With that being said, this movie just bloody rules. There are several moments of zombie horror that are pretty creepy. A section involving a food truck becomes gruesome. Romero maintains a steady body count throughout and offers enough blood and guts to do her father proud.
Queens Of The Dead also excels at being a comedy. Nico’s desire to be called scrumptious comes up at the worst possible time, creating hilarious and bloody hijinks. Barry’s goofy ignorance comes across more as simple-mindedness than malice, culminating in a terrific punchline at the end. If there’s not some fun zombie shenanigans happening, there’s a nimble joke quipping its way across the screen. Often, these two elements occur simultaneously, making for a most entertaining watch.
“…Lindhome’s best acting she’s ever done…”
Of course, all of this wouldn’t work if it weren’t for the acting. O’Brien continues her streak of nailing every role ever. She is hilarious and sweet, qualities that her more well-known action persona does not really allow. This could be Lindhome’s best acting she’s ever done, as there’s no trace of her usual goofy self. She fully inhabits the role of the worried wife and carries a significant amount of the heavy emotional baggage. Spivey plays the situation with a straight face, allowing for the drama, comedy, and horror to intermingle in a natural way. Barry runs dangerously close to being too annoying to work, but Dunn-Baker is affable and plays the part with the right amount of sincerity to be likable. Haven sings a little ditty to herself, and it could well be the funniest thing in the entire 100-minute runtime. Cho’s part is small, but she leaves all watching in stitches.
Queens Of The Dead is a good zombie flick, a hilarious comedy, and a wonderfully sweet representation of the LGBTQIA+ community. Romero knows her stuff and has made a must-watch horror comedy her dad would be proud of. The screenplay is hilarious, the zombie kills are bloody, and the cast is excellent; what more could anyone want in a film?
Queens Of The Dead screened at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival.
"…a good zombie flick, a hilarious comedy, and a wonderfully sweet representation of the LGBTQIA+ community."
