Anna and the Apocalypse

The Brits strike again with an original zombie comedy, this time mixed with a musical. I was not too keen on the film because I didn't believe this combination could work, but I am pleasantly surprised by the result. There are actually very likable characters (Anna rocks), everyone sings nicely, the personality references and one-liners are hilarious, there is some gore and action that is pretty well done, and the film keeps a solid pace as well. As a teen zombie musical one-off, the film is really good and handled with aplomb. I'm sure not everyone can stomach the singing, but those who are tolerant of genres might be surprised. 70% (2019.01.25)

This mix of Christmas movies, zombie flicks and musicals sounds good on paper, but the result won’t steal anybody’s heart. Rather, quite the opposite is true. More precisely, Anna and the Apocalypse will strike its target audience as a major rave-up and cheeky alternative, but that is due to the fact that its ideal viewers are teenagers. After all, the main characters are built to resonate with this audience as much as possible, but only futilely in a superficial manner. Unlike, for example, the outstanding series Skins, the film doesn’t have the scope that would bring catharsis to its viewers. Here it’s enough for the filmmakers to let the characters constantly stare at their mobile phones and formulaically work through some feelings and worries of adolescence, but this will never exceed the level of banal one-dimensionality. The overall style is on the same wavelength, as it does not have even a hint of exaggeration or campy excess; rather, it remains at the level of the shiny insipidness of Disney’s high school musicals. With its glee apocalypse, Anna doesn’t mine films like Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, Zombieland or Shaun of the Dead, though the creators would like to have something in that vein while also not wanting something that is too violent, just a bit of splatter here and there so as not to turn off any of the teen viewers, but it did leave a few cool streaks of blood on the protagonists’ faces. As a result, it is another would-be “non-mediocre” project sponsored by the company XYZ Films whose formula makes for an unwatchable work constantly promoted by its founder. Unfortunately, it is evident that XYZ Films is only looking for unusual topics and no longer gives filmmakers the necessary dramaturgical guidance and critical feedback. Instead of being able to exploit their full potential drawn from imaginative subject matter, they are satisfied only with superficial diversity, which in and of itself is far from a guarantee of a good film. (2018.12.16)