American Zombie (2007) User Reviews

American Zombie Review

[adamdonaghey · 6/10 · 29 April 2007]

When asked if there are flesh-eating zombies out there, Joel--an undead political activist--quickly retorts: "are there flesh-eating humans?" Grace Lee not only directs American Zombie, but plays herself in the film. She teams up with John Solomon--also playing himself--to film a documentary project about an undead community living in L.A. The duo quickly find out that some sort of virus, brought on by a violent death, is plaguing its residents, and ultimately zombifying an entire community.

American Zombie is a veritable slice-of-life of four "revenants"--Joel, founder of Z.A.G.: the Zombie Advocacy Group; Judy, who naively searches for true love and denies her zombiness; Ivan, a convenience store clerk who aspires to be a writer; and Lisa, a florist specializing in funeral arrangements for other people--who secretly longs for her own. Each character represents an average person with average emotions and average problems, showing us that the undead aren't too different than the living. Well, except for their rotting flesh, of course.

What's really great about the film is the absolute mockery the protagonists make of themselves. Grace, the ever-so-astute naturalistic documentarian, and John, the bumbling investigative reporter, are at odds with each other throughout the film, and ultimately to a fault. What makes this film not-so-great is twofold: the running time and the conclusion. I think the film would have been better as a short. While it's in-depth look at each character is interesting, I'm not sure if its compelling enough to steer the audience towards anything meaningful. And even worse is the ending, after which, the audience can no longer sympathize with the plight of the community. Unfortunately, what could have been a provocative social commentary, becomes nothing more than a sensationalistic--albeit unique, comedic and funfilled--mockumentary.

Not bad. Not bad at all

[fudde · 6/10 · 2 April 2008]

This movie seems to have multiple personalities. It starts out very, very dry, a little too much so. Then it warms up and is hilarious in the middle, but suddenly turns serious at the end, making it seem like a different movie entirely. A good mockumentary should build to a large climax that leaves me smiling, not depressed.

However, I do recommend seeing it. The good parts are enough to make the movie worthwhile. The private investigator is especially funny, and John Solomon's antics perfectly balance Grace's personality.

I'd be excited to see what these filmmakers do next. Though a better ending would have moved this film from six stars into eight or nine, there's certainly quite a bit of talent at work here, and a few more films under their belt might make all the difference.

These reviewers must be cast

[ryanpseudo · 4/10 · 15 August 2010]

Might I start out by saying I will watch almost any zombie movie on repeat regardless of 'corny-ness', 'hokeyness', or gore. This is not a zombie movie. If the title were renamed "american leper who eats raw steak" you would need to change less than 3 lines in the movie.

The movie starts out hopefully enough with the cast wanting to make a documentary about zombies in LA. They develop the undead were all killed violently, and no longer remember their past lives. They also find zombies all have some glowing blue goo that seems like it could get really interesting, and then never does. It is completely never explored. Never mentioned again after they encounter it. Random blue goo swept into the plot hole pile.

Then they start developing there might be something sinister happening at a zombie party, but they cant get in as humans. This too seems like a chance for zombie dress up or a spy entry plot, but it doesn't. They get permission and go into a zombie ren-fest thats just as boring as they're trying to make it look. You could name anything that would have made that scene more interesting, but I defy you to think to something more boring. You can't. They could be trading limbs or eating grotesque or walking on the bottom of lakes or something zombie-esquire. nothing at all out of the ordinary ren-fest.

Something ravages their tent and seems to be surrounding the crew in their tent and seems like it could be getting suspenseful, but then nothing happens. Its like the boy who cried zombie for an hour. No plot line is continued or sought out. At this point you are 3/4 through the movie and still can't find a plot line.

They get kicked out for the final night but they just walk over a hill and they're 30 feet from the center of everything, so..not really kicked out. Something happens I wont ruin, but its not scary, there's no blood or gore, and it doesn't tie into anything thats already happened.

Then there a bunch of aftermath interviews that just as easily could have been shown anywhere else in the movie and made as much sense, perhaps more. The last of these, and in the last 10 min, is when the possibility of a zombie movie arises. For no explained reason a lesser character attacks someone nonthreatening, and then after the whole team makes a decision, they do the opposite.

In summary: This movie has no plot at all.

What?

[ridge_kan · 2/10 · 1 April 2010]

The people who wrote all the previous reviews must be trying to sell the movie, because I don't see how any of them could have got what they say they got out of the movie. It is boring from start to finish and the characters are flaky and uninteresting! There's really no plot other than that they are making a documentary. Some elements they bring up in the film are so vague it makes you wonder why they put them in the film in the first place. It makes me think if the Lifetime channel made a zombie movie, this is what it would be. If you are a true zombie movie fan, then this movie isn't for you! Trust me, you'll be more entertained sitting in front of your TV for an hour and a half with it turned off!

CLEVER, ORIGINAL, AND BAD

[nogodnomasters · 4/10 · 31 December 2018]

This is a mockumentary on the zombie community. In many ways it is a parody on the gay community. Unfortunately in order to capture the feel of a real documentary, the movie is very boring.

The low budget made for very few special effects or zombie make-up. The zombies they follow live boring if not pathetic lives. The real action in the movie starts at a festival called "live dead" which reminded me of a Grateful Dead parking lot. At this point the movie is well past the half way point. Feel free to tell people the surprise ending

Done with amazing Grace...

[poe426 · 7/10 · 1 September 2008]

The craftsmanship is topnotch, the performances solid, the writing sound. There are some astute observations here and there about life after death- and life before death. Like the risen dead in THEY CAME BACK, the undead in American ZOMBIE aren't just mindless, flesh-eating zombies (not that there's anything wrong with mindless, flesh-eating zombies) (check out my black and white comic, CAPE FEAR COMICS, available from comiXpress, which is dedicated to George A. Romero himself, and you'll see whereof I speak). The socio-political ramifications of the dead rising from their graves is explored (sometimes hilariously, sometimes more sublimely), but it's the superb film-making that makes this one worthy of a nice, long look.

The potential outweighed the product

[Slowblivion · 6/10 · 3 November 2011]

I initially was really pleased after watching American Zombie but after thinking on it for a bit... I'm not so sure.

First, what I did like. I thought the acting is really well done in this. Yes it's supposed to be a mockumentary but characters like Jane really stood out. I did feel a tension which kept me interested through out the film. The production value was good, the sound was good, and the visuals were good. (Keep in mind it's a documentary style so there's no super cinematography in this but I was sold on the style)

I really liked the idea of "normal" zombies. I think that's a really interesting concept that plays out very well. I really liked the interaction between (i'm sorry I forget her name, but the really upbeat girl who at the end attacks John) and her "boyfriend". I like the optimism in trying to be something she's not. I like the scrapbooking and how she has no memory before her death so now she tries to keep everything in a memory... I like the depth the characters a lot.

Now, things after reflection...

Too much goes unexplored and left on the table for me to just guess at. The blue vials, what are they? are they some substitution for human flesh? are they drugs? feral zombies, where are they?

This film takes a while before it becomes interesting then that interest is quickly subsided as the pay offs fall flat. Live Dead... I'm thinking some subversive stuff, things the zombies don't want humans to see and it really is just Burning man for about 30 zombies. There just isn't enough tension to keep one engaged. A zombie stumbles next to the film makers tent... they complain about it then, nothing happens from it. They find their camp trashed, but they go to sleep with little worry. They are forced to leave the grounds but are easily able to film from a hill top near by. John drinks a blue vial... but he just feels a little sick then that's it.

I think what this suffers from is telling not showing which I know is hard to say since it's a documentary style but... John says he saw some crazy stuff, but we don't see it. The filmmakers say they see a girl get eaten... but we don't actually see it. They say the girl who is eaten turns into a zombie... but we're told it, not shown it. We hear zombies outside the tent, but we don't see them. It's just hard to really feel the danger when we have to just assume it all.

Another problem is I feel like there's a hugely interesting back story to how the undead came to be and how humans initially reacted to them, but all we get is a historian interview about how zombies happen, then stop for no reason. That's not backstory. That's just saying...look, we don't know, just go with it. This is a problem for me as one can't really understand humans reactions correctly. Zombies have jobs, walk freely, have their own apartments etc... people don't feel fear of them which is confusing as everyone is aware of the Hollywood zombie stereotype. Yet, John, still talks about how he wants to know if they eat flesh and what have you. The clarity of what humans know or believe or fear isn't clear so it makes it hard for a viewer, who naturally puts themselves in those shoes, to understand thus making everything have to be explained, but with so many things unexplained you feel you're not getting enough info to make any real decision. WHEW that's a run on, sorry.

Finally Johns infection. While I like the idea of him turning, I think it's too on the nose. There's a scene where John says all the zombies names have 4 letters, then Grace says, yeah, like John. Well go figure John gets bitten and turns. But...why? Why be bitten? I get the idea others have talked about such as self fulfilling prophecy but I think the bigger picture is his recognition of his bias and facing his fear. He's looking for the dirt on being a zombie... now he knows. But the film paints zombies in so many lights... normal, crazy, deceitful, liars, conniving, plotting... (Yes I get that these are all also human traits). But the tension of the plotting and what have you is lost when Johns bitten. Then it's just spelling it out for you which isn't what a film like this should do. Having him turn from the vial drink would have been far more interesting to then see how he deals with his turning and even an interview with him at the end as a zombie.

Look, this isn't a bad movie. And the fact that i'm focusing almost entirely on the story is important to note. This had many good things going for it. Again, acting, concept, production value, decent camera work etc... The way the story played out just didn't live up to what was a really good idea. I give a lot of credit for trying something new and in the zombie genre, originality is key and often lacking. The end product is a decent movie but I think it will bore gore hounds and general horror fans. I think the only people I could recommend this film to are people like me... those are people who enjoy zombie movies for subtext and meaning, not just for kills and girls in skimpy clothing.

They're here. They're dead... Get used to it!

[Coventry · 8/10 · 31 March 2008]

"American Zombie" is probably the biggest pleasant surprise I encountered in quite a few years and I urge every fan of cinema – whether horror or films in general – to check it out as soon as the opportunity occurs. The film is an odd and unconventional mixture between a zombie film (duh!) and the so-called "mockumentary" (people with hand-held cameras registering the unusual situation they find themselves stuck in). Just because of this label, I approached "American Zombie" with extreme caution and low anticipations. Let's be honest, the market for zombie movies already suffers from over-saturation since many years and the Mockumentary forms a suddenly unstoppable trend ("Cloverfield", "rec", …) that yet has to prove its stability. George A. Romero also joined in on the combination of zombies and shaky cameras with his latest effort "Diary of the Dead". Now, he's an acclaimed director and even the founding father of zombie cinema, but what to expect from a bunch of inexperienced documentary makers? Well, I love being proved wrong when it comes to innovating and new film projects! "American Zombie" is refreshing, original, intelligent, well structured and far more stylish than it has any right to be. The subject matter may sound ridicule, but writer/director Grace Lee presents everything in a convincing style and even the cast members, who have the difficult task of depicting plausible corpses, play their roles with a constant straight face. The script uniquely introduces resurrection from the dead as some sort of congenital defect, caused by a substance in the brain that is activated in case of a violent death. There are several categories of "Revenants", varying from the absolute braindead to the living dead with most of their vital brain capacities still intact. Throughout a period of several days, a Los Angeles film crew follows four of these "intelligent" zombies and illustrates how they live their everyday afterlife, deal with all sorts of discrimination and desperately attempt to oppress their physical decomposing. Just like normal people, these revenants have different personalities, hopes, desires, sentiments and goals to achieve. Meanwhile the film also centers on the arguments between the filmmakers mutually, as Grace wants to maintain an objective viewpoint whereas John continuously confronts the revenants with provocative questions. The revenants' stories and the crew's constant quarrels are already fascinating to behold, but the script is uplifted to an even higher level of quality through interviews with other groups. There are scientists listing the characteristics and history of the Living Dead, Zombie-haters (displaying various ways to destroy a dead brain) and Zombie-chasers (similar to people who write love letters to convicts on death row). Seemingly without much effort, "American Zombie" succeeds in bringing a biting satire that subtly mocks modern social issues and media sensationalism, but simultaneously doesn't lose track of story depth and character drawings. There are multiple powerful scenes in the film and you honestly come to care for the revenants … even though the maggots occasionally fall out of their bodies. "American Zombie" is also a rather atypical "Mocumentary" (since there are still professionals in charge of photography, sound and editing) so the amount of shaky camera movements and extreme close-ups are thankfully kept to a minimum. Highly recommended to open-minded cinema lovers.

Zombie Mockumentry.

[linkmp-890-778625 · 6/10 · 4 April 2011]

An often entertaining movie with plot holes, contradictions, continuity errors and characters doing things from out of the blue. Various elements are also left unexplained.

Watch ZA: Zombies Anonymous instead. It has a similar sense of dark humor and depicts the zombies in similar way (with intelligence and the ability to function in society. while being a much better put together film.

While this movie is entertaining and it's mockumentry style intriguing, it is very sloppy, especially towards the end. Only watch if you can ignore major flaws.

A Zombie Movie about Humanity

[chrlpolk · 10/10 · 30 January 2012]

For those who watch this for a zombie flick, this will be a disappointment. That is not what this film is about.

This is a movie of subtext. It is a statement on multi-culturalism and the demand to conform to social norms. The Zombies can represent any modern stereotype - from homosexuals to immigrants, or people with HIV or disabilities.

It is a statement about society's respect for the individual. We want to think of ourselves as socially permissive; accepting of differences; PC.

But the more people just want to be left alone, the more our fear-driven prejudices emerge. The climax of the movie is a wake-up call to audience of just how much we, through the course of the movie, have judged the characters, based solely on stereotypes.

This isn't a Zombie flick; it is a human flick, with zombies.

Excellent Social Metaphor

[tomsspam101 · 10/10 · 26 December 2009]

I just signed up to IMDb simply to express my delight in how refreshing this film was. It is an exploration of how groups are marginalised by society, and labelled with negative connotations, causing not only fringe group extremists but self fulfilling prophecies.

John represents the world view of the Zombie group, and as the film progress you can see how this world view is pushing the zombies away from integration, into the fringe of society and into the arms of angry primarily labelled and conforming leaders who's angry voices are the only ones to be heard at such an extremes of social exclusion.

People have said that the movement of the Zombies at the end, into the expected "typical" behaviour of that group ruins the film, and any sympathy for them dies with it. It in fact shows how having pre-conditioned ideas of how a people behave actually creates a self fulfilling prophecy.

Excellent film. Bravo.

An interpretation of the unconscious motivations behind the zombie characters dialogue.

[mat9813004 · 9/10 · 8 October 2009]

I will try to be as vague as possible while still remaining coherent so as to not give away too much.

I liked the movie and it is possible that I am over interpreting the movie but want to address statements that the end is in contrast to the majority of the movie. It isn't, the reasons for the resurrection of the "revenants" and the basic motivations for the zombies is suggested early on in the movie and the movie does provide confirmation of the reality of this motivation subtly quite early. The movie presents the motivation as manifesting in various forms through the characters dialogue, multiple world views interpreting the basic motivation of the cause for their resurrection. It makes what is happening at the end more coherent, the characters various ethical dilemmas and basic motivations manifesting in different forms. The zombies discourse is close enough to resemble the major discourse present in living human society such as love, equality, art, meaning and truth, but the unconscious drive behind these positive terms is something else not human and the majority of them are probably are not conscious of the disparity.

She's Not There

[valis1949 · 10/10 · 21 July 2009]

What a splendid documentary! Finally, a Fair And Balanced look at the plight of The Un-Dead. Grace Lee's, American ZOMBIE treats the viewer to a never seen before look at 'a day in the life' in a variety of High Functioning Zombies in contemporary Los Angeles. 'The Creatures of the Night' are people too, and are lobbying for their rights, and demanding recognition from mainstream society! The film gallantly demonstrates how, ZAG (Zombie Activist Group) tirelessly champions the rights of this over-looked and ignored marginalized community. If you like documentaries that fearlessly seek out the truth, you can't pass this up. There ain't no 'sizzle' in this spectacular film, it's all 'red, red meat'.

NOT your average Zombie movie, for the very best.

[danny-fr-mail · 10/10 · 26 November 2013]

IMPORTANT NOTE: AZ IS DEFINITELY NOT A COMEDY! - there must have been a mistake in the classification. Emotions are all represented in this movie, from hope to pathos to sadness, but certainly not humor.

If your average idea of a good movie is 120 minutes of explosions and flying limbs, move along, there's nothing to see here. If, though, you're interested in something new, fresh, giving a second birth to a topic already exploited to death and beyond, you're in for your money.

In world where Zombies retain their mental faculties after turning, and try coping with their ailment, American Zombie is a mockumentary (fake documentary) following the afterlife of several revenants, each having a distinct approach towards their status (legally dead), future, lack of memory regarding event before their legal death and, most of all, their place in society. But activist, new age tinker or desperate optimists, they all have one thing in common: well kept secrets.

Every aspect of this movie is impeccable, and really leaves us with the impression that the mock filming team has done the best they could to uncover the truth, even it the film deliberately leaves some questions unanswered to add to its realism. The acting is surprisingly masterful, techniques used are not over the top, yet not sub standard either (no overused shaking and bad image quality) ; the mock filming team is supposed to be made of professionals, and we're watching professional result.

Grace Lee manages to fuse narrative and documentation to keep a dramatic curve that will hook you until the last minute, and deliver a spectacular piece of entertainment which will make you wonder for a minute or two whether or not zombies are real.

A must see, definitely.

Actually a pretty brilliant film...

[AndyVanScoyoc · 8/10 · 22 May 2020]

I'm extremely disillusioned with modern zombie films.

Most of them are just mindless stupidity, sex, sleaze and idiocy...and try to make up for the lack of story and substance with gore and special effects.

This film is slow and methodical, but watch it and pay attention...the characters are well developed.

My particular favorite was the flower arranger. She had real depth and I felt for her. She was quiet, kind and artistic...and she seemed totally lost, even amongst her own kind.

I wish the directors would have fleshed out more how each person died, and the ending was abrupt and lazy, but this film is actually very cool.

It's the type of film that you have to see to appreciate the ingenuity of the story...rather than stupid people making stupid decisions who you can't wait to watch die.

These characters could be people you know...

Zombies with a difference...

[stephen-hoyland · 9/10 · 13 November 2012]

Those of you Zombie movie fans out there expecting a flesh-eating fest will be disappointed - but let's face It, the Zombie film has been taken to It's limits and beyond so a new slant was definitely required. Though a bit silly, this spoof documentary Is both funny(very tongue-In- cheek In places)mixed In equal proportions with some very straight-played characters and scenes. The "professionals" give there opinions very well and through them both the main background to the Zombie virus as well as the Social problems faced by the creatures are made apparent, although 'creature' may be the wrong word here considering that the majority of these Zombies-or 'Revenants'(look It up,It's a pretty cool word!)-as they are most commonly termed throughout-are generally In full control of themselves and retain most of their mental capacity. I give It a high score because It's so different and played so well. Look out for the Private detective demonstrating his Zombie-killing techniques!

Decent effort

[eannamac · 11 June 2010]

This is not a conventional zombie movie, this takes the stance that zombies are not necessarily brain munching mindless creatures, but some of them, while still being dead still retain most cognitive function. A group sets out to make a documentary on zombies, specifically centred on ZAG the Zombie Activist Group and how they are fitting into modern American Society.

It should also be pointed out that this cast and crew were generally quite inexperienced when they made this but it's not obvious for the most part.

***SPOILERS*** Some of it is quite black humoured which is good, there are few Zombie movies that have any humour at all and the whole documentary feel to it is reasonably well done, particularly when the crew argue amongst themselves about what to do.

However it is a little too long and the ending stinks of a hasty re- write

If you can't even make a zombie comedy truly funny, perhaps you really should just do documentaries.

[fedor8 · 18 January 2012]

American Zombie: The Sean Penn Story.

Actually, no. I would never insult the "living deceased" like that.

AZ pretty much fails as a comedy, but succeeds to a limited extent as a mild curiosity, though far be it for me to imply that it is hugely original by any means. Woody Allen and Christopher Guest have already done this format, and with much better results.

It's the sort of failed comedy which must have seemed funny when it was being written, i.e. appeared to be comical on paper, but when transferred to the screen fell apart. (Paper and screen, two entirely different worlds sometimes.) Try to remember that, future writers of comedy: not everything that's funny in written form actually works when filmed. As you write a screenplay, try to vividly imagine what your material would look like on the screen before rushing head-first into a project that will not shake the world of film at all.

Also, keep in mind that the zombie comedy genre has been bled to death already. So if you want to be clever about it, then make an actual effort, as opposed to just going for the obvious gags, such as a "zombie song" about freedom. In fact, when the humour isn't predictable it is "too clever", too high-brow. Grace Lee (the writer/director) tried to impress with her "intelligence" rather than induce laughter, which is the totally wrong approach to any comedy. Set your ego aside, missus, and you might succeed the next time. I would have welcomed some "low-brow" gags, just to keep things a little more unpredictable, balanced and dynamic.

Grace didn't have the guts to go for balls-out humour, possibly because she might have felt embarrassed (her former film-school pals, presumable all pretentious Bunuel fans, might have snickered, dunno). Instead, most of the movie is on one level, i.e. there is nearly only the subtle, satirical, quiet-monotone-monologue approach, not enough sight gags or action sequences to mix it up a bit - apart from the old guy demolishing a doll and the highly predictable (dramatic even!) ending in which one of the film-makers gets attacked by one of its interviewees. (Who didn't see that coming? And why the sudden drama?) I am not talking about turning this into an action comedy, because who the hell needs one more of those. AZ is too one-dimensional; for most of the first half it only has one flavour, one colour. It's like a straight horizontal line that never deviates from its style, one bit. That's what makes it somewhat dull as well as unfunny. It's mostly composed of monologues by actors who were so concerned with "mockumentary realism" that it's almost as if they forgot they had to be funny too.

One of the rare amusing bits was the Chinese factory owner who employs zombie labour. That was a nice, original touch. More of that would have helped.

Some potentially good gags were wasted. For example, the idea that "Jesus was the first zombie" could have been very funny if it had been mentioned in a dialogue between two people of differing religious views, which then could have turned into a heated debate - rather than just have a grinning guy say it in a monologue which is far less funny. Aditionally, instead of the film crew waiting for a permit for the "Live Dead" festival, it would have been funnier to have them camouflage themselves as zombies, getting inside that way. Besides, it makes no sense at all that they got permission to film there, considering that zombies eat the living there.

I am not going to nitpick on the logic of a comedy, even if it is a high-brow wannabe mockumentary, but I do have to mention the illogic of having thousands of zombies wonder through the city when they are so obviously out-of-control and dangerous. The fact that zombies had been part of society for decades would mean that they would be sufficiently explored, all the hazards associated with them already known. Still, it's a forgivable error, this is after all just a zombie comedy, even if it does try to smother us with the writer/director's "cleverness".

If Grace wanted to be so clever and original with AZ, she could have introduced the idea of old people close to death going out of their way to die violently, i.e. kill themselves or have themselves be killed, just so they could resurrect and continue "living". This whole aspect of people using the "R428" virus to their own advantage has barely been touched. I also think she missed out on an opportunity for a number of goofy sight gags, for example zombies being trained to collect and eat up fresh roadkill, since that was a job that no almost no human was eager to do. She could have had a zombie holding an animal carcass, unwilling to eat it because it "wasn't fresh enough". Silly stuff like that. I could think of dozens of funnier zombie gags than AZ offers us. Writing a zombie comedy isn't exactly rocket science - or at least isn't meant to be.

Half the fun about zombies is their klutziness and dimwittedness, so for Grace to move away from that by focusing on zombies that walk and talk normally – a major mistake. The brief scene with the "low-functioning zombies" in the factory was much more fun than most of the stuff with the normal zombies. Too normal for my taste.

I commend Grace though for taking jabs at fanatical, hypocritical, self-righteous political/social activism that has been polluting America in recent decades, but that too should have been funnier. And next time, Grace, don't put yourself in front of the camera. Stay behind it. You're neither charismatic nor an actress.