Something a little more earnest, but no less imaginative and amusing is up next in Anna and the Apocalypse (2017) from Scottish filmmaker John McPhail. In this one, a really rather inconvenient zombie apocalypse threatens the small town of Little Haven just in time for Christmas, forcing blasé teenager Anna (Ella Hunt) and her friends to fight for survival.
This one catches me by surprise as it was filmed in Port Glasgow and Greenock, not far from where I grew up. I had no idea they’d made a movie there, but it makes sense – it is the sort of place where nothing interesting ever happens. This fits the tone of the film, with Anna being that clichéd teen who just can’t wait to leave this boring town behind, maaaan.
So, a Scottish zombie teen Christmas movie might already seem distinctive enough, but McPhail pushes things further by making this a bloody musical as well. It’s definitely something singular and they really go all out with the choreography and song and dance numbers, with proper songs written by Scottish musicians Roddy Hart and Tommy Reilly. It’s impressive, given its relatively small budget but, as previously established, I am really not a fan of musicals. I just don’t understand why the plot of a decent story needs to regularly grind to a halt for four minutes for everyone to sing and dance about. It’s not for me and made a bit worse here as the songs stray too close to the whiny One Direction/Ed Sheeran school of modern pop for my ears, though they are all well performed by the gifted cast.
Still, if the idea of a La la Land meets Shaun of the Dead mash-up is for you, and you can stomach a bit of gore, this may be right up your alley. The film has impressive scope and the opening number that sees Anna wake up and leave the house in a great mood, singing and dancing down her street, oblivious to the whole world going to hell around her, is majestic. It’s an ambitious moment, looking like something from West Side Story, but carrying extra weight as it’s filmed on a normal dull Scottish street that looks just like mine.
Disappointingly, though, most of the songs aren’t really about zombies or about Christmas and could possibly have been shoehorned into any musical about teenage angst and existential crises. Tunes like ‘Hollywood Ending,’ all about uncertainty about the future add to the sense that this is a film aimed at teens who firmly believe that the year you leave school is, like, totally the most profound, important time ever.
The film is said to be inspired by John Hughes films and that seems obvious in its somewhat lazy use of standard character ‘types’ – there’s the ‘jock’, the ‘nerd’ best pal who’s clearly in love with her, the ‘sassy lesbian’ friend and so on. There’s not much characterisation going on, but it’s all in good fun with cool gore effects and creative kills, with a bowling alley battle proving particularly entertaining. This is also the first film I’ve seen where our heroes use an upturned paddling pool as cover from unwitting undead while they trudge across town.
There are a few clever, satirical moments - #Evac Selfies, anyone? – and some nice festive touches, including an original Christmas song that manages to be heartwarming as well as saucy and suggestive. Other songs are interesting in that they say a fair bit about ‘millennials,’ with lyrics about the struggles of being defined by your online presence, rather than the real you. Paul Kaye as the school’s pissed-off headmaster even sings an angry diatribe about the youth of today tweeting every little thought that comes into their heads. I kind of agree with him, even if he is a dick.
I also find it refreshing and comforting to see a film with gay characters that nobody makes a big deal of. This feels like a thoroughly modern film with an irresistible, scrappy enthusiasm. Its greatest triumph is that it exists and that it appears to be exactly the odd little genre mash-up that McPhail wanted to make. This totally succeeds as a teen film and, I guess, a musical, but is only partially victorious as a horror flick as it’s really not very scary at all. Still, it’s a one-of-a-kind oddity, an interesting metaphor for growing up and having to fight your own battles, make tough decisions and face your fears with a song in your heart.
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