The year is 2020, and a small town is filled with rumors of a horrific evening back in 1968 known as “The Night of the Living Dead.” Local podcasters Brady (Denny Kidd), Piper (Brianna Phipps-Stotts), and Adam (Mason Johnson) seek to uncover the truth and stay the night in an abandoned cabin where the survivors of the ’68 outbreak made their stand. Co-directors Jake C. Young and Kenny Scott Guffey’s A Night of the Undead, written by Jake C. Young, Kenny Scott Guffey, uses the premise and some footage from the George Romero masterpiece Night of the Living Dead to bring the world of the walking dead into the century of podcasters, streamers, and the internet.
A Night of the Undead takes advantage of the Public Domain nature of Romero’s iconic zombie film. The filmmakers use references to the ’68 film as the catalyst for the overall plot. Piper and Adam believe the “living dead” story to varying degrees, but Brady remains unconvinced. However, the zombies are not really on everyone’s mind. This weekend is mostly about hanging out with friends, having a few drinks, and maybe making a podcast.
“…Adam has his first run-in with one of the undead…”
Brady’s ex-girlfriend Judy (McKenzie Clay) even shows up, and after a few awkward moments, everything is shaping up to be a fun, zombie-free weekend. That is until Brady and Adam stumble upon a diary from one of the survivors of the original outbreak. Shortly after finding the journal, Adam has his first run-in with one of the undead, and the friends find themselves fighting for survival.
Despite the many attempts to connect A Night of the Undead to Romero’s world, it lacks much of the tension and subtext to earn the same prowess as the iconic Of The Dead series. Many characters react and interact with each other in ways that neither reveal motivations nor serve the overall story. Every person feels very one-note. The film shows little about them beyond what other characters say and conveys even less about their personalities. If these people were mere fodder for a plethora of creative or unique zombie deaths, this could be more forgivable. But the lack of zombies and zombie kills in a zombie film (let alone one that references Romero with such gusto) only magnifies the lack of emotional stakes and tension.
Jumping into the horror genre on a shoestring budget is admirable. I can respect fans of the zombie genre trying to create a film showcasing their fandom of the undead. However, the lack of interesting characters, tension, or thrills makes this hard to engage with. Even worse are the overt attempts at connecting A Night of the Undead and the classic Night of the Living Dead, which feel very forced. Attempting to use beloved franchises to garner an audience or cult following is to be expected in Hollywood, but in the world of Indies, it feels restrictive. Had Young, Guffey, and Aucoin focused on building a unique world of zombies, creating subtext, or even delivering on zombie kills/killing, the outcome could have been delightfully thrilling.
"…jumping into the horror genre on a shoestring budget is admirable."
