I get tired of zombie flicks. They’re the same old thing- someone or something triggers a zombie outbreak and sends the rest of the cast into a frenzy. Some die, some become zombies, and others reach the point of hysteria. It’s a formula that’s virtually raped by the horror industry. Before you attack me, I’m not saying that zombie movies suck- I’m just saying that I’ve seen it all, and it’s usually the same thing over and over again. It’s not my fault there’s a lack of originality.

Bloodlust Zombies is one of those indie flicks that takes on the zombie subgenre in the same vein as Zombieland- a comedy about the walking dead (insert eye roll). The thing is- it works. This is one of the few films that I’ve seen since Zombieland that was more than mildly entertaining and actually has some substance. I was impressed by not only the cinematography, considering the budget, but also with the content- the team behind this movie takes what we as horror fans know about apocalyptic scenarios and turns it into a fun filled flick complete with gore and office satire. With that kind of content, how could you go wrong?

Zlantoff Industries has been, unbeknownst to the rest of the office, developing a biological weapon that turns enemy soldiers into walking cannibals. While it may have seemed like a good idea, things go awry when, amidst celebration for the possible commercial success of the weapon, the lab techs accidentally unleash the disease and it begins to spread like wildfire during a chemical lockdown, turning everyone from the mail boy to the head of scientific studies into a walking corpse. That’s where the fun begins. There’s everything from sex, to some pretty good gore, to a back story that nearly jerks a tear from the viewer- and that’s only the beginning. In all honesty, this flick has more to it than some mainstream films that I’ve seen in recent years.

And like I said, I’m picky when it comes to my zombie movies.

The characters alone make this movie worth a view or two. Everyone from the head of development whose husband died in combat to the worked up, testosterone driven male coworker, to the intern with a foul mouth and little to lose, there definitely wasn’t a dull moment in the span of the movie’s 80 minute run. I also have to give some serious props to adult film star Alexis Texas for her role as Andrea in the movie. Though it was a smaller part, and she does spend half of the film naked and riding an old salesman with a cowboy fetish, her final moments in the film are substantially good. That includes her Matrix-esque attack on a zombie where she could easily establish herself as an action goddess in future movies- or at least pretend to be one.

Was Bloodlust Zombies scary? Absolutely not. Was it comparable to George Romero and his band of the undead? I’d have to say no. But it was still fun, bloody and entertaining as shit. I laughed, I yelled, I sat through the entire movie without complaining about a thing- and that says something for the multitude of screeners coming across my desk. Take my advice- watch director Dan Lantz’s debut feature and give the guy a chance. I’d love to see what he could do with a bigger budget and a whole lot of corn syrup.