The zombie genre, like many horror subgenres, has gotten a little stale over the years. The craze seems to have spawned more pretenders than contenders in terms of adding something new and fresh. Of course, every so often something comes along that surprises me, and Super Z was one of those films. Insane and fun, it turned the subgenre upside down and is a wild ride from start to finish.
We witness experiments being done on humans, those kinds of experiments that are done in obscure installations far away from prying eyes, and the obvious moral questions that would arise. An unknown corporation is trying to turn humans into zombies, which in itself seems like a really bad idea, and to their utter surprise and astonishment, their experiments give birth to zombies that can think, talk, and reason, forming a family unit. Of course, they want nothing to do with captivity and escape, finding refuge in a hidden house in the forest while being pursued by mercenaries.
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Reading the basics of the plot, it sounds a bit outlandish, but feasible. I mean, we’ve seen mad scientists and evil corporations over the years doing ungodly things that eventually go wrong. However, directors Julien de Volte and Arnaud Tabarly take that premise and turn it on its head, applying a generous mix of comedy and action, all while most of the film is shot through the eyes of the new zombie family. Watching the family ‘settle down’ and try and live some kind of normal life is interesting on its own, but the frantic speed in which everything moves adds the absurdity of it all and it is a fantastic and original mashup.
Gertre (Johan Libéreau) and Stephana (Julien Courbey) are the parental units of this new zombie family, with Georgette (Florence Bebic-Veruni), Marcelline (Audrey Giacomini), and Yvon (Fabien Ara) as the kids, with Yvon kind of adopted along the way. We watch them struggle with the family dynamics, similar to any human family, while at the same time trying to survive being hunted down. Make no mistake, they are angry and not against killing all humans that cross their path (hey, they also have to eat), but the film’s manic pace is like watching the the story evolve on fast-forward, which makes for a quick and wonderfully-paced film. Super Z goes full throttle from start to finish, pausing briefly for some interesting dialogue, between mouthfuls of entrails and body parts, of course.
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Amongst the chaos, humor, and violence, it’s very interesting to watch things from the zombies’ point of view. The family situations which are tackled, including sexuality and morality issues, combined with the evils and greed of corporations, show there are reasons behind the craziness. Fast-paced, hilarious, frantic, and gross, Super Z is madness with a message and a very welcome addition to a subgenre that is in dire need of some new blood.
Super Z recently screened at the 2021 Toronto After Dark Film Festival.
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