The “zombie movie” is a long overdone genre which has been continuously beaten to death for decades. Whether they be presented as gory comedies, or as suspenseful horror films, it feels as if these films almost never succeed in breaking away from the clichés that have become genre staples. “Little Monsters,” a new horror-comedy from director Abe Forsythe (“Down Under”), defies the standards set by most modern zombie films, for it instead opts to deliver a sweet, heartfelt story filled with an abundance of laughs and a refreshingly clever premise.
The film depicts kindergarten teacher Audrey Caroline (Lupita Nyong’o, “Us”), who is forced to protect her students from a horde of zombies while on a field trip. Nyong’o, who has been established as a Hollywood powerhouse within the last decade, gives yet another strong performance as Miss Caroline, who is strongly written as a fearless, caring individual whose sole focus is to shield her class from danger. Another stand-out among the film’s characters is Teddy McGiggle (Josh Gad, “The Angry Birds Movie 2”), a children’s TV show host who, in the wake of the zombie invasion, sheds his persona and reveals his true colors as a self-centered actor.
Rather than being presented as an action-packed zombie survival story, the film instead stands as a sweet tale of a teacher trying to save her students. Rather than making them aware of the situation at hand, the kids are instead introduced to the situation as if it is a game, thereby allowing them to maintain their gleeful, innocent personalities as the adults present attempt to help them escape and survive. By showing the kids acting like their normal selves, regardless of the high stakes that are present, the film creates multiple humorous moments due to their oblivious nature.
Despite how well-crafted the story is, it tends to be predictable during certain portions, thereby taking away from its overall creativity. Being a zombie film, it also naturally submits to some of the genre’s tropes, which partially taints its overall originality. Also, though he is a prominent character throughout the film, Dave (Alexander England “Alien: Covenant”) feels rather unnecessary in the long run, though he serves as a convenient aid to Miss Caroline when needed.
In the wake of prior horror comedies such as “Zombieland” and “Shaun of the Dead,” it may have seemed as if the genre had little left to offer in terms of originality. “Little Monsters,” on the other hand disproves this idea due to its ability to generate laughs without showing outrageous or creative zombie kills, or an overuse of explicatives. Instead, the film creates a sense of humor based on the innocence of children, and their oblivious, distorted approaches to what would be considered horrifying in the eyes of an adult. Arriving just at the pique of the Halloween season, “Little Monsters” proves itself to be a worthwhile watch for anyone who wishes to dabble in the horror genre, but not enough to experience anything too terrifying.
Image from Hulu via YouTube
