Zombies have come a long way since George A. Romero, who is widely considered the “godfather of the genre,” thrilled and terrified audiences with his mindless, staggering walking undead who were hungry for human brains. The ever-evolving zombie has changed in the 55 years since his seminal 1968 movie Night of the Living Dead. Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End is the latest film to take advantage of the changes made by notable 21st-century offerings like television’s The Walking Dead, Danny Boyle’s revolutionary 28 Days Later, and David Fincher’s more recent World War Z starring Brad Pitt, and South Korea’s marvelous entry Train to Busan.

The zombie has become agile and aggressive, often running at full speed after their next meal. It is a plot device that has made the trope feel more urgent and ramps up the tension by making those who remain think and act much more quickly to avoid being devoured alive. Apocalypse Z, directed by Carles Torrens and based on a screenplay by Ángel Agudo, which is based on the novel by Manel Loureiro, is a noteworthy Spanish amalgam of many of its predecessors, and is a terrific turn for star Francisco Ortiz in the lead role.

What Is ‘Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End’ About?

Francisco Ortiz is Manel, a lawyer who lives alone with his cat in the Spanish town of Galicia. As he is trying to travel to Barcelona to visit his sister and her family for Christmas, a global pandemic quickly puts everything and everyone on lockdown. As this sickness begins to turn people into flesh-eating savages, Manel is able to retreat to his home, where he and his furry friend ride out the initial wave of the crisis. But as the days pass into months, his supplies begin to dwindle, and he scavenges farther away from his home to survive, and each day, he takes more risks for essentials like food and water.

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By the time Manel abandons his home and is riding his motorcycle out in the open Spanish countryside, the undead hordes are terrorizing the remaining few. His adventure (along with his beloved cat) is just beginning as he desperately seeks a haven to reunite with his sister and other loved ones. Having heard a rumor that there is a safe and isolated place in the Canary Islands, he takes to the water on a small tugboat. Eventually, he ends up in an abandoned hospital where a helicopter awaits on the rooftop. But first, he must escort a group of women and children through the gauntlet of zombies roaming the halls so they can make their escape.

‘Apocalypse Z’ Borrows From Some of the Great Zombie Movies, But Also Has Unique Sequences
Image via Prime Video

hough Apocalypse Z relies heavily on the classics that came before it, Torrens delivers some brilliantly shot sequences that are wholly original and intense. In one such scene, Manel is attacked by legions of fast zombies that seem to be coming from everywhere. He weaves in and out of the mobs on his motorcycle and heads into a wooded area, barely escaping what appears to be certain death. Torren’s movement with the camera and the framing of Manel as he slaloms around and through the trees is deftly jacked-up and thrilling.

By the time Manel reaches the hospital crawling with zombies, it’s easy to see how the ending sequences of World War Z influenced him. But Torrens adds a missing human element when he introduces a small group of women and children hiding on a floor isolated from the threat. Manel is no longer just fighting for his own existence but for the small children. As a rogue group of mercenaries also come upon the hospital scavenging for supplies, the tension is ratcheted to a fist-pumping level, and the scene atop the hospital by the helipad is a real showstopper. It makes the journey that Torrens takes you on pay off in a big way.

So, with most movies this side of the millennium borrowing something old, something new, and something bloody frightening, capable directors like Carles Torrens and Yeon Sang-ho are ushering in a new era of the beloved zombie sub-genre, moving forward on an international scale. While there is still plenty of room for the existential dread of the trudging Romero-esque flesh-eater, the slow burn can get the viewer to the same place: peeking out between your fingers as ravenous undead get closer….and closer.

Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End is available to stream on Prime Video

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Release Date October 4, 2024 Director Carles Torrens Cast José María Yázpik , Francisco Ortiz , Berta Vázquez , Iria del Río , Marta Poveda , María Salgueiro , Yuri Mykhaylychenko , Sergey Grab , Niko Verona , Oriol Ruiz , Elena Seijo , Ferran Herrera , Joana Oliveira , Thais Kauffmann , Iván Ros , Vanessa Buchaca , Arántzazu Ruiz , Malcolm McCarthy , Hicham Malayo , Francesc Galceran , Jesús Lloveras Runtime 119 minutes Expand