TV + Movies

A New Goofy Zombie Comedy Is Out Now That Is Slightly Like ‘What We Do In The Shadows’

Both "What We Do in the Shadows" and "Zombie Strain" share a similar mockumentary approach where characters are being filmed in a confined space during supernatural events, with both films focusing more on character dynamics and comedy than on the supernatural threats themselves.

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Zombie Strain is a pseudo-documentary-style zombie movie with relatively few zombies.

The story happens over the course of a night when zombies begin attacking people. Most of the movie is set within a low-budget sound stage where a small crew is making a Christmas-themed adult film. The film crew, other staff members, the owner of the sound stage, and a few interns all become trapped inside the studio when they realize the danger they’re in. They spend the night filming themselves as they do their best to survive when zombies find their way inside the building.

Zombie Strain was directed by Michael Seabolt and written by Gregory M. Schroeder. Starring as the people trapped in the sound stage are William Mann, Cameron Vitosh, India Jasiri, Chandni Shah, Emily Ashby, Thomas Dagnino, Alexander D. Vogt, and Jim Belden.

Movie Review

Don’t let the title fool you. While there’s a special weed strain that makes zombies ignore you (because you’re so high they think you’re one of them), it’s barely used in the plot. If you’re expecting “everyone gets high and strolls past zombies,” that’s not what you’ll get. Instead, it’s a straight-up zombie comedy.

And as zombie comedies go, it’s pretty solid. The characters are distinct – you’ve got your serious types like Nate (Cameron Vitosh) and Aaliyah (India Jasiri), but the real fun comes from the wackier ones. Zoe (Chandni Shah) spends the whole movie high and steals every scene, while Charlie (William Mann) is hilariously insufferable with his bizarre arrogance.

The movie feels very improv-heavy, with long takes and found-footage style filming that makes the character banter feel natural and fun. At 98 minutes though, it does drag a bit. The zombies never feel like a real threat – they’re more of a backdrop for the characters to argue with each other, which gets repetitive.

Star Rating: 3 out of 5

Watch this if you want a goofy zombie comedy that’s more about character interactions than gore. Don’t expect much flesh-eating – it’s mainly just silly fun.

Streaming now on TVOD platforms including Fandango at Home.