As far as movie monsters go, zombies aren’t very funny. There’s not much they can do, comedically speaking — they can’t make blood-sucking puns like vampires, they can’t shape-shift like werewolves, they can’t even sing “New York, New York” like a gremlin. Yet, there’s been a surprising number of funny zombie movies, including Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland, and Dead Alive.
Anna and the Apocalypse is like all of those, and also a musical.
The world’s first (?) “zombie Christmas musical” is about a group of friends who have to fight an undead horde with the power of… song. And also some sharp, pointy things, probably. Ryan McHenry, who wrote and directed the short film Anna is based on, Zombie Musical (he’s also the genius behind “Ryan Gosling Won’t Eat His Cereal”), penned the original screenplay, but he passed away from cancer in 2015. John McPhail took over directing duties.
Here’s the official plot synopsis.
A girl and her friends must fight – and sing – their way through a zombie invasion to reach the supposed safety of their school, not knowing if their parents and friends will still be alive when they get there.
Anna and the Apocalypse — which stars Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, and Mark Benton — premieres at Austin’s Fantastic Fest on September 22
