PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I have said this before, but I am not a fan of most Tubi originals. However, they have started to figure themselves out. I can say I am more of a fan as time goes by. The Soska Sisters are icons in the horror community, and they have delivered gold in every project they are involved in. Their film, Festival of the Living Dead, speaks for itself. It may sound kind of lame from the description, but luckily, I have my own takeaways that I can trust.
Let’s get into the review.
Synopsis
While attending a festival to commemorate the original zombie attack in 1968, Ash and her friends encounter the living dead and must fight back or be devoured.
Jen and Sylvia Soska directed the film. It stars Ashley Moore, Andre Anthony, and Camren Bicondova.
The Rundown
Zombie movies are a dime a dozen. Let’s face it, a lot of them aren’t that good, more like cash grabs on the next big push. There is no originality anymore. It’s become a genre of military thrillers, with things that just happen to bite people. Festival of the Living Dead packs quite the punch in a short amount of time. Though the movie is still about a virus, there is so much more. I felt like I wanted to continue the story. Was it only the direct areas affected? That is about the only question I have. About 5 minutes into the movie, you already understand what is going to happen next. At first, the film reminded me of one of those zombie movies that break all kinds of unwritten rules in the modern zombie genre.
What I like is a kick-butt final girl, and Festival of the Living Dead delivered not one, but two heroines. I also liked the idea that it was a very open area. If there are too many zombies crowding a scene, I tend to dislike the open world format. It makes everything seem so unreal. You could say this movie does just the same, but these aren’t soldiers, they’re kids. The entire movie paid homage to the original Night of the Living Dead. I am sure if we survived a living dead plague, there would be a lot of reasons to party.
The way they portrayed true terror was admirable. Everyone one of the cast members understood the assignment. You could sense the fear and the tense moments. The entire film grabs you by the hand and sends you into a whirlwind. Let’s just say everything is a surprise, the exact opposite of what you are thinking will happen. Do not go into this movie expecting a fast-paced film where zombies climb on each other for a feeding frenzy.
In The End
I walked away from Festival of the Living Dead fulfilled; it pays so much homage to the kings of the genre. I know the idea has occurred before in older movies, where drugs played a part in insanity. At first, it seems like it’s only a fever dream, and the main character woke up in their bedroom or something. However, they didn’t go that route, and I have zero complaints about that. The kills were gruesome but not over the top. To me, Festival of the Living Dead was a glimmer of hope in the destruction of my favorite sub-genre.
