Directed by John McPhail, “Anna and the Apocalypse” is a musical holiday horror movie that deserves your attention. “Dickinson”s Ella Hunt stars.
Do you like Christmas movies, but wish they were gorier? Are you a fan of zombie flicks, but yearn for a zombie musical? Do you want every musical you watch to be full of holiday cheer? Perhaps with some high school drama tossed in the mix? Then, you’re going to want to witness Anna and the Apocalypse. Directed by John McPhail (Dear David) this Christmas-set zombie musical spectacular from 2018 is the perfect transition film to shift horror lovers from spooky season to Yuletide scares.
What’s Anna and the Apocalypse about?
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Christmas is just around the corner in the small Scottish town of Little Haven, and Anna (Dickinson‘s Ella Hunt) is at odds with her father (Mark Benton) about her post-high school plans. Before university next fall, she wants to travel the world. But her dad thinks that would be a waste of time. Unfortunately, the zombie apocalypse doesn’t care about family squabbles. It hits right before Christmas — and right before Anna and her father can reach any kind of resolution.
To save her dad and make it out of town alive, Anna teams up with her devoted best friend John (Malcolm Cumming), snarky student activist Steph (Sarah Swire), plucky aspiring filmmaker Chris (Christopher Leveaux), and school jerk Nick (Ben Wiggins). What follows is a mad scramble for survival with a healthy dose of Broadway flair.
Anna and the Apocalypse is a comedy that takes its musical numbers seriously.
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The musical numbers are the highlight of Anna and the Apocalypse, launching an already-enjoyable Christmas horror movie into the stratosphere. Take the earnest and angsty “Hollywood Ending.” Sung by students in their school cafeteria and complemented by lunch tray choreography, this tune with High School Musical vibes reminds us that life is not at all like the teen movies — something that Anna and the Apocalypse‘s ending takes to heart.
Also of note is the cheerful, poppy “Turning My Life Around.” In this chipper song, Anna and John walk/dance to school, earbuds in and singing their hearts out —oblivious to the zombie carnage playing out all around them. It’s a delightfully ironic scene, one that calls to mind a similar sequence of apocalyptic unawareness from Shaun of the Dead.
My favorite song on the whole soundtrack has to be Nick’s “Soldier at War,” an epic zombie-killing anthem reminiscent of “Eye of the Tiger.” The number is Anna and the Apocalypse at its most fun. Nick and his fellow bullies kill zombies using everything from bats to watermelons to video game controllers. On the one hand, it’s an absolute banger of a song that will no doubt get stuck in your head. On the other hand, it’s a ridiculous example of posturing in the face of death — with Wiggins selling the arrogance with charismatic gusto. However, Anna and Steph’s unimpressed expressions are an excellent contrast to Nick’s musical bragging.
Anna and the Apocalypse has fun with holiday horror — and gore.
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This being a zombie movie, there’s plenty of violence to go around — only here it comes with a Christmas twist. Anna and John encounter zombies dressed as snowmen and Santa. The undead crash the school’s holiday concert and invade a Christmas tree emporium. Anna’s weapon of choice in the final act is a big, sharpened prop candy cane, because why not? It’s a gleefully unhinged way to get into the holiday spirit.
In addition to all the genre-melding, Anna and the Apocalypse makes a real effort to examine how teenagers on the brink of adulthood come to terms with the apocalypse. Turns out the sudden arrival of zombies really puts your life in perspective. Anna worries about her future and her relationship with her father. Meanwhile, John struggles to admit his romantic feelings for Anna in what ends up being a solid subversion of the Nice Guy trope.
These more dramatic emotional beats don’t always land. For instance, a subplot involving a control freak teacher (Paul Kaye) escalates unbelievably quickly. But Anna and the Apocalypse certainly gets points for trying. Using a zombie apocalypse, Christmas, and catchy tunes to tackle teenage anxieties is no small feat, and the movie sometimes falters as a result of its own ambition. Fortunately, you’ll be too distracted by fun set pieces and the cast’s fully committed performances to care that much.
So sharpen your candy canes, warm up your vocal cords, and start your December off right with Anna and her friends. And zombies.
Anna and the Apocalypse is now streaming on Shudder, and is also available on Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, Vudu, and more.
UPDATE: Oct. 31, 2023, 10:47 a.m. EDT This post has been updated to reflect Anna and the Apocalypse’s current streaming availability.
