Where to find it: Netflix
Length: Eight roughly 1-hour episodes
Synopsis: Teen sisters investigate a creepy company and their own mysterious origins
Recommendation rating: 4/5
What I like about it: good themes, music, young actors
What I don’t like about it: zombies, often too dark (visually and metaphorically)
Review:
Netflix wisely takes a free hand in adapting the horror franchise, creating an interesting and relevant plot to fill the space in between fights with CGI zombified creatures. It opens in the zombie apocalypse of 2036 before flashing back to the far-flung past of 2022 as a young Black family moves into an all-white company town in South Africa, building the creeping dread more than the promise of a zombie virus outbreak. The show has a broad and worthy list of targets; the biopharmaceutical “Life Sciences” corporation at the heart of events is pure evil and there are swipes at NAFTA, Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, among others. The soundtrack is particularly great, utilising up-to-date hits like Billie Eilish and Dua Lipa, indie picks like Reuben and the Dark and considered pulls like a zombie massacre accompanied by Feels Just Like it Should by Jamiroquai.
It’s a very well-made show but the main issue (for me) is its constant insertion of action sequences to hold attention, the action is very competently handled but has no real stakes for the most part and is there to make teenaged boys yell, “Cool!”. If 90% of the zombie sequences were removed, you’d end up with a much better and cheaper six-episode show.
Content notes (may contain spoilers): excessive gore and body horror – this show will try to disgust you, blood, vomit, violence, death