‘We Are Zombies’ Review – ‘Turbo Kid’ Makers Make Their Own ‘Shaun of the Dead’

The big picture

• We are Zombies
  has difficulty building the world and characterizing it in a weak way.
• The film does not leave a lasting impression compared to films of the same genre.
• Despite the committed performances, the film’s lack of emotional depth and humor detracts from its impact.

Based on the comic book series The Zombies That Ate the World Of Jerry Fresh and illustrator Davis Boy, We are Zombies is a new horror comedy from the team behind the cult favorite films Turbo baby AND Summer of ’84. Similar to the eclectic and evocative spirit of the previous films, Francois Simard, Anouk WhissellAND by Yoann-Karl Whissells latest nostalgic genre hybrid is set in a future where humans and undead coexist. There are a lot of ideas crammed into an 80-minute running time that never give any of them the time or focus to thrive. While it has some laughs that land, effects that occasionally come to life, and an admirably committed cast, We are Zombies in the end it fails to leave much of an impressionpales in comparison to other films in the same genre, many of which it clearly emulates.

What is “We Are Zombies” about?

We are Zombies It is set in a futuristic American city where ordinary people and zombies live in relative peace (at least compared to typical zombie apocalypse fiction). Zombies are often referred to as the “Living Impaired” (the film throws in some other not-so-subtle political metaphors in between the limited initial exposition), and while they aren’t a huge threat (they don’t eat people), they are still a real public nuisance, and “catching zombies” is therefore no small feat.

And this is where our three aspiring heroes come in: Brother Karl (Alexandre Nachi) and sister Maggie (Megan Peta Hill), along with their friend and fellow slacker Derek (Freddy Merck) earn easy money by posing as employees of Coleman Retirement Services for the Living Impaired. It’s a shady practice that becomes even more shady when selling the bodies of the undead to strange people. like the owner of the gallery Don (Charles Mestroni), who likes engineering art with such remains. When Stanley (Patrick Abellard) a corporate-owned Coleman security officer discovers the trio’s misdeeds, bringing along the brothers’ sweet grandmother (Clare Coulter) held hostage, demanding a large ransom that the trio intends to pay by finding the remains of an actress who died at Don’s request.

“We Are Zombies” is like a more irregular version of “Zombieland”

While there are certainly differences in the narratives, it is impossible to watch them We are Zombies without thinking about Zombieland. They are very similar in tone and some visual cues, though without any of the careful, energetic, and artful world-building that made Ruben FleischerThe 2009 smash hit and even its 2019 sequel are delights from the get-go. We are Zombies It’s a wholly uneven undertaking, but its greatest flaw is the lack of such preparation. We’re thrust into a future landscape that may be less jarring for comic book fans; for the rest of us, there is very little to hold on to or immerse yourself in.

To be very clear, the origin of the original material dates back to 2004 (before Zombieland was even in development) and received much acclaim. It is still worth mentioning this and other similar works of genre alchemy such as the superior Dawn of the Deadbecause as in the case of the dystopian novel Turbo baby and horror movies for teens Summer of ’84 (both better and more fully realized films), We are Zombies It’s a wall-to-wall feat of nostalgia and reference..

The actors give it their all in “We Are Zombies”

Beyond the limits of narrative and setting, We are Zombies It is severely hampered by the poor characterization of the characters, especially in the writing. The central trio of actors give it their all, but the script never tells us anything more than that Karl is obsessed with sex, Derek is haplessly in love with Maggie, and Maggie swears a lot. The aforementioned running time is obviously a factor here, but it’s worth noting that the script repeats these points over and over again rather than giving us much depth with more varied scenes and interactions.

The blood-soaked finale that subjects the zombie film to a comedic lens should be a rather thrilling and even joyous affair, but without an emotional hook, the third-act mayhem here doesn’t raise the pulse or elicit any real laughs. The fragmented wit, low-fidelity effects and pulsating electronic soundtrack of We are Zombies brings to mind 2015 Turbo Boy, but this last movie sorely lacks the heart and emotional clarity that made its predecessor a critically acclaimed cult classic.

Although, of course, a lot of money doesn’t hurt, Effective worldbuilding ultimately transcends budgets large and small. For proof, just watch the movie that started it all: George A. Romerothe original 1968 zombie Night of the Living Dead, which still stands as one of the most disturbing horror films of all time. Made on a budget of only around $100,000, this timeless thriller turned up both the sense of place and the tension to 11 through wit, gripping performances and the power of understatement. While that film was devoid of any kind of humor, especially the kind of slapstick humor We are Zombies hits, it was a sharp and effective satire. We are Zombies He tries to do a lot, but in the end he doesn’t achieve much.

We are Zombies is now available to stream on VOD in the US

WATCH ON VOD