Director Kyle Valle brings DIY horror energy to ZombieCON Vol. 1, a blood-splattered comedy about four best friends whose obsession with cosplay accidentally triggers the zombie apocalypse.
Four tight-knit cosplaying friends, known as Rocket’s Rockets—Rocket (Manny Luke), Claire (Erin Áine), Punkie (Punkie Johnson), and Javier (Christian Casillas)—are at the top of their game on the con scene, with a reputation for meticulously crafted group costumes. At AnimeCon West, they’re going for their third straight win, while beating longtime rival Zander (Carlo Mendez) for extra juice. After pulling off their third consecutive win, the gang celebrates with a liquor store run, only to find that the outside world doesn’t respect their cosplaying kind. On their way back, Claire receives a mysterious glowing crystal from the strange Mystic Man (J. Michael Trautmann), and tensions with Rocket, combined with personal issues, lead her to make a wish that all jerks would become zombies so she could kill them herself.
Claire’s wish comes true that night when a zombie crashes into Punkie’s apartment and attacks. The group survives—clumsily—and hunkers down as news of a spreading outbreak confirms the worst. But staying put isn’t an option once they learn Rocket’s mother, Mama Bear (Nichole McAuley), is in danger—and Zombie Zander is on the loose.
The team sets out into the chaos of a zombie-infested world, using their fandom knowledge and nerd skills to survive. As they face escalating danger, their friendship is tested, rivalries resurface, and they must figure out how to undo the magical curse before the entire world falls. Their identities as cosplayers turn out to be their greatest strength in this battle between fantasy and apocalypse.
Claire (Erin Áine) unleashes her rage during a zombie attack in ZombieCON Vol. 1.
“Four tight-knit cosplaying friends… trigger the zombie apocalypse.”
The fun of ZombieCON is Kyle Valle’s passion for making movies. He’s not only the co-writer with Erin Áine and Manny Luke, but he’s also the cinematographer/camera operator, editor, production designer, production manager, colorist, sound editor, VFX artist, and more. What’s clear, though, is Valle understands his limitations and uses that to tell the story. Needless to say, when your director is having fun, so is everyone else. Our four leads know exactly their roles in the story.
I love the overall vibe of ZombieCON, which is an 80s/90s horror film. It looks like it was shot on film. Valle’s use of an unsteady camera and frequent close-ups—both regular and extreme—ramps up the feelings of horror and dread. He’ll also light up a room or set with a single color just to capture tone. It’s the classic example of making something from nothing.
While ZombieCON isn’t the most sophisticated Zombie movie, Valle and gang make it a more personal and emotional tale. It’s a simple story about not being an a*****e and our struggle to stay on the right side of the a*s line and away from becoming a Zombie forever. I can never fault a film for trying to find goodness and honor in its characters.
ZombieCON Vol. 1 lives off its indie spirit from Valle and the leads Luke, Áine, Johnson, and Casillas. With a throwback horror aesthetic, clever use of lo-fi camera tricks, and genuine affection for its nerdy protagonists, the film delivers. It’s a zombie movie with soul that reminds us it’s always better to be kind, or risk becoming the very monsters we fear.
Get more on the official ZombieCON Vol. 1 website.
"…lives off its indie spirit..."
