Amazon Summary:
A zombie apocalypse threatens the sleepy town of Little Haven – at Christmas – forcing Anna and her friends to fight, slash and sing their way to survival, facing the undead in a desperate race to reach their loved ones.
FYA Summary:
It’s the day of the big school Christmas show and Anna and her father have just had a big fight about college. When a global pandemic that turns out to not be the flu morphs into a zombie outbreak (You mean 2020 could have been even worse?), Anna and her friends have to battle their way across town to rescue their family and friends trapped at the high school before it’s too late.
If you loved Zombieland but thought: needs more song and dance numbers, then this is the movie for you.
Familiar Faces:
Ella Hunt as Anna Shepherd
Anna dreams of traveling Australia instead of starting university, much to her father’s dismay. Hunt is beautiful and badass as Anna. Most recently seen in Apple TV’s Dickinson, she just seems destined to be a star.
Malcolm Cumming as John
John is Anna’s best friend who has a not-so-secret crush on her. He’s a sweet baby angel and unexpectedly brave when it counts.
Sara Swire as Steph
Student journalist Steph is the token American with absent parents (I can only imagine they learned about us by watching CW shows). She’s hugely sympathetic and her killer delivery is her secret weapon.
Ben Wiggins as Nick
Every school has an obligatory psychotic jackass. He’s theirs. Leader of the bullying jocks clique, Nick quickly pivots to competent zombie hunter. Wiggins has most recently been in The Witcher and I really need him to get more work.
Paul Kaye as Savage
Mr. Savage is the comically villainous headmaster who may have finally been pushed too far. Paul Kaye has a long list of credits in the U.K. and you’ve definitely seen him in something before.
Couch-Sharing Capability: Solo or Ensemble
Legit horror movies give me the wiggins. And while this movie is great for watching with friends or family, my favorite thing about it (okay, right after the big number in the cafeteria) is that it’s not so scary that you can’t watch it alone. It’s perfect for pandemic social distancing and perfect for wimps like me! Also, these songs slap, so feel free to have your dance party without judgement.
Recommended Level of Inebriation: Choose Your Weapon
It’s Halloween week! Sure, everything is on fire, including in this movie, but that’s no reason to skip seasonal cocktails. If you want to go full Halloween, may I suggest this Zombie recipe? It sounds like a yummy take on the tiki classic and it’s a festive shade of orange. Or, you can lean into the Christmas aspect (plus, what is time anymore anyway?) and bust out that eggnog early. Whatever you choose, try to have some fun, would you?
Use of Your Streaming Subscription: Melodic
So yes, this is technically a Christmas movie. But it has plenty of blood, gore, and beheadings to justify an October viewing. Now I know there are a ton of movies out there that are perfect for Halloween. I’ve written about a bunch of them. But how many of them are zombie musicals? Anna and the Apocalypse is hilarious and touching and the songs are legit great and catchy as hell. You’ll be rooting for Anna and her friends, as they slaughter zombie hordes throughout their town, and isn’t that what Christmas Halloween is all about?
