Harold's Going Stiff

2011 "The nicest zombie you'll ever meet."
5.8| 1h17m| en
Details

Harold is suffering from a terrifying new disease that is turning him into a zombie. As his condition deteriorates, he and his friendly care worker end up on the run from a group of violent vigilantes.

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FrissonFilm (UK)

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Reviews

Diagonaldi Very well executed
Steineded How sad is this?
filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
InfiltratorJim At first glance, this is a low budget horror/comedy/mockumentary film with a barely known cast and a cheesy title, but basically just ignore that. No, seriously, ignore it all. The zombies aren't the walking dead, they're just men suffering from a weird illness that causes stiffness of the limbs, reduced mental ability and eventually violence. The film focuses on the first man to suffer from it, Harold, who also has a much slower progression of the symptoms, so while there are others limping about with silly walks and making groaning noises, Harold still has most of his wits about him. He's a nice warm hearted old man who struggles to manage, and begins being cared for by a kind young nurse called Penny. The comedy comes mostly from three daft lads who are self appointed vigilantes, inter-cut with British regional TV news reporting at it's finest. There are 'zombies' and some slapstick-esque violence with baseball bats and ketchup blood, but that's all the horror you get. There's no battles, no action sequences, no graphic be-headings, no guns, no brain eating and no end of the world. What there is however, is a really brilliantly told story about a lovely man and the person that cares for him, that is joyous at times and completely heartbreaking at others. Depending on where you are in your own life and how it relates to you and/or your family, it'll easily have you in tears. Not a film for everyone's tastes or expectations, but that doesn't make it any less wonderful. Thank you.
ABladeInTheDark Harold's Going Stiff is a zombie docudrama about men suffering from ORD or Onset Rigors Disease which starts out with extreme stiffness, and eventually leads to its sufferers becoming zombies. The main subject is Harold Gimble who was the first man diagnosed with ORD, and is slightly different from other victims, as his symptoms are progressing at a much slower pace than everyone else. Can a cure be found before he too becomes one of the zombies?I went into this movie thinking it would be far different from what it was, and that's a good thing, because I'm not sure I'd have decided to see it had I known what it was like. I prefer my zombie movies to have plenty of zombies and gore, and Harold's Going Stiff doesn't meet those criteria. It's more of a character study that centers around Harold and his nurse Penny dealing with the everyday hardships of his unfortunate affliction. Before meeting Penny, Harold is lonely and reclusive, but with Penny's help he finds himself beginning to enjoy life again. This friendship is also beneficial for Penny who is suffering from loneliness herself.The two leads, Stan Rowe and Sarah Spencer, have great chemistry, and despite having almost no acting experience whatsoever, are very adept at creating complex characters that really make you feel for what they are going through. Some of their interactions are happy and heartwarming while others are downright heartbreaking. I'm not ashamed to say that before the movie ended, Penny and Harold's plight caused tears to well up in my eyes. 9/10, highly recommended for those that are looking for a not so average zombie flick, or a good tearjerker. Just don't expect much horror since the only thing in it related to horror is the presence of zombies.
francishooks I'm afraid I'm one of those old misery guts types who rarely feels compelled to write good reviews on this website but, when confronted with a stinker, am happy to bash out a 1-star slating!Let me redress this for once by joining the other fans on here in recommending this film wholeheartedly - not just to horror fans but to film fans of all stripes. What kills film after film for me is lousy writing - you can chuck all the money in the world at a film but a rotten script will sink it (yes, I'm looking at you Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter!). Harold's Going Stuff is a terrific story made on a budget that probably wouldn't cover half a days catering on the aforementioned turkey (Yes, I know - time to let it go!). The acting here is tremendous too- keep an eye out in particular for Sarah Spencer who has charm in spades and is a star in the making.Highly recommended.
Corpus_Vile Harold (Stan Rowe) is an old age pensioner, suffering from O.R.D. or the onset of rigor disease. He can't get out and about as much and gets forgetful. Then there's the stiffness. He can't even touch his nose. What is the ultimate effects of O.R.D.? Well, it turns you... into a zombie. And it's affecting more and more UK males. Enter Penny, (Sarah Spencer) a cheerful, dedicated but lonely nurse, as his care helper. She'll engage in therapy with him, to delay the disease's effects. However, during the onset of the disease's later stages, loss of mental faculties and violent behaviour is inevitable. Already there have been reports of attacks, which prompts a trio of baseball bat wielding vigilantes to patrol the area, taking down any errant zombie they happen to find. Meanwhile, Harold is still getting by, and starting a tentative friendship with Penny. Will a cure be found? Or will Harold have to be taken out like so many before him?I just caught this at the Edinburgh Dead By Dawn festival, and all I can say is... wow. Harold's Going Stiff is the most original zombie film I've personally seen, and I've seen quite a few. Shot in a realistic mockumentary style and not precisely a horror per se, it's a character driven cross section of genres, from horror, to (very funny) comedy, to sad bittersweet drama. It also highlights the very real horror of growing old, lonely and with a loss of dignity, with some poignant scenes.I have always thought that having a very very low budget is no excuse to make a bad film. Harold's Going Stiff simply confirms this opinion for me.A highly, highly recommended film, with some great performances, laugh- out-loud scenes, as well as some astutely observed poignancy, it should be sought out by anyone.I really hope this film gets a DVD release as it thoroughly deserves one and director Keith Wright should hold his head up proud, as this is one of the best British "horrors" in the past three years, and a very welcome return to form for the UK.9/10, brilliant film.