A LITTLE BIT ZOMBIE (2012)

Streaming on Tubi!
Directed by Casey Walker
Written by Trevor Martin & Christopher Bond
Starring Kristopher Turner, Crystal Lowe, Kristen Hager, Shawn Roberts, Stephen McHattie, Emilie Ullerup, & Robert Maillet

A LITTLE BIT ZOMBIE is a wacky film about how little things like getting bitten by a zombie plague-infected mosquito can ruin a wedding.

Unlike horror comedies, this is a comedy with horrific elements. That said, the horrific elements aren’t that horrifying either. What it is is funny. Most comedies load up their first forty-five minutes with their best material and then coast on through the last half of the film. I was surprised that this film did the opposite. Though the start is somewhat slow and the comedy is forced in the first moments as each character establishes who they are and why they are there, the latter half of this film really gets rolling as the four youngsters accept the fact that their friend is a zombie and they’re…ok with it.

The film centers on nebbish everyman Charlie (Kristopher Turner) and his bridezilla to be, Tina (Crystal Lowe). Both play their parts convincingly, but for the most part, the viewers might find themselves wondering why this good guy is putting up with this annoying, shallow whiner of a fianceé. Luckily, the final forty-five minutes let us in on why Charlie loves Tina. I found myself rooting for this couple to survive by the end because through all of her faults, Tina is willing to overlook the fact that her husband is a brain-muncher and still marry him.

On top of the two leads, the cast has some talented folks at work. SyFy’s BEING HUMAN’s Kristen Hager shows that she has a lot of potential as Charlie’s sister Sarah; a lot of the film’s laughs come from her douchebag husband Craig (muscle-bound Shawn Roberts). Fans of SyFy’s SANCTUARY will also recognize Emilie Ullerup as one half of the zombie hunters. PONTYPOOL’s Stephen McHattie plays the other half as Max, a zombie-hunting killing machine. His role is small in this film, as most of it is dedicated to the two couples dealing with Charlie’s sudden coming down with zombie-itis, but the gruff character actor does do his best Woody Harrelson from ZOMBIELAND impression here, and for the most part it plays well off of the kids who are not taking this zombie apocalypse thing as seriously as he wants them to.

One thing really got me in this film, and maybe it’s just a personal thing. I’m not a fan of drool and there’s a lot of it in A LITTLE BIT ZOMBIE. I can watch blood and guts all day and night, but the multiple scenes of Charlie drooling every time the word “Brains!” is said made my stomach flip. That said, it is a funny running joke throughout the film–one of many.

The ending, though abrupt, is a winner, going out on a high note and leaving the viewer wanting more. I was surprised at how much I liked A LITTLE BIT ZOMBIE. It’s a low budgeter, but one with a lot of heart and some great comedic moments.

Check out the trailer here!!