Army of the Dead (2021)

It isn't the Army of the Dead is that original an idea. It steals heavily from Aliens, 2020's Peninsula follows a very similar structure, and to be honest every zombie trope has been done to death (pun intended). It's that no one has made a zombie movie or this sort of narrative quite like this. Love him or hate him director Snyder tells a story in a very distinctive way, his method both hyper-visual and textually rich so that his stories end up being layered, offering an experience that is rarely like anything else. 

The film starts with a visually delightful (and horrifying) back story sequence which is fascinating to watch but also completely sets out what we need to know to get into our story, establishes the central figures, and invests us into the adventure. From there he takes the time to tell us his story, gives us the kinds of emotional beats, plot structure, and character development so the experience feels whole and offers us so much entertainment beyond just moving us from one action sequence to the next. So many action films are just that, excuses to get between set pieces but this is a story first with the action moments highlighting the narrative. 

And those action sequences are amazing. Snyder's take is always so beautiful to watch and each set piece is a brilliant moment. He takes the time to set them up and then to fully execute them. They aren't rushed or cropped making them entirely satisfied so each is a ride in itself while never forgetting to serve the larger story, and one thing this story does offer up that is different is smart zombies, without spoiling too much there is a zombie culture that was far more fascinating to explore than I expected, even if it does have a bit of Game of Thrones vibe to it. 

And who knew that Dave Bautista would grow into such a great actor. He carries into this film a gravitas and pathos that a story like this needs to be sold. The cast here is great, each getting time to shine, but Bautista holds it all together with his story performance. Also shout out to Tig Notaro, filling in after another actor had to be removed, stealing every scene and making me want to watch whatever she does. 

 

Army of the Dead is a stand out zombie film, a stand out action film, a stand out horror film, and just a stand out film that is entirely a great deal of fun and a completely satisfying watch. 

Army of the Dead

Starring: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera, Matthias Schweighofer, Tig Notaro, Hiroyuki Sanada, Theo Rossi, Nora Arnezeder, Raul Castillo, Garret Dillahunt, Huma Qureshi

Director: Zack Snyder

Writers: Shay Hatten, Joby Harold, Zack Snyder