[Review] ‘Little Monsters’ "Shakes Off" the Dust On The Zombie Genre

In another year that feels like a dud for zombie films (see The Dead Don't Die, Zombieland: Double Tap, and God knows whatever season The Walking Dead is on), one movie has risen above the rest to remind us why zombies do matter. Written and directed by Australian filmmaker Abe Forsythe, Little Monsters is a feel good romcom zombie horror flick that freshens up a stale formula by bringing in a stellar cast, a sharp script, and some emotional, tear-worthy cinematography that makes you wonder what the other filmmakers in this genre have been twiddling their thumbs about. More importantly, the movie points to a broader discussion on the genre of zombie films and what notes the genre needs to take to revive this monster back from the dead (like a zombie, get it?).

Admittedly, we haven't reviewed a high volume of zombie movies on our podcast, mainly because 1) there aren't a terribly high number of good zombie movies and 2) I'm not a huge fan of the genre due to reason number one. Outside of George Romero's work, which worked by utilizing zombie's to depict our society's vulnerabilities and the capitalistic/greedy nature of humans to survive, few zombie films have succeeded in making zombies scary or a plot that's interesting. The only noteworthy true horror zombie films that come to mind in the past 20 years is the 28 Days Later franchise (Sandra Bullock version included). Instead, where zombie films have mostly succeeded as of late is on the comedic side (Shaun of the Dead, Dead Snow, Cabin Fever, the first Zombieland), as these focused on building likable characters full of depth and flaws, whose story arch you're truly engaged with. Like any monster movie, the monster is just there for the CGI and to appease the gore fanatics - the real story needs to be carried by well developed characters who themselves are going through some kind of transformation, whether it’s from human to zombie, or more interestingly, the metaphorical zombie to the human.

That's where Little Monsters nails its target. Its main character, Dave (played by Alexander England), is a destructive human being whose selfishness and lack of self awareness cost him his girlfriend and threatens his living situation with his sister and nephew. He's hilarious in how absorbed he is in his plight as a victim, but with a tight script and even pacing, it feels mostly light and playful without drowning the story in misery. He's hit rock bottom until he meets his nephew's stunning teacher, Miss Carolina (played by Lupita Nyong'o), which gives him a new jolt of life. Following a passionate masturbation session to his nephew's class picture which features Miss Carolina, Dave volunteers to chaperone the class field trip to a petting zoo which happens to be next to a U.S. army base, which happens to suddenly be in the midst of a zombie breakout.

Violence and chaos ensue as the kids find themselves fleeing a group of zombies while Miss Carolina (and eventually Dave) try to keep them aloof to the madness that surrounds them. While much of the zombie sequences can feel familiar, Forsythe breathes fresh life through the honest conversations between the characters and the emergence of Lupita as the badass shovel wielding zombie-killer we've all been waiting for. Conversations between Dave, Lupita, his nephew, and the celebrity Mr. Giggles play out in the midst of the battles, showing these characters (mostly Dave and Mr. Giggles) coming to terms with their flaws and finding hope in the world that is beyond them.

Overall, the movie is charming. Dave's character is believable - someone you find yourself hating in the beginning but rooting for the by the end of the film. Miss Carolina carries her own skeletons in the closet, and there's a touching scene where their chemistry aligns through the movie, but somehow it never feels forced or cheesy or overly sentimental. The kids add a comedic factor in repeating and reacting to Dave's character, while the rest of the supporting cast (Mr. Giggles, the army, Dave's sister) bring in a needed third party perspective to the madness that's going down on screen. The gore is adequately present for those of us who need to see blood drenched, skin ripped off zombies, without venturing into the torture porn territory. We also get to see some badass action shots of Miss Carolina dropping the daytime teaching job to decapitate some zombies with a shovel. The scares are mostly minimal, but the horror stays present in this otherwise heartfelt film, much like the lingering blood stains on Miss Carolina's bright yellow dress.

Rating: 4.5/5 bloody kermit the frog hand puppets

- Ashvin

Little Monsters is currently available to stream on Hulu.

Tags: Lupita Nyong’o, Zombie, Horror Comedy, Zom Com