Anna and the Apocalypse is a high school comedy drama film. It’s a Christmas film. It’s a musical. It’s a zombie horror comedy. It’s a weird combination of all
those things. And it works!
The story is set in a
small town called Little Haven at Christmastime, and follows a high
school senior named Anna Shepherd (Ella Hunt) who plans of travelling for a year first after graduation instead of immediately attending college – a decision that greatly upsets her father
Tony (Mark Benton). But before the two can
find the chance to make up, the whole world is suddenly hit by a zombie
apocalypse, and father and daughter find themselves at opposite parts of
town. Now, Anna and her friends must maneuver
through perilous streets and buildings, evading and fighting the undead along
the way, so that they may reunite with their loved ones.
Anna and the Apocalypse didn’t really blow me away, but I was
constantly smiling in enjoyment while watching it. For it delights by being the best possible
version of how a “High School Musical
meets Shaun of the Dead” premise would
look like.
Speaking of Shaun of the Dead, it’s quite evident that it served as an
inspiration for this movie. There are beats here and
there that are reminiscent of it. The most obvious example is the scene where
Anna begins and goes on her morning without noticing the zombie apocalypse occurring
all around her. However, the movie gives the concept a fresh spin by making it a musical number.
The other musical numbers aren’t as
striking as that one, but most of them are noteworthy in their own right. Honestly, the songs are forgettable. But each of the musical numbers where these songs
are sung is well-placed and adds a visceral layer at that
point of the narrative.
As a whole, the storytelling is
clever and strong. It fleshes out its characters
real well, completely making the audience invested on their arcs. Thus, there are no disposable deaths here. When characters die, it hits you
right in the feels.
In the end, Anna and the Apocalypse is just a good – not great – film all in
all. But it’s brimming with original
wackiness, and it’s very charming in a “potential cult classic” sort of way, that
it’s still a must-see.
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