In ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE, 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. But they soon discover that no one is safe in this new world, and with civilization falling apart around them, the only people they can truly rely on are each other… FROM AATA Film Site.
Here is my full review of the film.
The NY Times had a wonderful article about the origins of this film, here. In the article it's explained where this fun idea came from…
In 2009, a Scottish film student named Ryan McHenry went to his close friend Naysun Alae-Carew with a delicate question: Would you like to make a zombie musical?
“He’d been watching a trailer for ‘High School Musical,’” Mr. Alae-Carew recalled, “and he thought it would be vastly better if Zac Efron were eaten by zombies.”
Sadly this film doesn't have the actual Zac Efron being consumed by a group of zombies, but an adorable and entertaining film thus was still created. Ella Hunt is our title namesake Anna and her mixture of beauty and sulky teen carries the film quite nicely. The rest of the cast is pretty much molded by their stereotypical characters. Marli Siu does steal every scene as the hormonal best friend. Paul Kaye's, future Principal Savage (explained in the movie), is the real heart of the film and his evil demeanor is rather captivating.
The pacing of the hour and 37 minutes is brisk and allows for a comfortable viewing experience. No worries the movie doesn't linger or carry on. No it's not Shaun of the Dead level, but it's still quite enjoyable. The musical numbers are slightly corny but still endearing. Think 10 Things I Hate About You but minus the charm and sophistication.
Director John McPhail studied cinematography at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and his keen eye is noticeable. For a young director and cast to have pulled off such a fluid film is impressive and bodes well for the futures of many of these kiddos. The film won't blow your mind but it sure will have your foot tapping and you giggling till the end.
For more information on the film please visit their site.
