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As if civil war era pictures were not depressing enough, writer/director John Geddes decided these disparate people also needed to worry about a zombie epidemic. Thus, he came up with the concept for Exit Humanity, which is one of three zombie films screening at this year’s Toronto After Dark.

The tale told is read/enacted from Edward’s (Mark Gibson) journal, in which he recorded the events that took place after the Civil War in the South over several years. After coming home from a hunting trip, Edward finds his wife has been infected and his son is missing. Racked with grief, he wanders the countryside until he meets Isaac (Adam Seybold), who is on his way to rescue his sister (Jordan Hayes) from the rebels who kidnapped her. They agree to work together and once the siblings are reunited, they traverse the forever changed and more dangerous world together.

The narrative is divided into chapters based on the introduction of new elements. Each of these is accompanied by a stunning illustration. Moreover, there are certain scenes presented via stunning animations rather than live-action sequences, which really adds another quality, visual element to the picture.

This is a great story of despair as their triumphs are always quelled by some other obstacle that must now be addressed. Moments of happiness are short and dampened by the constant threat of the undead scourge. This makes for a film with a lot of tension, which can also be quite a draining experience. In addition, the first two chapters are needlessly long and could benefit from some tightening. The same emotions could be effectively conveyed in at least half the time. That said, Gibson truly carries the picture forward as the beginning relies solely on his ability to portray nearly insurmountable sadness.

Finally, there is one important story element introduced near the end of the film that never takes on greater significance, which is unfortunate since it had the potential to contribute an interesting perspective to the narrative. To some extent, it feels more like an explanation in response to a question that is rarely asked in this genre anymore. Therefore it would have been great to see its inclusion utilized to add a further complication to the plot rather than let it be glossed over.

Exit Humanity‘s primary strength is its visuals. Geddes’ attention to detail and passion for the story is evident in each scene.