Review #125: Army of the Dead (2021)

This review was originally written in October 2021.

October 2021 Horror Movie Review #11- Army of the Dead (2021)

Holy crap. Ho lee crap. You're telling me I watched Land of the Dead, Diary of the Dead, and Survival of the Dead- when I could have been watching THIS? I don't want to spoil my opinion completely just yet, but if I get to the end of this review and I haven't convinced myself to give this film an 11/10, I'm going to be mad at myself.

This movie was INCREDIBLE. I tried putting it on a few weeks ago while I was doing some other stuff around the house, and I dunno what was wrong with me, but it just didn't grab me at all. (I think part of it was that I didn't know if this was part of an ongoing series, so after a few minutes I didn't know who I was or wasn't supposed to know, I didn't pay attention to the setting so I wasn't sure if I was plopped in the middle of something- really, it came down to me just not paying attention and suffering because of it.) But this time, you can bet my eyes were glued to the screen- from beginning to end I was captivated by this film. It is SHOCKING the difference that comes from a competent filmmaker doing something they are clearly very passionate about, compared to a bunch of people who were obviously just cashing a paycheck and/or making sure they didn't lose the rights to something. Dang this movie is good!

One of the highlights (and there were a lot, trust me) was the opening credits montage showing how we got to where the movie takes place. I love how this film is pretty clear (when you pay attention) when and where it fits in with regards to other zombie films- this isn't a world overrun with zombies like Land, this is a world where zombies exist, but for the purposes of this film, there's only been one major outbreak and it was immediately contained by quarantining the city of Las Vegas. It's to the point where people make regular forays into the quarantine area- for profit, for exploration, for Youtube views- and there's plans to nuke the city once the army has their ducks in a row. And that's where the plot comes in: This is a heist movie. A heist movie set lovingly in the middle of a zombie outbreak! That's a recipe for success if I ever heard one.

And you know what? You know something cool about this movie? THE CHARACTERS DON'T SUCK. Far from it, in fact! I loved ALL of the characters! Every one of them! Every single character is competently-written, every single character is nuanced and three-dimensional, every single character gets a moment to be crucial to the plot (not to mention absolutely badass)! Making your characters good and memorable? What a concept! And that's just one part of why I love the credit montage so much- not only is it hilarious and beautiful and just freaking FUN, it establishes the heavy hitters in the story in a way that gives them adequate weight and emphasis. Like how Dave Bautista's character isn't just some hulking badass, he's a dude that had to stab his wife to death while his daughter watched, and as such he and his daughter can't look each other in the eyes. Within the first few minutes the movie has already introduced characters, made me CARE about those characters, and even given a gut-punch of one or more of them sacrificing themselves to save everyone else! THREE WHOLE MOVIES IN A ROW couldn't do that!

Guys, if you have two hours to spare, go watch this film, right now. It's fun. It's exciting. It's heart-wrenching. It's hilarious. It's terrifying. It will make you forget that bad zombie movies even exist and leave you expecting greatness next time you put on a film because the bar has been raised so astronomically high. I can say pretty confidently that this will probably be the best movie I watch this month; but I would love to be proven wrong.

Overal Rating: 10/10 Gabes That Are Angry He Can't Give It An Eleven

Favorite Poignant Line: "To the ironic twist of the unknown... bottoms up."