‘We Are Zombies’ is Fun While it Lasts [Review]

RKSS–the mad geniuses behind Turbo Kid and the criminally underrated Summer of 84–are back with We Are Zombies, a messy, fitfully entertaining riff on what might happen if rather than eating us all alive, zombies simply integrated into society. An adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name by Jerry Frissen, the movie displays much of the stylistic flair that keeps us coming back to RKSS while also revealing the drawbacks with attempting to fit everything contained in a graphic novel into a single, brisk, 80-minute movie. We Are Zombies feels simultaneously overstuffed and undercooked, but there’s no denying it’s good fun while it’s on.

In this vision of society, which bears more than a passing resemblance to our own rapidly crumbling real world, the crucially non-cannibal zombies are referred to as the “living impaired.” Early on, “dead meat” is used as a slur and a character quips, “What are you, a zombophobe?” Although they’ve clearly expired, these formerly alive humans have jobs and relationships and, by all accounts, real lives that are constitutionally protected to the extent there are talk show debates about their evolving position in society and an evil corporation looking to exploit them for their own gains. It’s here where the movie makes a fatal mistake.

Instead of focusing on the central trio–a bunch of useless slackers making a quick buck off intercepting pick-ups and selling zombies to the highest bidder–too much time is spent behind the walls of a shady company that outwardly pretends to give the living impaired a retirement-style place to comfortably see out their final days but clearly uses them for more nefarious means. It’s never in doubt that these people are evil. Each performance is pitched to the mustache-twirling extreme. There’s some kind of corporate takeover brewing too but the movie spends so little time explaining it. Moreover, the crucial chess move occurs so quickly that it’s practically an oversight. It’s pointless trying to understand why we should care in the first place.

The hijinks that Karl (Alexandre Nachi), his BFF Freddy (Derek Johns), and Karl’s half-sister Maggie (Megan Peta Hill) get into are reasonably diverting and the action is well-staged. Especially enticing is a final act showdown at a cavernous art space that allows RKSS to finally get properly gory. Although, the constant bickering quickly grows tiresome. It doesn’t help that they’re all one-note archetypes. You have the schlubby loser, the idiot, and the girl who also, even more annoyingly, is a complete scold who spends the entire movie scowling from beneath a beanie. The only other female character is a zombie cam girl whose motivations are murky, which isn’t the same thing as them being compelling or even logical.

We Are Zombies is such a mishmash of ideas, none of which are developed adequately, that it screams of someone being unable, or perhaps even unwilling, to kill their darlings. It’s a real shame because the makeup and SFX are spot-on, and the score, by frequent collaborators Le Matos, is another banger. RKSS typically conjures incredibly finely drawn, evocative worlds, and the zombies fit perfectly into their take on another near-future hellscape. There are tons of deep purples utilized throughout, which make the Big Bad’s uniforms (donned by Karl and Freddy during their nighttime raids) really pop.

Likewise, as we’ve come to expect with this super talented lot, there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, including when Freddy sweetly proclaims: “I don’t mind farts!” This is a very thinly veiled satire with discussions about the rights of the living impaired, while certainly amusing, adding little to the overarching story and feeling an awful lot like unnecessary lip service. There’s just not that much left to say about zombies and even taking a more comedic approach doesn’t really tackle that problem.

The overarching conspiracy, meanwhile, is uninspired, derivative, and underwritten. It slows the pace to a crawl every time the focus turns to it (in an 80-minute movie, precious seconds are consistently wasted). There’s insufficient time to give everything the weight it requires to land properly. Consider the fact that this is a slacker comedy, an action horror, and a zombie movie all in one–with an ill-advised romantic subplot between Freddy and a clearly uninterested Maggie that goes nowhere. As a result, everything feels rushed, including the ending, which is so abrupt you might be left wondering if something glitched on the stream. Maybe RKSS are hoping future installments will help flesh everything out, no pun intended.

There are glimmers of what this movie could’ve been with a tighter focus and maybe even, as shocking as it might sound in this age of butt-numbing three-hour-plus-opuses, a slightly longer run-time. Watching a zombie Mother Teresa laying waste to unsuspecting partygoers is a hoot. But it comes far too late in the story to truly register and, again, feels hurried.

As it stands, there’s plenty of fun to be had along the way but neither the journey nor the destination is memorable enough to truly justify watching this instead of one of the titans of the subgenre, like Shaun of the Dead. RKSS continues to be a fascinating, vital, and hugely exciting filmmaking collective. But they’ve given us much better than We Are Zombies and will hopefully get back to their full potential with the next one. In the meantime, track down Summer of ’84.

Catch We Are Zombies streaming exclusively on SCREAMBOX from August 13, 2024

WICKED RATING: 6/10
Director(s): François Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell
Writer(s): François Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell
Stars: Alexandre Nachi, Derek Johns, Megan Peta Hill
Release date: August 13, 2024 (Screambox)
Language: English
Run Time: 80 minutes