fun and didn't overstay its welcome. The kid-logic is very endearing, and while its sometimes hard to hear the dialogue, I've definitely seen _worse_ movies from a technical aspect, and none of those were directed by someone too young to legally drive a car. Extras: Documentary: Solid documentary on filmmaking where you don't really learn anything novel about the process, but you come for the hook of the child director and stay for the drama between her and her mom. Even knowing that the movie being made is ultimately successful, I still found this to be an extremely suspenseful watch. The short film was fun to watch, and the Q&A was informative. Packaging: Overall fine. I really love the pleasing blue/green acent color, which is also used on the disc.

Cheesy Nuggets Productions

Very fun release from young Emily Hagins!