Queens of the Dead (2025)

She’s a drag queen, they’re non-binary, and you’re behind sez the diva to the plumber with the heart of gold and brains fer shit. Tina Romero learned some things from Dad, including how topical a zombie flick can be if you care to watch the world around you. And if you care to be in it. That’s what living among the dead is all about, when it comes down to holing up in whatever box you can find with whomever isn’t coming with the shamble and grunt minus also the live ones coming for you as well. When the world goes bad, dead suckers shuffling about and too many live ones dealing more of same, what’s a person with a working brain to do? Maybe fight off the hordes with anyone who in a pinch might be an ally. Whilst also perhaps trying to enjoy yourself as you try not to go down with the ship. And remember, those zombies were once people who were alive too, and might even also remember some of that, so don’t do more braining than is strictly necessary.

Another thing about the zombie flick is dispensing with subtext, or yanking it right up through the floor gore to what we can still make out on the surface. Whatever preoccupies us at the time of filming is fair game for the writing room, and that’s where Tina Romero shines. High concept, camp sensibility, plenty of bodies to hang costuming and dialog upon. 

Open the doors.

We’re not ready!

We’re never ready. Open the doors.

Romero gets the formula and knows how to wield it. We get hospital and club set pieces, some quality vehicular nonsense (Impala Wagon, food truck, scooters, ferry), and an escape doomed to fail right after the credits roll—do stick around for the hidden goodies. We also get contrasting human and zombie dance numbers, a shocking basement scene, tricky windows and doors, and a drag number that cashes in on the lingo with some literal slayage. The cherry on top is a credit crawl jam that samples one of the film’s best throwaway lines with inserts of behind the scenes cast cutups. Throw in terrific performances from queer heartthrobs Katy O’Brian and Jack Haven, a zoom call from Mayor Tom Savini, and star turns from Margaret Cho, Dominique Brebnor, and Nina West (“I don’t think I can get up!”), and you have yourself a fighting chance to make it through the night. 4 out of 5 sacs of blood.

See also: Slay (dir. Jem Garrard, 2024), The Z Word (writer Lindsay King-Miller, 2024), Manhunt (writer Gretchen Felker-Martin, 2022)

—J †Johnson