10 Zombie Comedy Horror Movies You Probably Haven't Seen
2. Anna and the Apocalypse
Before going viral with his video series Ryan Gosling Won't Eat His Cereal, Ryan McHenry directed a zombie musical short, succinctly called Zombie Musical.
Just as McHenry was preparing to turn his work into a feature called Anna and the Apocalypse, the Scottish director was struck down by bone cancer, dying at 27. Refusing to let his dream die, McHenry's work colleagues soldiered on and completed the project.
From the get-go, it's obvious the filmmakers involved put their heart and soul into Anna and the Apocalypse, throwing in elaborate dance numbers, phenomenal singing, catchy lyrics, heavily choreographed action, and gruesome zombie kills. After watching the titular character dancing her heart out on the streets in the opening while her neighbours are turned into zombie food, you know the next 90 minutes are going to be a blast.
Even though horror comedies tend to laugh away the most gruesome deaths, Anna and the Apocalypse takes the subject matter very seriously. The demise of every central character has weight to it, making viewers care far more about the main ensemble than they probably expected to.
Although it's difficult to juggle so many wacky ideas in such a bonkers musical, Anna and the Apocalypse pulls it off flawlessly.
Great job, guys. You did Ryan McHenry proud.