Do you like zombie movies? I mean all zombie movies, whether they be Romero zombie movies, or Edgar Wright zombie movies, or Resident Evil type zombie movies? How about comedies? Do you like crass humour? What about humour that isn’t trying to be smart and is just funny? How about laughing as a concept, do you like to laugh? If you’ve answered yes to any and all of those questions, then you better look out for Chava Cartas’ new movie, MexZombies simply because its all of those things, and it is made by someone who clearly loves movies for the simple fact that they are movies and makes a movie for movie lovers that happens to be a zombie movie.
With Luis Gamboa and Santiago Limon’s script for MexZombies they’re not trying to reinvent the wheel, they’re just trying to have a good time and their sheer love for cinema and movies is evident, and it bleeds through their script. The film focuses on a duo of friends consisting of Tavo played by Inaki Godoy and Cronos played by Marcelo Barcelo. Tavo lives outside of the gated community, and everyone likes to tell him that he lives in the projects, which he doesn’t while Cronos lives in the gated community and is considered higher class. These two friends are just good friends, and they’re both unintentionally pining after the same girl, Ana played by Roberta Damian.
As well, living in this community is Jefe Vargas played by Barbara de Regil whose a drug boss and has commissioned a new drug that is supposed to be the ultimate drug, unfortunately her rather moronic goons take the drug too early and the scientist tried to warn them that it could turn the infected into zombies. Well there we have it, someone being greedy and hiring imbeciles have lead us to the zombie apocalypse, somehow this is allegory for real life, its just too probable. Tavo, Cronos, Ana, Sara played by Sara Maldonado, and Johnny played by Vincent Michael Webb are now tasked with closing off the gated community, alerting the authorities, and saving the world from the zombie apocalypse.
What makes MexZombies work, simply put is the cast. They deliver just such genuine and heartfelt performances filled with the heart and energy of almost every great coming of age story. Everyone has a purpose in the film and their energy and chemistry with each other blends so effortlessly, just creating this wholesome cast within this world enveloped in sheer chaos and zombified horrors. As well, Marcel Barcelo as Cronos simply steals every moment he’s on screen from his introduction as Woody – not the one you’re thinking of – to name dropping Guillermo Del Toro, this character breathes film nerd and weirdo, and embraces it to the umpteenth degree.
With the wonderful direction by Chava Cartas and the impeccable script that packs so much heart, soul, and love letter to cinema from Luis Gamboa and Santiago Limon paired with an incredible ensemble cast that is sheerly brilliant, there truly is nothing more audiences could want. It is so endlessly charming, filled with zombie goodness and has a beating heart that can only come from the living, not the undead. MexZombies is the delightful zombie feature that will make the annual 31 days of Horror rotation alongside other unconventional zombie features such as Shaun of the Dead and Anna and the Apocalypse, esteemed company indeed.
