User reviews

I stumbled upon the 2018 movie "Better Off Zed" here in 2021, by sheer random chance. And with it being a zombie movie, of course I needed no persuasion to sit down and watch it.

And while "Better Off Zed" was watchable, it was by no accounts a particularly outstanding into the zombie genre, not even for a horror comedy. So why was that the case? Well, the storyline was just too mundane and uneventful. Very little happened throughout the course of the movie. And the characters in the movie weren't all that well-written or detailed. So writer Amy Tofte just didn't really bring much of anything to the game.

So it was somewhat of a prolonged ordeal to sit through "Better Off Zed", yet I managed to do so. I wanted to see if the movie got better, or if director Travis Stevens opted to make the movie more interesting. That is a big, fat no to both those things.

"Better Off Zed" is a zombie movie that came and went without as much as a groan, much less pack any bite. So don't get your hopes up for this particular 2018 movie, should you happen to sit down to watch it.

My rating of "Better Off Zed" lands on a less than mediocre four out of ten stars.

Not bad, nor good.

Just.. decent. No other words.

All the zombie movies are very similar. The zombies are dumb and slow, and in every movie they look the same. But, the first thing I asked myself was - why don't the main characters get into a car and drive off somewhere where it is supposed to be safe? The guy ends up enjoying the apocalypse. They have electricity, water, food. No more getting up early, wearing suits, meeting boring clients, paying bills, morgage, etc. Kind of reminded me of the global lockdown during Covid - we all spent a lot of time at home and had a lot more free time than usual... We tried to discover our inner talents, so the guy, for example, wanted to paint. So, while the woman wants to get out, the man seems to enjoy it. Of course, as the electricity and water become unavailable, and as there is less food, it becomes harder to live, and as the number of zombies increases, it makes it harder to leave. I am not going to say how it ends. Compared to all the zombie movies out there, this one at least gives a different approach to the situation. So, I thought it was actually an interesting movie. If you like zombie movies, this one is no better and no worse than the rest of them. But, it gives a different view of how this situation could be handled.

This movie wants to be Shaun of the Dead and fails miserably. The budget apparently was about $10.00 . It is just plain boring. The male lead is specially miscast. Female lead is better but has little to work with.

The movie starts after a zombie apocalypse is well under way. Stuck in a house and hoping for rescue.

This does not qualify as a black comedy. It is completely not funny. And is also not scary.

Low budget, horribly acted,boring zombie apocalypse movie.

Not scary, not funny, just annoying. Skip this one unless you want to torture yourself.

This is peak lazy character creation: manchild who avoids real world, and harpy wife who constantly nags him. There was nothing comedic about this, and it only barely qualified as horror. I'll give it points for being less "everything about our local infrastructure fell apart immediately" than most other zombie movie I've ever seen, at least.

Better Off Zed is a fun little black comedy horror that demonstrates the lighter side of a zombie apocalypse, kind of.

It tells the story of a couple living happily in their home as the world is getting taken over by the living dead. The guy especially taking advantage of the free time and living it up the best he can.

I've joked for years about wanting a zombie apocalypse and would likely react to it in similar fashion, don't judge me!

Better Off Zed balances the grim reality of such an event with humor and manages to deliver despite the blatant budget restrictions. The minimal cast do a great job and I found myself chuckling to myself a number of times as well as empathizing with our protagonists.

If you're expecting Shaun of the Dead (2004) you'll likely be disappointed, it's not that it isn't on the same level it's just not the same kind of film. This is claustrophobic, minimalistic with a dry sense of humor that manages to be darker even than the aforementioneds finale.

This will certainly not appeal to everyone but I appreciated it, neat little film.

The Good:

Well constructed

Some real funny moments

Stands out from other zombie films

The Bad:

Could have done with a bit of additional time

At moments I disliked the characters a tad too much

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

There is still life in zombie cinema

The zombie apocalypse IS coming, any day now

The movie is good and makes you think about life, if you can relate to the movie's characters. I guess it can be more appreciated by people in the appropriate age range, about 25-45 years old, who are at a similar stage in life and going through similar challenges and feelings as the characters in the movie. There is some depth in the movie and it has some messages or even lessons to learn, as it is based on novel.

This movie gets a couple of points just for breaking the z-mould. It's minimalistic and relies heavily on the story, witch is, thankfully, sufficiently engaging (perhaps not so for the younger audience). In a nutshell, in this study of character, two main protagonists try to make best of living through the zombie infestation. They do not necessarily share the vision of what constitutes the successful outcome (cue in The Clash with "Should I Stay or Should I Go"). Suffice it to say, things don't go as planned. Enjoyable watch with few chuckles and a moderate gore, and somewhat expected ending. 7/10.