Director: Abe Forsythe
Year: 2019
Country: UK/Australia/USA
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Zombie; Horror/Comedy
Plot:
Following a break-up with his girlfriend, a deadbeat musician is tasked to care for his nephew and inadvertently signs up to escort him on a class field trip, but when a leaked virus from a military base next door turns the rest of the citizens into flesh-eating zombies he and the teacher team up to keep the kids safe from the creatures.
Review:
There was quite a lot to like with this one. One of the film’s better qualities here is the hysterical comedy that carries throughout the running time here. The entire setup of the film offers a lot to laugh at, especially due to the setting and location of the zombie outbreak and what happens during the trip, is funny enough on its own without taking into account the rest of the comedy here. From the constant creative swearing and insults around children without filtering themselves to the attempts at placating each other different characters in the situation where the revelations come about in highly comical manners, the general air of slapstick created comedy featured here has a wholly hysterical context that goes alongside the jokes and one-liners. As well, the theory that the entire truth of the situation from the kids by playing games of the zombie attacks, pretending to use video game strategies to keep them from finding out the truth and featuring a stellar running gag with the children's-appropriate song that keeps coming up that makes the film enjoyably comic.
Another great aspect to be had here is the fantastic zombie action that really works to add a sense of danger to the events. With the opening attack in the military complex that releases the zombies in a perfunctory if acceptable manner, the rest of the attacks in the film come through rather nicely with the zombie encounters on the different tourists on the outskirts of the facility offer some comedic variations that are still quite thrilling as the zombies are still threatening. That carries on with the scenes of the tour-group out in the wild meeting up with the attack on the animals or the rather gruesome attacks on the workers. With the idea finally hitting on that something’s not right, the series of encounters trying to get out of the infested area and to safety gives the film a wholly fun vibe as it gets the group into the stall that keeps them safe barricaded inside. The race to escape the next morning has a lot to like with the pay-off to a lot of the jokes while still keeping the action suspenseful and thrilling, and the idea of treating the zombies to a musical serenade while trying to get to safety has some ingenious work to it. Combined with the great zombie gore and make-up, there’s a lot to like that holds this one up overall.
There are a few minor flaws with this one. One of its biggest issues is the completely forced and ham-fisted romance angle that undoes so much of the film’s goodwill and energy from the first half. The idea of them being earmarked to end up together is so forced with the relationship troubles that don’t need to be there or the wholly awkward scenes of him meeting up to try to win her over that it becomes obvious they’re going to end up together. As well, the fact that he’s so out-of-his-element being there with them or interacting with the kids while on the trip that it should not be reason enough to get together later that night since he’s a bumbling buffoon that doesn’t get anything right and they still end up coming together after only one night. Another issue is the kid’s performer caught up in the mix, who added nothing, was given nothing to suggest his popularity with kids and feels shoe-horned into the film simply to eat up time without needing to deal with the zombies at that point. He added nothing and could’ve been removed without much incident, being the issues that hold this one back.
Overview: ****.5/5
With a few minor problems that don’t really need to be there being the only real issues, this one emerged as a fun and highly enjoyable zombie comedy. Give this a shot if you’re a fan of the genre or of the creative crew, while those that don’t really like the style or genre should heed caution with this one.
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