Follow the Dead

Plot

As viral videos seem to evidence the fall of Dublin at the hands of the undead, four Millennials in rural Ireland can't discern fake news from real. Has a dependent lifestyle left them too naive to weather their fate?

Cast

A competent bunch I'm unfamiliar with, but Tadhg Devery absolutely knocks it out ofthe park.

Verdict

Surprisingly not the first Irish zombie movies I've seen after the likes of Dead Meat (2004) Boy Eats Girl (2005) and The Curing (2017) but perhaps the best of the bunch.

It sees a group of misfits unprepared for what's ahead, and for the most part it works and is a genuinely funny film. Alas where it doesn't slumps the movie into sheer unadulterated mediocrity and that just broke my heart as when it's good it's really quite good.

Rants

Am I suffering zombie fatigue? Zombies are my favorite sub-genre of the my favorite genre and I can't even begin to tell you how many I've watched over the last few decades. But is that damaging future ones? Has it created an expectation? Has it caused me to have higher standards? I hate to say it, but there's a distinct possibility it has. I've become a zombie snob.

Breakdown

Very endearing Genuinely funny in places Tadhg Devery Falls very flat in places.

What even was this film? I found it on Amazon prime and thought I'd check the reviews before giving it a watch and the majority of them are positive. Well they're obviously all written by people involved in the film because it totally sucked!

I fell asleep the first time I tried to watch it and decided to give it another go because of the reviews but it was just so bad. The acting is terrible, it literally sounds like they're reading a script as they act and it's barely even a zombie movie. Like what is the plot of the film? I watched it with two other people and they have no idea what the film is about.

TL:DR - watch shaun of the dead because this ain't it.

Follow The Dead is a blend of comedy, drama and horror that is a nice treat for the audience. The characters are well developed, more than usual for this type of genre. I give credit to the writers and director along with the actors. I don't normally go out for this type of movie but I'm so glad I did. It had me laughing out loud pretty much throughout the entire movie! Maybe I've find a new genre to watch. I enjoyed the mixture of being scared, excited, and entertained all at the same time. If your looking for a movie that will not disappoint check out Follow The Dead and be delightfully entertained.

I must say, I found this flick about the undead to be quite the groovy experience, man. It wasn't like those other zombie movies that shove it all in your face, you dig? No, this flick was more about the everyday lives of five cats - a brother, an ex-wife, a sister, and two cousins. They were just kicking back, you know, living their lives. But the atmosphere was thick with foreboding, thanks to those news clips and social media updates. That's what really gave me the heebie-jeebies, man.

But let me tell you, the dialogue between these friends was just cool, daddy-o. It was like listening to my own group of cats, just shooting the breeze and hanging loose. And the way the camera moved along with their conversation was just righteous, man. It kept the pace up, even when things got funny.

The general banter between the friends was downright entertaining, I tell you what. It was like I was there, man. The way they played off each other and joked around was so genuine. It was like watching a real group of friends, just being themselves.

And even though it was a movie about zombies, it never felt too over the top, you know? It was just the right amount of undead action mixed in with the real-life drama of these five friends. The blend was just perfect, man.

Overall, I thought it was one groovy flick, man. I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for more from this director. Maybe they can keep the magic going and continue to deliver films that are both entertaining and thought-provoking.

I'll make this short, but felt compelled to leave a note so that folks at least understand what they're getting in to with this one.

Typically, when one thinks about a "zombie flick," there are thoughts of decomposing dead people walking around trying to eat regular people. While "Follow The Dead" is technically about zombies, it is only from a peripheral basis that zombies are involved. To be more concise, THIS IS NOT A ZOMBIE FLICK, rather a dramatic comedy that uses zombies as the foil.

Thematically, the film is about human relationships and values. There are angles that reach in to climate change, political control, and social morality as well, but those are breached within the confines of the script and not major studies. Many conversations of the previously mentioned themes run through the film, but one thing you will NOT see is zombies attacking people. Well, that is not entirely true. I think there are two or three examples of zombie bites, but there is almost no blood and there is certainly NO GORE. If that's what you're looking for, look elsewhere.

I mention all of the above not because the film is bad, but because it looked like a good zombie flick and turned out to be an ok dramedy. In that context, the film was fine.

So...to reiterate, THIS IS NOT A STANDARD ZOMBIE MOVIE. There is almost no blood, there is no gore, and only a couple instances of violence. In retrospect, the film was rather enjoyable. I just kept waiting for the blood to flow and it never did. That said, the characters were all likable, so watching their transition and growth was appreciated.

Overall, the film was well made. It looks and sounds professional, the script was adequate, the actors were fine for the most part...no big complaints.

Guide:

• some profanity but not overbearing. Would probably fall in the PG-13 range.

• no nudity or sexual situations
• no drugs other than 3 seconds of a guy smoking what is inferred as being a joint.

• no gore and very little violence. Blood is seen two or three times but it looks like not much more than scraped knee kind of things.

There is nothing that reasons why someone around 11 or 12 years old couldn't watch this.