Forget your Hallmark movies. There is a new film that should be at the top of your holiday movie list this year. Start with a zombie apocalypse. Add a few musical numbers, a little teen angst and a dash of Christmas cheer and you get the genre blending spectacle that is Anna and the Apocalypse.

 

When the zombie virus descends on the town of Little Haven in the midst of the holidays, Anna (Ella Hunt) and her fellow high schoolers find themselves on the front line of defense. The movie starts much like a typical teen movie with an argument between Anna and her father about her future. But right away we get the hint that something much darker is on the horizon. The teens are so wrapped up in their own lives they don’t realize the apocalypse is upon them until it is literally staring them in the face.

 

Roddy Hart and Tommy Reilly team up to create the musical soundtrack. Their smart lyrics help carry the story through song. Even if you’re not fond of musicals, you’re sure to find yourself toe-tapping to “Hollywood Ending” or laughing at “The Fish Wrap”. 

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Like with many zombie movies, there is an underlying social commentary, mainly our dependence on social media and technology. When the teens no longer have either of those things, they come to realize their humanity and how dependent on each other they really are. One of the most touching songs, “Human Voice”, echoes these sentiments. 

 

While the tone of the film is dark, there are plenty of comedic elements to keep up our spirits. The main characters are teens so they do silly teen things like hiding under a plastic swimming pool to walk among the zombies undetected. We also get some pretty creative zombie kills, one of which involves a snowman. You won’t have a lot of laugh out loud moments, but you’ll still get plenty of chuckles. 

 

Anna definitely has a place in my top five zombie movies. It will also be among my quirky Christmasy films with the likes of Die Hard and Gremlins.