Based on the comics collection The Zombies That Ate the World by Jerry Frissen and illustrator Guy Davis, We Are Zombies is a brand new horror comedy from the staff behind cult favorites Turbo Kid and Summer of ’84. Similar to the eclectic and evocative spirit of these earlier movies, François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell’s newest nostalgia-heavy style hybrid is ready in a future the place people and the undead cohabitate. There are many concepts crammed into an 80-minute runtime that by no means actually offers any of them the time or focus to flourish. Though it has some laughs that land, results that often spring to life, and an admirably dedicated forged, We Are Zombies finally fails to depart a lot of an impression, paling compared to different movies of its ilk, many of which it clearly emulates.

What Is ‘We Are Zombies’ About?

We Are Zombies is ready in a futuristic American metropolis the place on a regular basis folks and zombies reside in relative peace (relative to your normal zombie apocalypse fiction, a minimum of). Zombies are also known as “Living Impaired” (the film throws different not-so-delicate political metaphors at us amongst the restricted exposition early on), and although they don’t seem to be a lot of a menace (they are not consuming folks) they’re nonetheless very a lot a public nuisance, and “zombie-catching” is subsequently fairly the enterprise.

This is the place our three would-be heroes step in: brother Karl (Alexandre Nachi) and sister Maggie (Megan Peta Hill), alongside their buddy and fellow slacker Derek (Freddy Mercks) earn fast money by impersonating staff for Coleman Retirement Services for the Living Impaired. It’s a sketchy observe that is made sketchier by promoting the undead our bodies to weirdos like gallery proprietor Don (Carlo Mestroni), who likes engineering artwork with such stays. When Stanley (Patrick Abellard) a safety operative at company-owned Coleman, discovers the trio’s shenanigans, he takes the sibling pair’s candy grandmother (Clare Coulter) hostage, demanding a big ransom that the trio intends to pay by discovering the stays of a lifeless actress per the request of Don.

‘We Are Zombies’ Is Like a More Uneven ‘Zombieland’

Though there are actually variations in the narratives, it’s unimaginable to look at We Are Zombies with out pondering of Zombieland. They’re very comparable in tone and a few visible cues, although with none of the cautious, energetic, and shrewd world-constructing that made Ruben Fleischer‘s 2009 breakout hit, and even its 2019 sequel, such breezy treats proper out of the gate. We Are Zombies is an uneven enterprise altogether, however its largest flaw is its lack of such groundwork. We’re thrown right into a futurescape that is likely to be much less jarring for followers of the comics; for the relaxation of us, there’s little or no to latch onto or to be immersed in.

To be very clear, the supply materials’s origin dates again to 2004 (earlier than Zombieland was even in improvement) and has acquired a lot acclaim. It’s nonetheless value mentioning this and different comparable works of style alchemy like the superior Shaun of the Dead, as a result of as was the case with dystopian romance Turbo Kid and teenage horror movie Summer of ’84 (each higher and extra totally realized movies), We Are Zombies is an enterprise of wall-to-wall nostalgia and reference.

The Actors Give It Their All in ‘We Are Zombies’

Beyond the limitations of the narrative and the setting, We Are Zombies is tremendously hindered by weak characterization, primarily in the writing. The central trio of actors are giving this their all, however the script by no means actually tells us something greater than Karl is obsessive about intercourse, Derek is haplessly in love with Maggie, and Maggie swears lots. The movie’s aforementioned runtime clearly is one thing of an element right here, nevertheless it’s value noting the script reiterates these factors time and again moderately than giving us a lot depth with extra diverse scenes and interactions.

The blood-soaked finale that places the zombie film by way of a comedic lens ought to be a fairly thrilling and even joyous affair, however with out an emotional hook, the mayhem of act three right here would not elevate the pulse or elicit any actual laughs. The scrappy spirit, lo-fi, results and pulsing digital rating of We Are Zombies bring to mind 2015’s Turbo Kid, however this newest movie sorely lacks the coronary heart and the emotional readability that made its predecessor a critically acclaimed cult basic.

Though of course buckets of cash do not damage, efficient world-constructing finally transcends budgets massive and small. For proof, look no additional than the movie that began all of it: George A. Romero‘s 1968 zombie unique Night of the Living Dead, which nonetheless holds up as one of the most annoying of all horror movies. Made on a price range of solely round $100,000, that timeless thriller ratcheted each the sense of place and the rigidity as much as 11 by way of ingenuity, gripping performances, and the energy of understatement. Though that movie was low on any variety of humor, notably void of the variety of farcical variety of humor We Are Zombies swings at, it was a biting, efficient satire. We Are Zombies makes an attempt to do lots, however in the finish, it would not pull off very a lot.

REVIEW

We Are Zombies (2024)

We Are Zombies desires to be like Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland, although lacks the cleverness to drag this off.

Pros

• The forged all give dedicated performances.

Cons

• The movie lacks the coronary heart and emotional readability it must resonate.
• It pales compared to different zombie horror that has performed all of this much better.
• The movie makes an attempt to do lots as half of a protracted custom of scrappy zombies movies, however would not pull off very a lot.

We Are Zombies is now obtainable to stream on VOD in the U.S.

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