Population Zero
Directed byAdam Levins
Written byJeff Staranchuk
StarringJulian T. Pinder
Distributed byA71 Entertainment
Release dates
  • April 26, 2016 (2016-04-26) (Newport Beach)
  • May 5, 2017 (2017-05-05) (Canada)
Running time
84 minutes
CountriesCanada
United States
LanguageEnglish

Population Zero is a 2016 found footage crime thriller film directed by Adam Levins that premiered at the Newport Beach International Film Festival on April 26, 2016.[1]

The filmmakers were inspired to make the film after learning of the existence of a small portion of Yellowstone National Park[2] that, under the Sixth Amendment's Vicinage Clause, could enable one to commit a crime without having a jury be able to try them, thus creating "the perfect crime".[3] This idea was first written about in a Georgetown Law Journal article, "The Perfect Crime," by Michigan State University law professor Brian C. Kalt,[3] and first dramatized in the 2007 novel "Free Fire" by C. J. Box, from which Population Zero borrows heavily.

Synopsis

The film is a "mockumentary" examining the history of Dwayne Nelson, a suspected murderer. In 2009, Nelson confessed to shooting three men to death in Yellowstone National Park and despite his confession being accurately detailed, he was not convicted of the crimes because the crime occurred in an uninhabited area and as such, there is no chance of finding a jury to hear the trial. Years later Julian T. Pinder examines the crimes and the legal loophole that allowed Nelson to walk free. As the film progresses Pinder begins to receive strange and frightening items, evidence of Nelson's crime.

Reception

In its opening week in Canada, the film grossed Can$3,841 from 15 theatres.[4]

The Hollywood Reporter said that although the film was uneven in places it was also "creatively eerie".[5] Shock Till You Drop praised the movie, commenting that "Knowing that POPULATION ZERO is a hypothetical scenario played out is immaterial. The question of whether the film is real or not is not the point. The point is that the federal government recognizes that there is a “Zone of Death” in one of its National Parks, making this film far more unsettling and disturbing than anything to spring from one’s imagination."[6]

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 78% based on 9 reviews, with an average rating of 5.90/10.[7]  

See also

References

  1. ↑ "'Population Zero' Premiere Set For the Newport Beach Film Festival". Bloody Disgusting!. 2016-04-20. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  2. ↑ "'Population Zero,' debuting at film festival, explores the Zone of Death". Los Angeles Times. 2016-04-22. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  3. 1 2 Kalt, Brian (March 25, 2005). "The Perfect Crime". Social Science Research Network. SSRN 691642.
  4. ↑ "Hot Sheet: Top 5 Canadian films May 5 to 11, 2017". Playback. Brunico Communications. May 16, 2017. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  5. ↑ "'Population Zero': Newport Beach Review". The Hollywood Reporter. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  6. ↑ Jackson, Camilla (2016-05-01). "Review: Chilling Mock-Doc POPULATION ZERO". Shock Till You Drop. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  7. ↑ "Population Zero". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
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