Written and directed by Tina Romero, co-written by Erin Judge, when a zombie apocalypse breaks out in Brooklyn on the night of a giant warehouse party, an eclectic group of drag queens, club kids, & frenemies must put aside their drama and use their unique skills to fight against the brain-thirsty, scrolling undead. Starring: Katy O’Brian, Jaquel Spivey, Nina West, Tómas Matos, Margaret Cho, Jack Haven, Quincy Dunn-Baker, Cheyenne Jackson, Riki Lindhome, Dominique Jackson, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Becca Blackwell, Eve Lindley and Tom Savini.
At this point, zombie apocalypse stories are pretty played out so how do you inject new life into them? Well, according to Queens of the Dead the answer is make them queer, celebrate drag and turn it into a party, and they were right. Tina Romero and the whole team behind this flick deserve a lot of credit because getting that balance right of making it camp, cheesy and violent, without veering into parody territory is a difficult task and they got it right on the money.
As soon as you enter Queens of the Dead it has this incredibly old-school feel of being extra dramatic and energetic, throwing back to the fun horror of the 1980s. That’s really the heart of what makes it so entertaining, Tina Romero creates such an enjoyable and playful atmosphere. It’s exactly what you want from a horror-comedy blend, ticking all the boxes of violence, gore and cannibalism while having a good time. It’s colourful, has a nicely brisk pace and a camp personality. Then along the way Romero and Erin Judge add plenty of pokes and prods at the parallels between zombie-ism and addiction to social media. It’s on the nose but in a great way, and adds a nicely relevant note.
Then you’ve got the cast, that is a list of people that once you’ve seen it, you shouldn’t need to know more, that’s more than enough information to watch Queens of the Dead. Katy O’Brian finds another excuse to get out the muscle tank and why not? She rocks that look. She brings a lovable, anxious yet highly capable personality to lead the way. She’s then got a phenomenal supporting cast behind her, starting with the extra charming Jaquel Spivey who is just wonderful in this role and adds a lot to the genuine heart behind it.
You can never go wrong with Margaret Cho, her role may not be the biggest but it’s hugely enjoyable. Quincy Dunn-Baker is excellent pushing all those straight white male, doesn’t understand the modern PC lingo, buttons as hard as he can while actually creating a likable character. He’s very well paired with Cheyenne Jackson. Nina West, Tómas Matos and Dominique Jackson are all terrific as very different drag queens, who all know how to command a room. Eve Lindley is another great addition who has a lot to add to the comedy, her timing is fantastic. Riki Lindhome is perhaps a bit of a strange choice but she’s good fun and Jack Haven goes all in on the bimbo vibes for Kelsey and it’s delightfully weird.
Queens of the Dead is the perfect film to re-energise the zombie apocalypse, stepping away from morbid, drab, depressing features and turning the end of the world into a party. It’s fun, vibrant, playful and old-school in the best way. The casting work for this one was impeccable because it’s such an epic group. It’s undeniably and unapologetically queer which is a joy to watch. It’s exactly the type of cinema that we always need more of, something that’s pure entertainment. Not to mention that it clearly points out that the only really helpful time for e-scooters is when you’re trying to scoot past the undead. And unsurprisingly for a film full of drag queens, the makeup is on point.
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