Movie Review: "We Are Little Zombies" (2020)

We Are Little Zombies Movie Review

Written by Stuart D. Monroe

Released by Oscilloscope Laboratories

Written and Directed by Makoto Nagahisa

2020, 120 minutes, Not Rated

Released on July 10th, 2020

Starring:

Keita Ninomiya as Hikari

Mondo Okumura as Takemura

Satoshi Mizuno as Ishi

Sena Nakajima as Ikuko

Review:

There exists a category of film that’s in a niche all its own; the kind of film that is almost surely going to be misunderstood or (even worse) fly right over the head of many of the people who watch it. These are the films that operate differently than what the human brain is accustomed to perceiving in a film (thanks to the formulaic way most movies are made and evaluated). They use odd aspect ratios, film at funny angles, mimic the style of other media, and just generally don’t play by the rules.

I love movies like this even when they may not be selling exactly what I’m in the market to buy. We Are Little Zombies has just burst into that category like it pays all the damn bills there and sits in the La-Z-Boy right in front of the rabbit-eared TV sitting on the wobbly tray.

Hikari (Sena Nakajima), Takemura (Mondo Okumura), Ishi (Satoshi Mizuno), and Ikuko (Sena Nakajima) are four children who meet at a crematorium where their respective parents are all being turned into smoke following various tragic accidents. Their pre-teen bond is instantaneous and strong- their world is dark and hopeless, so why not form a rock band? I mean, what else are you going to do, right? Their various tales are told as they start their rise to stardom, and their story takes them places that they never thought they’d be by the time they’re famous. Is there any point to life when you’re twelve or thirteen and your parents are dead? Is it a “get out of jail free” card? Or is there something worth living for?

We Are Little Zombies is a visual and auditory wonderland, a saturation of video game aesthetic and Japanese culture hallmarks that has a hell of a lot to say about the nature of grief, the cynical nature of the “Gen Z” kids, and the ubiquitous nature of technology in our modern day lives. Heavy on message and virtually impossible to pin into one genre, it’s the kind of movie that is spoken about off to the side, so to speak, because it’s so different from everything else.

It’s unabashedly gorgeous in an 8-bit way. Many of the shots in the film are from the overhead perspective that linear 8-bit videogames are so famous for, and the music supports that in every scene. If you’re one of those who’s a hardcore sucker for nostalgic tics and triggers, then We Are Little Zombies is the kind of flick you’ll put on repeat. The easy comparison would be Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, and that’s pretty appropriate. It “plays” like a video game, with chapter after chapter taking you to the end of their emotional journey.

Despite the unorthodox trappings, We Are Little Zombies is a classic coming-of-age story about four kids who’ve all had the same earth-shattering tragedy befall them and bonded through it. It’s an archetype story told in a style that’s antithetical to mere idea of archetype, and that’s where many people will undoubtedly lose the narrative thread. When you combine that with a running time of two hours you get a daunting mix that’s asking you to really think about what you’re seeing (at least on some level). All of the reactions the kids have to the world around them is relayed through digital intermediaries, and I challenge you to find a more fitting definition of relevant in the film sense. It’s a movie that’s showing our modern through a particular cultural lens and asking you to see what that’s like in your culture (while assaulting you with pop culture and video game references at an astonishing rate).

So, yeah…it’s a lot to take in.

Even though it didn’t click for me in a concrete way, there’s still so much to appreciate in We Are Little Zombies. The sense of humor ranges from light and goofy to dark and questionable, but it’s always sharp and the jokes never fall flat. The pacing is nearly break-neck despite the structured and linear “video game” design. The aesthetic almost goes too hard in the paint, but you know what they say: it’s easier to ask forgiveness than it is to ask permission.

We Are Little Zombies isn’t asking your permission for a damn thing. It’s showing you a hyper-color version of the world our kids inhabit now down on their level. You can examine the grief and lament for all that you’ve lost, but Hikari tells us why that is so funny: “Babies cry to signal they need help. Since no one can help me, there’s no point in crying.”

It’s not a pretty message, but as a street urchin myself I can tell you that doesn’t make it any less true. Whether you can handle that sentiment while feeling like you’re trapped inside a Nintendo game that’s having a grand mal seizure is up to you. Maybe you should find a Gen Z kid to watch it with.

We Are Little Zombies premieres July 10th in limited theatres

Grade:

3.0 out of 5.0 stars