‘Queens of the Dead’ Review – A Horror Comedy That’s Cool, Kind, and Queer as Hell

Fantasia International Film Festival, Reviews /

Tina Romero, daughter of legendary horror filmmaker George A. Romero, makes her directorial debut with her own take on the zombie genre in Queens of the Dead. This horror comedy follows a group of drag queens, DJs, drug dealers, and club kids who have to fend for themselves as zombies flood the streets of Brooklyn during a warehouse party. The film is unapologetically made by and for the queer community, and that’s really what makes it sing, despite its flaws. If you’ve ever wanted to see a rag-tag group of gays, girls, and theys—plus a token straight guy—fight for their lives against a horde of shambling, sparkling zombies, then you’re in for a treat. The zombies here are more glitter and glam than guts and gore. But while some may want a bit more horror in their horror/comedy, the heart and humour is what makes this movie so fun. Queens of the Dead is an ensemble film, and its emphasis on community and kinship makes it stand out among other movies in the genre. There’s no single hero or final girl here. The hero is really the queer community, and that’s reflected in the broad and colorful cast of characters. While many of those characters are hilarious and fun to watch bounce off of each other, the characters as individuals feel somewhat underbaked as a result, making it harder to get invested in the individual drama and emotional beats. For that reason, some of the more serious moments that were meant to elicit emotion didn’t quite land for me. In a way, I wish the movie had leaned even more into the absurdity and comedic side. It is a funny movie, and watching it at Fantasia with an eager and joyous crowd was probably the best way to experience this movie. However, not all of the comedic moments landed, just as not all of the emotional beats landed. I still had a great time overall, but I think a more focused narrative and character work would have made those moments even stronger. If there’s anyone that’s close to a protagonist here it’s Katy O’Brian’s club manager, Dre. O’Brian is an absolute star. She has so much presence and charisma. Between a bit part in this year’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning and her star-making turn in Love Lies Bleeding, it’s nice to see her do lighter fare like this, where she gets to kick zombie ass but also show some comedic chops. I really hope her career skyrockets, because she’s a very magnetic performer. Jack Haven is the other big scene-stealer as the ditzy blonde intern, Kelsey. This is a far cry from their role in I Saw The TV Glow, and again, it’s nice to see an actor show their range and go from a more intense or serious role to something light and fun, where they’re clearly having a blast and making the audience have a blast with them. Overall, the whole cast is solid. For a relatively low-budget indie movie, it looks great too. It’s chaotic and colorful, with some fun makeup and costume choices that offer a unique and sufficiently silly interpretation of zombies that is actually pretty refreshing in an era where we’ve seen every iteration of scary zombies imaginable (28 Years Later is another recent fresh take on zombies, but that’s more about what it does with its human characters than its zombie design). If you’re looking for a truly scary zombie movie, you won’t find that here. This is very much a comedy more than anything else. But it’s also a beautiful ode from a daughter to her father’s legacy, in a way that is very clearly true to her own experiences and vision. If nothing else, the movie feels like a love letter to both queer spaces/communities and to the genre that her father built his career on. There are plenty of fun and clever easter eggs that pay homage to George A. Romero’s films, but Queens of the Dead is, as Tina Romero said in the Q&A after our screening, a movie that her dad would never have made. It’s her movie through and through, and it’s a welcome addition to the zombie canon. Verdict Queens of the Dead put a huge smile on my face. It’s a joyous movie that in some ways lampoons the zombie genre and in other ways honours it. It’s funny and silly and kind, and it’s unapologetically gay. If you’re looking for a fun zombie flick with an eclectic cast of (mostly) queer characters and a sense of humour, you’ll likely have a good time with this.

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‘Mickey 17’ Review: Essential Sci-Fi or Expendable Mess?

Reviews /

It’s been quite a few years since Parasite swept the Oscars, but director Bong Joon-ho is finally back, with a return to his genre roots. Based on the novel Mickey7, Mickey 17 is a comedic science fiction story set in a near-future in which humans have begun to explore and colonize other planets. Escaping financial difficulties on Earth, the hapless Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) signs up for one such expedition as an “expendable”—a job that involves dying for the cause only to be re-printed as a clone with the same memories over and over—selling not just his time and labour but his literal life and body. This is the endpoint of capitalism: human life made expendable for colonization and profit. The body under capitalism is no longer your own—it’s the property of the corporation, to be consumed over and over. And the corporation is not just the corporation, but also church, state, and military all rolled into one. If the anti-capitalist bent sounds a little heavy-handed, that’s because it is. That’s kinda Bong’s whole thing, but the sledgehammer is particularly unsubtle in Mickey 17. For instance, while Mark Ruffalo isn’t quite doing a straight-up Trump impersonation, it’s close enough (his character’s fanatical followers all wear red hats, for one). He walks that line very well, though, giving a performance that just about reaches the same level of fun he was having in Poor Things, his unhinged energy matched perfectly by Toni Collette, who plays his sauce-obsessed trophy wife. In general, this is a much more comedic and over-the-top movie than Parasite. While some of the goofiness and quirk probably won’t work for everyone, it is an utterly unique movie nonetheless. There are quite a few laughs to be had here, even if the crowd I saw it with felt a bit muted. I can see the experience really being elevated by a good crowd. That’s not to say I didn’t have fun, because I did. It’s hard not to get a kick out of Robert Pattinson’s excellent chemistry with Robert Pattinson. He is, by far, the best part of this movie, giving a fantastic performance as Mickey in all his iterations. He’s one of the most compelling working actors we’ve got, and the physicality and voice work he does here is some of the best he’s done yet (with an assist from the excellent VFX and body double work that went into cloning him on screen). If nothing else, the movie is worth seeing for Pattinson alone. But there is a lot more to this film than that central performance, for better and worse. The movie has some interesting world-building and raises a lot of very meaty philosophical questions, but where it falls short is in actually diving deeper into its themes and resolving all of its many threads. There are subplots and side characters that don’t really go anywhere very satisfying, and the pacing feels somewhat off. While not the most egregiously paced film I’ve seen, I could definitely feel the 2 hour 17 minute runtime and felt like the movie could have shed a few subplots to really explore some of the more interesting philosophical and political questions it raises. While far from terrible, this is not nearly as sharp or tight as, say, Parasite or even Snowpiercer, which feels a lot more focused despite treading in similar genre territory and having a similarly on-the-nose approach to its thematic concerns. Despite these flaws, I still had a good time with this one. The cast is amazing across the board, the creatures and humour and oddness mostly all work, and it’s all anchored around a standout performance(s) from Pattinson. I just wish it had all come together a bit more neatly. Verdict Mickey 17 has all the hallmarks of a great Bong Joon-ho film: in-your-face anti-capitalist messaging, cute/terrifying CGI creatures, oddball non-sequitur humour, and a snowy sci-fi backdrop. Robert Pattinson acts the hell out of a multi-faceted role, and the movie explores some very interesting themes and ideas, which all makes for an enjoyable experience. However, its lack of sharp direction and slightly bloated pacing situate this as a lower-tier entry in Bong’s filmography.

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‘The Monkey’ Review: A Delightfully Absurd and Funny Gorefest

Reviews /

The Monkey is exactly the kind of hilarious, madcap horror-comedy we need to inject a little life (and death) into cinemas this February. The latest from Longlegs director Osgood Perkins, The Monkey is based on the Stephen King short story of the same name and follows twin brothers who discover a mysterious wind-up monkey (don’t call it a toy) that belonged to their AWOL father. Soon after, people around them start dying in a string of bizarre and extreme accidents. With a setup like that, it’s hard not to have fun. I was unfamiliar with the original short story, so I can’t speak to its faithfulness as an adaptation, but I can say that going in relatively blind made for a great movie-going experience. Above all, the movie doesn’t take itself too seriously—it’s easily Perkins’ funniest and most popcorn-worthy movie to date. So, if you’re one of the people who enjoyed the more humorous parts of Longlegs, odds are you’ll love The Monkey. Just be aware that, for the most part, this is a different beast, differing wildly from Longlegs in tone. As with Perkins’ other films, I don’t think this movie will be for everyone, but it sure as hell worked for me. I’ve mostly been a fan of his previous work, even the ones that have been less critically well-received. I liked Longlegs; I appreciated the strange, slow artfulness of I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives in The House; and I loved The Blackcoat’s Daughter, which genuinely chilled me when I first watched it many years ago. The Monkey is a great addition to that filmography, though it might be lacking the depth or uniqueness of some of Perkins’ other movies. It’s also, by far, his least frightening movie to date. If you’re coming into this one expecting to be scared, you’ll likely be disappointed. As a horror movie, it sort of falls flat. But as an over-the-top horror-comedy, it provides plenty of laughs and some very creative kills that don’t pull any punches. If anything, it’s the moments when the movie tries to get overly serious or inject some family and relationship drama that don’t fully land. The throughlines are there, and the monkey as a metaphor for fathers passing down their trauma and darkness onto their own kids mostly works—but the characters themselves just don’t really have enough depth, and we as an audience don’t really have enough time with them to really care about their relationships with one another. Theo James does a fine job in a dual role as the adult version of twins Bill and Hal, making each twin feel distinct and clearly having some fun. Speaking of dual roles, Tatiana Maslany plays Bill and Hal’s mom, Lois, and was definitely the standout for me. She just knows exactly what kind of movie she’s in, and plays it perfectly. Beyond that, Elijah Wood and Adam Scott also show up in fun bit parts, making the most of limited screentime. Casting Maslany in a movie in which one actor plays two roles might be a clever nod to her turn playing multiple roles on Orphan Black, or else it’s a fun coincidence. Either way, the movie is full of similarly clever nods, running gags, and brick jokes that reward those who are paying attention and pay off to great effect. For such a dumb movie (complementary), it’s a lot smarter than it appears. What more can I say? It’s big, dumb fun, with a mean streak that schlock horror fans will love. Verdict The Monkey is for all the sickos who miss the Final Destination franchise. It’s unserious and stupid in the best ways, with some of the funniest, goriest, and most creative horror movie kills I’ve seen in a hot minute. While the movie tries for some deeper themes, it’s best when it’s not trying to be anything other than an absurd and silly gorefest. This movie won’t be to everyone’s taste, but those who are on its wavelength will lap it up.

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Operation Taco Gary’s — A Road Trip Movie with Conspiracies, Comedy, and a Few Bumps Along the Way

Reviews /

Our coverage of the movies we saw at the Austin Film Festival keeps moving along! This time I’m talking about Operation Taco Gary’s. Written and directed by Michael Kvamme, this comedy is a throwback to comedies of the early 2000s, even going so far as to cast Jason Biggs of American Pie fame. The two leads of the film are Simon Rex as Danny and Dustin Milligan as Luke, two brothers that share very little common ground when it comes to the way the world works. So, is this road trip comedy a nostalgic joyride or does it run out of gas? My Thoughts There’s definitely some laughs to be had with Operation Taco Gary’s! The setup is simple, as Luke is getting ready to leave and start his new chapter in Ottawa, to pursue a new job opportunity. Before he leaves, his brother Danny arrives, who is a big time conspiracy theorist and as they hit the road together, it appears that there might be more to these conspiracies than Luke thought. First, we gotta touch on the cast! Simon Rex definitely stood out the most, but Dustin Milligan was solid as well as the co-lead and the audience surrogate for the movie. The supporting cast here is great though too, with Brenda Song, Tony Cavalero (who is hilarious in this and the HBO series Righteous Gemstones), the previously mentioned Jason Biggs, and the amazing Doug Jones. A solid cast is key to a good comedy and writer/director Michael Kvamme definitely had plenty to work with here! Another thing that I liked about this movie was the way it actually handled the comedy around the conspiracy theorists in the movie. I found that the movie really balances the idea of laughing at and with the conspiracy theorist characters, which makes it more accessible to anyone and avoids the trap of just repeatedly mocking these kinds of people. It also manages to avoid feeling too much “of its time” by not being hyper focused on the conspiracies of the current era and takes a more creative approach to develop more unique conspiracies for the world of the movie, even if they take some inspiration from the real world occasionally. The best parts of the movie were a couple sequences in particular that really stood out, including a chase scene through the woods that had the audience at our screening in Austin cringing and laughing in equal measure. In fact, the highest points of the movie for me happened earlier in different scenes that took place in the woods. This hurt the movie a little for me on a pacing level, just because I laughed the hardest before the midpoint of the movie at a couple different sequences that they never really were able to top in the back half of the movie. On that note, I think the shortfalls of the movie fittingly were a lot of the shortfalls of the early 2000s era comedies. The narrative thread that is propelling the characters forward isn’t the most engaging, for example. It also has a particular brand of humour woven in throughout the movie that just didn’t land with me as consistently as I would’ve hoped, but if you get on its wavelength, you’ll definitely have some pretty consistent laughs. The third act in particular didn’t work as well for me, as the movie has a more serious moment that really clashes tonally with the rest of the movie. After this moment, I was kind of waiting for the movie to do something to undo that moment or make some light or add some humour to it and they just didn’t. Verdict Overall, I liked the commitment to a pure comedy that doesn’t rely on or overload itself with forced emotional moments. It’s definitely a throwback to that early 2000s era of comedies and if you like that idea, I think you will definitely like this movie! For me, while there were some incredibly solid moments in the first half, I thought the last half didn’t work as well. The movie doesn’t overstay its welcome, thanks the lean runtime, which kept it from feeling like a chore in the back half, even if it didn’t work as well for me. Still, if you’re looking for a break from the world, there’s definitely laughs to be had with Operation Taco Gary’s!

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Bottoms – Adriana’s Review

Reviews /

When I was a teenager, a movie like Bottoms wouldn’t have existed. I was 12 years old when Superbad (2007) came out, and I remember sneaking in to see it in theatres with one of my best friends. I’ve seen Superbad more times than I can count, and it still feels like one of the genre-defining high school comedies of my generation. But to see a raunchy, R-rated high school comedy centred around two queer girls would have been unthinkable to 12-year-old me.   Bottoms follows the aforementioned queer girls as they try to hook up with their popular cheerleader crushes by starting an after-school fight club. Lesbian protagonists aside, the movie feels in many ways like a 2000s-era comedy—right down to the blooper reel in the end credits. I don’t mean that as an insult, though. The movie is as much indebted to 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) as it is to Fight Club (1999), and it’s made for the kind of people who think both are masterpieces in their own ways. In other words, me. I am absolutely the target audience for this movie, so, of course, I loved it. Everything from nods to Fincher and cult classics like But I’m A Cheerleader (1999) to the music, with a soundtrack by Charli XCX, feel purposeful and eclectic. Yet, the movie never feels stale or derivative. That’s largely thanks to writer/director Emma Seligman and a fantastic cast, led by Rachel Sennott (who co-wrote the film with Seligman) and Ayo Edebiri, both of whom are oozing with talent and destined to be absolute stars. High school comedies like this, and comedies more broadly, feel like they’ve become fewer and farther between in the age of big-budget superhero blockbusters. The only recent analog that comes to mind is 2019’s Booksmart, which is a great movie in its own right. But Bottoms is weirder, wilder, and gayer. Its humour is silly and specific, and the movie deftly moves between balls-to-the-wall absurdism and over-the-top violence to more grounded moments of friendship and tender adolescent romance. That it strikes that balance and still manages to be very funny is an impressive feat. The movie is full of jokes that stem not just from the excellent script, but also down to the way actors deliver lines or facial expressions to blink-and-you’ll-miss-it production design details in the background to certain needle drops. At the time of writing, Bottoms has made just under $12 million USD at the box office. That doesn’t sound like much, especially on the heels of Barbie, which has been breaking box office records left and right and has crossed well over the $1 billion mark. But it’s a success story nonetheless. Bottoms debuted on just ten screens, but managed to earn the highest per-theatre average on a ten or more screen opening since Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022). The movie never even got an international release. I feel lucky to have even been able to catch it on the big screen (twice). Verdict In the age of big-budget blockbusters, a relatively small-scale high school sex comedy centred on two “ugly, untalented gays” feels like a breath of fresh air. We need more stories that come from specific voices and unique perspectives, even ones that are silly or violent or over-the-top. I think one of the reasons I loved this movie so much is that it feels like the kind of movie that my friends and I would have made, with the sole goal of trying to make each other laugh. It’s the kind of movie I would have snuck in to see as a kid, had it existed back then—the kind of movie I would watch over and over again. In fact, I probably will.

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