Directed by the team of Julien de Volte and Arnaud Tabarly, Super Z is easily set to be one of the most divisive films at this year’s Arrow Video FrightFest. The experience of watching Super Z is a wild ride, one that takes some adjusting to. Upon first setting eyes on Super Z, the viewer will run through a range of emotions and will be unable to comprehend whether they are loving, hating, or hallucinating what is happening on screen.
Super Z tells the very unique story of a quartet of zombies that escape the laboratory into which they were birthed. After escaping the facility holding them, the foursome form a family unit and set out in search of a new life together. Along the way they pick up an extra member in the form of an accidentally-turned victim. The newly-formed family find a home in the woods and embark on a more peaceful, albeit chaotic, existence.
Unlike most other zombies in film history, these have the ability to talk. Not being fluent in French, it’s a little tricky to work out exactly how clear their voices or words are. But talk they definitely do. Their voices sound like a cross between a helium balloon, a gremlin, and a Smurf on speed. It’s a wacky sound to hear, and one that takes a long time to get used to. Those with kids at home will likely adapt as they don’t sound too dissimilar to half of the characters on children’s television shows. Keep the kids away from Super Z though as, despite their almost cartoonish nature, this group is not family-friendly.
Scenes set within the zombie clan’s day-to-day life are where Super Z feels the most at home. The dynamics and hierarchy within the unit are what keep the film engaging. Newbie zombie Yvon (Fabien Ara) struggles to find his place in his new family. His older ‘sisters’ bully him, father Gertre (Johan Libéreau) ignores him, and mother Stephana (Julien Courbey) smothers him. In many ways Super Z works as a coming-of-age story, and watching Yvon transition from runt to zombie has a lot of fun moments.
The other core of the story is the relationship between Gertre and Stephana. On the surface they may appear to be monstrous creatures with a hunger for blood, but the two are actually really sensitive. They clearly have genuine feelings and love for one another and tender exchanges between the pair are some of the film’s strongest moments. Their unexpectedly sweet relationship is just one of the many jarring aspects of Super Z. One moment there’s some unsavoury sexual innuaendo, the next a young zombie is seen falling in love, complete with animated hearts flying around him. Super Z is a psychedelic ride from start to finish, but is peppered with enough true heart that it becomes oddly touching. As family life starts to take its toll, Gertre and Stephana’s relationship starts to crumble and the whole woodland homestead echoes the tribulations experienced by households across the globe.
A film that assaults the senses on every level, Super Z plays like a manic Saturday morning cartoon. It even goes so far as to include actual animation. In addition to the floating cartoon love hearts, Super Z opens with an expositional animation. One that immediately helps set the tone. Every element in Super Z feels as if it has been super-charged and it’ll take a robust and willing audience to cling on till the climax. Mirroring the oddball nature of the story, the dwelling has been designed to look as haphazard and tumultuous as possible. The music injects further verve and packs in a ton of techno tunes whose songs all have something to do with zombies. Even at the end, Super Z refuses to let the energy levels dip as it plays nineties earworm, Blue, by Eiffel 69.
Super Z feels exactly like the type of film that would be spat out if you were to try and blend together Return of the Living Dead, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, and The Happiness of the Katakruis. Super Z is a LOT for the mind to process, and it will likely take a few days for final feelings to sink in. A film that requires commitment, watching Super Z is akin to experiencing a waking fever dream. There’s heart hidden amongst the madness though and once time for reflection has occurred it becomes clear that this ragtag, rather progressive family of misfits, have set up shop in your heart.
Super Z
Summary
Although the chaotic energy, vibrant characters, and bold colours are a lot to reconcile, by Super Z’s climax you’ll have likely fallen for this group of misfit zombie outcasts.
Super Z was reviewed at Arrow Video FrightFest 2022.
