I am actually very surprised at the hatred of other IMDb reviewers towards this film. I mean, I certainly didn't expect it to be garnering critical praise but I had actually heard when the film released in limited screenings that people were enjoying it and impressed by it. I think I saw the first Cabin Fever years ago and I am fairly certain I never bothered with the second but I thought I would give this a go because the last horror/slasher I took a chance on blew me away (Wolf Creek 2.) Well I'm happy to say this also really surprised me. It is dark and twisted and very well shot and while it isn't necessarily brilliant, it is very entertaining from a horror perspective. The story is well told even if it is painfully predictable at times (especially the bachelor party on the open seas storyline.) For those who enjoy the series as a whole, it seems to carry on more of the story and you find out exactly where the origin of the disease came from. The ending to me didn't make a lot of sense, I think there was supposed to be a big twist to it all and maybe if you're a fan of the series you might have got it but I missed something there but regardless it was an enjoyable, mindless, ridiculously violent and over the top excessive slasher/Zombie flick.

Sean Astin is probably the most impressive part of Cabin Fever 3. He gives a genuinely stirring and forcefully disturbing performance as thee patient zero. This might be one of the best things I've ever seen Astin do. He is far better than what the film deserves but he definitely adds something to it as well. I would have preferred the film follow his character rather than the doofus typical 20 somethings. Mitch Ryan is the leader of those doofus' but he does alright as our reluctant horror hero. His character isn't given a lot to deal with but he does get more depth than anyone else and plays the role well. Brando Eaton gets a cookie cutter "stoner best friend" type character who is a lot of fun and really gets some messed up disturbing scenes. He is probably a little better than Ryan but his character is better too. Ryan Donowho is barely existent as just another friend there to be fodder for the zombie outbreak and Jillian Murray who is there early on to be a "hot" girl who will take her top off and to make sure there is a female character though she also has some really messed up disturbing scenes including a sickening (but disturbingly creative) oral sex scene and a zombie fighting scene I thought would be very memorable in the cult classic circles.

The film does lack a definitive villain but then the entire concept is that the virus is the true killer. We do have a maniacal doctor and his staff trying to survive and escape the island but that plot is mostly lost in the shuffle. The film absolutely goes for sheer shock value but does so fairly well and as disgusting and outrageous as some of the scenes and gore is...I thought it worked quite well. Maybe I've watched too many terrible horror films and my expectations have shrunk. Certainly Kaare Andrews doesn't have a lot of experience yet but he definitely shows some promise. The story and script is solid but I would have really liked it if they had spent more time developing the characters of the friends at the party. Yes they are supposed to be the stereotypical young party animals who get picked off but there was potential to actually care about them. There was very little chemistry between any of them and yet we were supposed to buy them as life long childhood friends. Cabin Fever 3 isn't brilliant. Don't mistake my 8/10 as implying that. For sheer entertainment, shock value and a crazy campy gory horror flick it succeeded quite well and was heads and tails above similar low budget crap. I enjoyed myself and won't soon forget some of the more shocking scenes. 8/10

CABIN FEVER 3: PATIENT ZERO (2014) is the third instalment of this grisly franchise, following from the pretty good first film and the dire sequel. This time around we're in the Dominican Republic, where a small party of friends arrive for a holiday. Unfortunately for them, there's a secret laboratory on their chosen island, containing a research team and their test subject: the 'Typhoid Mary'-style titular character.

Before long the outbreak spreads, various parties are infected, and it's a race against time to escape before contagion hits. Inevitably the only thing going for this lamentable, low budget production are the FX, with an emphasis on the grotesque throughout. There are two sickening moments here: a scene of a guy performing a sex act on his girlfriend with predictable bloody results, and a fight between two of the infected which ends in bodily amputation. It's nasty stuff for sure, but gore alone does not a good film make, and I found it quite dull. Sean Astin stars, and he's a long way away from the cuddly Sam Gamgee...

A group of young folks decide to spend some time on a remote island in the Caribbean. The group stumble across an abandoned research facility where a lethal and infectious flesh-eating virus has been unleashed.

Director Kaare Andrews relates the absorbing story at a snappy pace, takes time to develop the characters, ably crafts a creepy and unsettling mood, makes good use of the lush tropical island setting, and delivers a handy helping of in-your-face graphic gore that's highlighted by an especially brutal and ugly cat fight. Better still, the harsh tone gets more increasingly grim and dark as the bleak plot unfolds towards an uncompromisingly downbeat ending.

Sean Astin delivers a fine and intense turn as angry patient zero Porter. Moreover, there are rock-solid contributions from Currie Graham as had-nosed scientist Dr. Edwards, Mitch Ryan as the nerdy Marcus, Ryan Donowho as the easygoing Dobbs, Brando Eaton as the crude Josh, Jillian Murray as foxy temptress Penny, Lydia Hearst as ruthless lab assistant Bridgett, and Solly Duran as the compassionate Camila. An on the money nasty winner.