Nazi (zombie) horror is a tricky sub-genre because these films always look and sound incredibly cool, but more than often they are utter trash. There are a handful of entertaining titles out there, like "Iron Sky" and "Dead Snow", but these are intentionally funny and shlocky. Steve Barker's "Outpost" is a worthwhile effort, especially because it attempts to be genuinely scary and disturbing (and also partially succeeds), and I haven't witnessed that since the über-classic "Shock Waves".
The set-up is routine: in present day, somewhere in the bleak outskirts of an Eastern European country, a bunch of very unsympathetic and disposable mercenaries are hired for an unclear mission. They soon find themselves trapped in a former Nazi bunker, and they are not alone. Apparently, the underground bunker served as a secret lair where Nazis performed occult experiments, ... and they weren't entirely unsuccessful. "Outpost" works well, thanks to its thoroughly uncanny atmosphere, grim scenery, nasty gimmicks (like the recovered stock footage of Nazi scientists at work in the bunker), and some very good casting choices (notably the natural born freaks like Michael Smiley and Richard Brake). It also certainly helps that the resurrected Nazi soldiers remain largely out of sight, silent, and sober in terms of make-up effects. This makes them a lot more menacing, for sure.
The set-up is routine: in present day, somewhere in the bleak outskirts of an Eastern European country, a bunch of very unsympathetic and disposable mercenaries are hired for an unclear mission. They soon find themselves trapped in a former Nazi bunker, and they are not alone. Apparently, the underground bunker served as a secret lair where Nazis performed occult experiments, ... and they weren't entirely unsuccessful. "Outpost" works well, thanks to its thoroughly uncanny atmosphere, grim scenery, nasty gimmicks (like the recovered stock footage of Nazi scientists at work in the bunker), and some very good casting choices (notably the natural born freaks like Michael Smiley and Richard Brake). It also certainly helps that the resurrected Nazi soldiers remain largely out of sight, silent, and sober in terms of make-up effects. This makes them a lot more menacing, for sure.