Miss Zombie

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This film by SABU takes place in a reality where zombie infections have many different stages and full-blown zombie transformations take years to complete. Zombies with a low virus count are used as household servants, since they are relatively harmless if fed properly. One such zombie woman is the focus of this story. Spectacularly shot in black-and-white and glacially paced, this is an art-house film that plays with genre expectations. The zombie is used as a protagonist that quickly earns the viewer's sympathy thru a referenced backstory as well as the fact that she is consistently harassed (and worse!) by humans. There's also an interesting family dynamic involving the little boy. The lead actress (Ayaka Komatsu) gives a very good silent performance. This is a sad film that is also disturbing on a psychological level. Scoring is minimal but effective. Impressive stuff.

FYI, SABU is a very talented drama/comedy director who made some very good films early in his career - Postman Blues (1997), Drive (2002), Monday (2000), and Blessing Bell (2002) being the most notable examples - but he has become less reliable over the past decade. So this film was a bit of a surprise. Miss Zombie (2013) is his first horror film and it's arguably the best title in his filmography now.

Well, the reasons for why I sat down to watch this 2013 horror movie from writer and director SABU was because it was a zombie movie, and a Japanese zombie movie at that. I do have an interest in all things zombie, so of course I had to watch "Miss Zombie", even without ever having heard about it.

I happened to stumble upon "Miss Zombie" here late in 2022, and just by the title and cover alone, then this movie was something I had to watch. And so I did.

Writer and director SABU delivers somewhat of an avantgarde zombie movie. And it is almost shot entirely in black and white. Now, there are a couple of things wrong with that, at least in my opinion. The concept of the movie was interesting enough, I suppose on paper, but the transition to screen made for a very, very bland and mundane, not to mention monotonous, movie experience. Sure, I get the monotonous and repetitive thing of the zombie unlife, sure, but it didn't make for an entertaining viewing. And movie shot in black and white just doesn't really have a special place in my heart, unless it is a movie so old it was shot before they had the technology of color in movies.

The acting performances in "Miss Zombie" were every bit as monotonous and mundane as the script and storyline, so at least that went hand in hand. I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in this movie, nor can I say that I witnessed anything memorable or noteworthy on the screen.

Visually then you're not in for a particular treat, as the movie is shot almost entirely in black and white.

While I managed to sit through "Miss Zombie" in its entire 85 minute runtime, I wasn't particularly entertained. But I stuck with the movie, hoping that it would eventually pick up pace and perhaps even take a turn of events for the better. That just never happened. "Miss Zombie" is not a movie that I would recommend to fans of the zombie genre; to fans of avantgarde movie-making perhaps, but not to zombie fans. And this is not a movie that I will ever pick up and watch a second time.

My rating of "Miss Zombie" lands on a very generous three out of ten stars.

Miss Zombie is a short Japanese social drama and horror movie shot in black and white. It convinces with great acting performances, gloomy atmosphere, calm camera techniques, artistic creativity and a solid plot.

It tells the story of a bourgeois family consisting of an adventurous son, an emotional mother and a self-centered father. They purchase a female zombie maid who became what she is under dramatic circumstances. She is the type of zombie that isn't dangerous as long as she isn't fed any meat. Her presence still isn't welcome as neighbours are afraid of her, children throw rocks at her and homeless people attempt to stab her on multiple occasions. This abuse soon continues at the family's home as the zombie maid is sexually abused by several men. Things get tense when her presence leads to conflicts between family members. The story reaches its climax when an unspeakable tragedy happens with unforeseeable consequences.

Miss Zombie is an intellectual movie that makes you wonder whether the zombie maid is the monster or the abusive women, men and children around her. The film starts as slow-paced but atmospherically gripping social drama and becomes a horrifying tale of tragedy, survival and murder. The movie also deals with complex topics such as family values, moral courage and the fate of minorities. Some critics even draw similarities between the fate of the fictional main character and refugees that are mistreated by foreigners. You can enjoy this movie as entertaining art house experiment but also as sociocritical work. In both cases, Miss Zombie is refreshingly different from any other movie involving zombies and could even appeal to audiences that usually don't care about fantasy or horror films thanks to this movies dramatic and realistic touch.

If you are open to think outside the box and accept a slow-paced movie in black and white in Japanese with English subtitles, you will discover a unique gem that mixes survival horror and family drama in a most poignant way. Miss Zombie is a movie you won't forget anytime soon as it offers food for thought, different interpretations and even elements to debate long after the film has concluded.

A very strong Japanese film in many aspects, in which we can make several analyses, for example, we see the similarity between the treatment of the zombie not only with the maid but with minorities in a broad sense (blacks, homosexuals, PNE), and mainly how women are subjugated, humiliated and ******** and attacked, and this is not about zombies... When zombies are more human, than humans themselves, literally...

A rich and successful couple decides to ignore the strict laws that prohibit zombies in homes and welcomes a zombie woman to become their housekeeper. When she arrives, the couple also receives a note warning them not to feed her with any type of meat. However, the scarred zombie named Sara endures horrors, while maintaining some memories about her past.

Of any of the countless films to have ever been made about zombies, the horror-drama is relatively rare. Earnest substance finds its way into zombie flicks every now and again, but something that's plainly dramatic is more uncommon. With this said, the substance of Sabu's 'Miss Zombie' couldn't possibly be more clear-cut as themes immediately present of the struggles of vulnerable communities, enduring exploitation, abuse, persecution, prejudice, class inequality, and dehumanization, and how easily society overlooks the humanity of anyone deemed Lesser Than. The only difference is that the domestic help here is not part of a real-life marginalized demographic, but an undead person, and the picture is no more than two short steps away from being a more ordinary, recognizable indie drama.

Yet neither the familiar territory nor the particulars of this iteration serve to specifically diminish what the filmmaker is doing here. We might say reasonably enough that the feature isn't so much outwardly striking given the tried and true narrative and themes, but at the same time, Sabu does interesting, meaningful things with the concept beyond merely substituting a zombie for some other minority. The lives of the Teramoto family are irrevocably changed owing to their servant's presence, and there's a compelling, absorbing, satisfying story in which those prominent bigger ideas just happen to be foremost. Even while mostly maintaining a very low-key tone the narrative ably keeps our attention, with equally strong scene writing along the way, and smart direction maintains a soft buzz of vibrancy about it all as we eagerly wait to see just where the title will take us. In turn, where the proceedings do distinctly grow more severe, the incidence is all the more grabbing.

Actually, as the length draws on this becomes more quietly fascinating, and all the richer. And outside off the writing and direction it's firmly well made all around, including keen cinematography and editing, and robust sound design. The music is employed fairly sparingly but is surprisingly dynamic and lends to the mood of any given moment, with some instances being altogether brilliant. Even through the overall subdued tenor the cast give capable, nuanced performances, certainly including Togashi Makoto, increasingly Tezuka Toru, and Komatsu Ayaka in the lead role. Where effects or special makeup are used they look great. With the black and white presentation making 'Miss Zombie' all the more stark and intense, the result is unexpectedly gnawing and impactful. It begins so unexceptionally, if nonetheless commendably, and in due course proves to be ever darker, and outright haunting as the scenario unfolds and we learn more about our protagonist.

I wouldn't go so far as to suggest the movie is a must-see, but this unquestionably gathers strength over its eighty-five minutes, and is much more potent than it seems at the outset. This is a piece of no especial renown or visibility, and that's a shame in my opinion. Despite its low-budget and modest production it's sharply made, and there's much more going on here than first meets the eye. It's nice to be greeted with a pleasant surprise like this every now and again, and for my part I'm happy to give 'Miss Zombie' my high and hearty recommendation.