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[Review] Netflix’s “Reality Z” Works as Remake and Sequel to “Dead Set”

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Two years before The Walking Dead premiered and put zombies back in fashion, five-part miniseries Dead Set broadcast in the UK over consecutive days leading up to Halloween. The horror-comedy saw a zombie outbreak occur while a Big Brother-like reality series was well underway, with the contestants locked inside wholly unaware. Until it bled over into their world, that is. The premise was all the more relevant considering Dead Set aired on the same channel as Big Brother, mere weeks after its latest season wrapped. Like most zombie narratives, the mix of social commentary, wit, and grue made it a hit. Both it and creator Charlie Brooker’s later series Black Mirror would find popular homes on Netflix. Reality Z uses Dead Set as a basis to craft its own zombie outbreak story set in Brazil, at once creating a remake and sequel to the regarded series.

For fans of Dead SetReality Z looks uncannily similar to its predecessor. Aside from the different setting and aesthetic updates, the core plot and character dynamics feel almost beat for beat identical. It opens with the outbreak already well underway, with the closed set of reality series Olympus none the wiser. At least until the zombies pervade, and the production studio becomes a fortress against the outside world. The only real difference, however, is that there’s a minor subplot featuring an additional set of characters slowly making their way toward the studio. When the original Dead Set story ends, these characters take center stage to carry the plot forward.

Created by Cláudio Torres, each of the brisk, ten episodes average 30-minutes, which means that it’s easily digestible. Moreover, the format and perpetual rotation of characters make this feel like an abridged version of The Walking Dead. Characters you start to care for die and become zombies, forcing you to shift allegiance to a new hopeful survivor. The short format also means there’s not as much room for depth as long-form shows. The tone changes dramatically, too, once Reality Z slips into sequel mode. The humor wanes as humanity grows grimmer.

The cyclical nature of this story seems to be the point. There’s clear commentary in how the studio setting and the popularity of the reality show filmed there creates a detachment for the characters; some frame their decisions as if they’re directing their own reality series rather than confronting actual reality. Mostly, though, it’s a bleak depiction of the repetitive inability to learn from mistakes or how inherent immoral selfishness always leads to doom. Over and over and over again, zombie stories reveal the ugliest aspects of humanity, and yet no one learns. Though there’s always a glimmer of hope for the future, however slim.

That’s always what makes the zombie subgenre seem stale. While Reality Z is timely in its themes, both regional and universal, it doesn’t offer anything new. As the characters as doomed to repeat the same mistakes, so too are we to see the same tried and true zombie story repeat itself. Multiple times, in this instance. There’s a lot to like about what Torres has created. He goes heavy on the gore, and the cast all deliver compelling performances to keep you engaged and hitting play on the next episode. Opening up the world beyond the studio and introducing a more extensive cast of characters also allows for exploration of some topical subtext. That it’s Brazil’s first zombie series means more exposure on a global scale, as well as the introduction of a perspective. That’s always a cool thing. Overall, it’s a well-executed show, and it’s easy to see why it’s become popular in Brazil. Just one that’s best suited for those who haven’t grown tired of zombie stories yet, because this doesn’t offer anything we haven’t seen before.

Reality Z is available to stream on Netflix now.

Horror journalist, RT Top Critic, and Critics Choice Association member. Co-Host of the Bloody Disgusting Podcast. Has appeared on PBS series' Monstrum, served on the SXSW Midnighter shorts jury, and moderated horror panels for WonderCon and SeriesFest.

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‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ Review – Latest Monster Mashup Goes Bigger and Sillier

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GODZILLA X KONG review

The heavyweight championship event that was Godzilla vs. Kong ended in a tenuous truce that saw Godzilla holding dominion over Earth while King Kong claimed Hollow Earth. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire introduces a new Titan-sized threat from the depths of Hollow Earth, one so dangerous that Kong and his human allies will need all the help they can get to defeat it. Director Adam Wingard continues the kaiju spectacle with the latest Legendary Monsterverse crossover event, this time injecting an even greater sense of adventure and silliness. It’s the type of epic-sized popcorn movie that unleashes nonstop monster brawls and tongue-in-cheek humor in equal measure.

Since the events of Godzilla vs. Kong, Godzilla spends his downtime curling up for naptime in Rome’s Colosseum when not snuffing out rogue Titans that emerge. The kaiju king’s activity is closely monitored by Monarch and Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall). Dr. Andrews also keeps a close eye on Kong through stations established around Hollow Earth access points, and poor Kong is lonely as he still searches for others like him. Then there’s Dr. Andrews’ adoptive daughter Jia (Kaylee Hottle), the sole survivor of the decimated Iwi tribe from Skull Island. Jia’s struggles to find her place in school and society at large get exacerbated by strange new visions that seem directly tied to Hollow Earth.

Dr. Andrews enlists Bernie (Brian Tyree Henry) to help her navigate Jia’s new plight. Once the new threat makes itself known, all three, along with wisecracking kaiju vet Trapper (Dan Stevens), descend into Hollow Earth for answers. Instead, they find a terrifying new battle heating up for kaiju sovereignty. 

Rebecca Hall and Dan Stevens in Godzilla x Kong

The Monsterverse franchise often struggles with its human characters and how they fit into the kaiju mayhem, but screenwriters Terry RossioSimon Barrett, and Jeremy Slater may have finally cleared this hurdle by trimming down the human cast and keeping it simple. Jia’s heritage creates an emotional conflict between her and her adoptive mother that injects a sweet earnestness, while Brian Tyree Henry’s Bernie brings levity. Then there’s the scene-chewing Dan Stevens, whose Trapper gets introduced in style as he performs a tooth extraction from an aircraft with infectious exuberance. Stevens plays the character with the bravado of an ’80s action star but one that’s fully aware of himself and the absurdity of his unique gig. Trapper’s boisterous personality goes far in demonstrating to audiences just how much we’re meant to be having fun and not take everything seriously, so much so that Godzilla x Kong could stand to see more of him.

Of course, the real stars are the monsters, and this, once again, is Kong’s show. Godzilla remains the undisputed heavyweight champion, but it’s Kong’s pursuit of finding his place in Hollow Earth that drives Godzilla x Kong. The required exposition delivery as Wingard corrals the converging plotlines into an action-heavy final act does slow the momentum in the first two-thirds, despite frequent action set pieces. But the main event delivers the promised team-up and then some, thanks to at least one pivotal surprise up Wingard’s sleeves that brings the wow factor to the final battle. That key surprise is pivotal, not just for fan service, but to offset how underwhelming the new enemy is, a generic mirrored inverse of Kong and his frenemy. 

Angry Kong

Wingard and crew seem fully aware of that and play up the cartoonish quality of the premise to maximize the fun factor. While it does indeed evoke the intended sense of fun, especially when Kong flings a smaller ape around as a weapon or dons a power glove, there’s a weightlessness to the whole thing. There’s no real impact to any of it, even though it often looks cool.

It all amounts to a visually polished Saturday morning cartoon filled with monster brawls and the humans who love them. Beyond the charming entertainment, though, Godzilla x Kong is more hollow than Hollow Earth.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire roars into theaters and IMAX on March 29, 2024.

2.5 out of 5 skulls

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