Now that it’s Christmastime, it’s time to pull out the festivities and prepare for the joyous celebration. For most, that includes various cover albums of holiday hits (may I suggests “If the Fates Allow”?) and gathering with family to enjoy in the dulcet tones of every pop star from Bing Crosby to John Travolta. There’s even holiday cinema that has produced dozens of longstanding hits, and there’s a good chance that you’ve seen them umpteen times. I don’t need to tell you about any of them. If you’ve seen White Christmas (1954), you’ll understand why it’s a perfect exploration of the holidays and pageantry from the perspective of war. Similarly, you could watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), but I’ll block your defense in the comments section.
It becomes more difficult to think of a modern-day classic however. Sure, every year produces several holiday movies. It’s essentially Hallmark’s time to shine and, with the exception of Happiest Season (2020), there isn’t any doing anything innovative. That is, except for one particular title that I promise will blow your mind, especially if you’re like me and have a cross-section of interests that includes big showy musicals and horror. Somehow, these two genres have respected each other’s space come December, but for one very special moment in time, they came together to bring us a fun little gem called Anna and the Apocalypse (2018).
Back when theaters were plentiful, me and a friend made a plan to see this import. We had formed a shared interest in zombie movies, and it was almost required that we jumped at anything that said the zed word. I knew nothing about the film going in other than the title gave me one specific suggestion. It was wrong, but I assumed that it was Anna Kendrick having to combat some supernatural force following some deadly collision, a’la This is the End (2013). I love having movies like this, where I was constantly finding unexpected things appearing, impressing me with their own clever spin on tropes. I even got a special placard from the ticket taker celebrating the fact that we had seen it on opening weekend.
To straighten things out, the plot is actually about this high school student named Anna (Ella Shepherd) who is looking to escape her boring town and start her life. It’s a coming of age story that perfectly sets things up by having a familiar teen angst struggle. The zombies come to symbolize the decay of people who never left, stuck in this town and wasting away. The fear of not doing anything exceptional with your life haunts the picture, and it just so happens to feature some clever zombie kills that include decapitation with a giant candy-striped pole. There is love, hope, and everything that in any other musical would come across as cheese. Here, it’s perfectly offset by the fear of death, of being mauled by these forces overrunning the town.
As one can guess, the music is a high point for this story. Composers Roddy Hart and Tommy Reilly provide the music that starts with the fairly subversive “Hollywood Ending,” where a choir of students sings about how there’s no such thing as a Hollywood ending. This British story is hoping to disconnect from the tropes that audiences know, allowing them to see something less conventional and more upfront in its craziness. While this song initially seems overreaching, trying to sound like some clever fourth-wall breaker, it actually comes to symbolize the fear of being trapped in a town full of disappointment. To be bitten by a zombie is a fate worse than death.
The initial run, during the set-up and exposition, presents Anna’s world as something claustrophobic. While she is friends with John (Malcolm Cumming), they work mediocre jobs and have those typical teenage dreams. They're mostly there to keep each other sane, having that fantasy that only if they left this town that everything could work out. It’s warm-hearted, managing to create a perfect world where the small moments begin to pop with personality. It’s also the chance to show the awful schoolboard figures, notably the not-subtly-named Arthur Savage (Paul Kaye) who also looks like he has it out for Anna and the gang.
Then again, that’s because everything that isn’t dear to Anna is portrayed as being awful. While I think that Savage is at times poorly written to the point that he sings his dastardly deeds to the camera, it’s high camp in ways that fit this crazy world, where running through tree lots and Christmas decorations is a chance to mix holiday joy with utmost fear. What once appeared innocent is now a perverted weapon, waiting to attack. Even the various work locations come to be strategic recharging stations for the surviving members.
In what may be the best moment of the film, Anna and John are out running while singing “Turning My Life Around.” It’s the optimistic “I want” number where Anna dreams of a life away from this miserable town. As she plugs into her earbuds, she begins to sing while walking down a street full of action. She doesn’t see any of it, but her motif of “What a day to be alive!” is perfectly counterbalanced with a neighborhood decked in Christmas decorations being attacked by zombies. Nobody seems to be safe, as everyone crawls through the misery. Schoolgirls are smacking them with their backpacks. It all would be horrifying if this song wasn’t so upbeat.
It’s the type of scene that makes me curious to see what else director John McPhail does with his career. As far as camera work goes, it’s actually very creative, incorporating choreography and cross-cutting that perfectly fits the punchy music. The horror never outweighs the music, and the symbolic locations don’t get any less morbid. As Anna leaves the neighborhood, she crosses through, where else, a cemetery. She’s rocking out, having a good time. She’s oblivious to the world, living in her own fantasy of being far away. Even the fact that they’re seaside, overlooking some far off destination conveys how much they feel trapped on this proverbial island.
Then, with a perfect punchline, there’s a Santa Claus figure that walks into the frame and passes out. As they walk over, their introduction to this horrifying nightmare is a subtle reveal. What starts with concern turns into the sight of cheerfulness and death with a bloody zombie peering his head outside of the costume. It’s the initiation, and what will carry the story through the finale, which follows in the path of masterpieces like Dawn of the Dead (1978) by having the endless goal not only to survive but leave this place altogether. To quote a hackneyed phrase, you can’t go home again.
There’s a whole community of survivors throughout the town, most of which are singing teenagers. While Anna learns on the job how to survive, there are others like Nick (Ben Wiggins) who postures as a hero. While singing “Soldier At War,” singing about how he enjoys kicking zombie ass, leading like a street gang with a baseball bat and everyday appliances. They’re cocky, believing that they’ll get through this. Their arrogance is palpable, and it makes sense that they are one of the many antagonists in this story. Any form of loyalty is more for their benefit, reflecting an every man for themselves attitude.
This is one of the reasons that Anna and the Apocalypse is so effective. It’s densely populated with memorable characters who add weight to the story. While it starts as something familiar, the archetypes of schoolyard politics begin to take shape as they fall victim to every trap. Yes, there’s the jump scares and a few gory deaths, but they all convey something more impressive. It’s the hell of seeing these people in the hallways at school, judging you and doing everything to undermine your capabilities. If you think that surviving an apocalypse is hard, try dealing with Nick on a regular basis.
That is of course why everything ends on the campus, facing off against Savage as he sings “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Me Now.” It’s the campiest song, but it’s also clear that McPhail isn’t going for nuance. This is about overpowering the adults who oppress teenage desires, and watching him collapse is the catharsis that Anna needs. Yes, the journey to the end is full of sacrifices and several delightful songs, but it’s a wild time that knows how to shift between pomp and circumstance and this heartfelt drama of vulnerable teens. In the end, there is an investment that proves how many layers there are.
This isn’t just a horror musical in the conventional sense. While many of the songs arguably lack the merry feel, they all complement the festive choreography and direction. It’s the perfect blend of wondrous holiday miracles and the fear of a career ending. Kudos to everyone involved or making it into a cult holiday movie in the making, finding teenagers just trying to survive and live their lives. It doesn’t treat the holidays as a chance to spread cheer, but to hopefully reach it by overcoming zombies dressed in macabre outfits. Even then, it’s all so absurd that every scene is simultaneously hilarious and horrifying, thanks in large part to the empathetic lead performance by Hunt.
Another fun detail for those who want an excuse to watch this delightful movie, let me point to a more recent project. Composers Hart and Reilly have already gone on to big projects that you may have enjoyed in the past few weeks, especially if you have a certain 90s nostalgia. Hulu’s reboot of Animaniacs features the duo adding their own stamp to the soundtrack. While, of the eight episodes I’ve seen, I don’t believe that they’re the most substantial songs, they definitely have the potential for many more projects full of catchy numbers that are sure to get stuck in your head. Still, if you want something fully formed and exciting, try Anna and the Apocalypse first.
As obvious as it should be to figure out at this point, I’m going to end by saying that this is an R-Rated movie, so unless your family is full of zombie fanatics who enjoy the dark side of life, don’t pull this up around The Christmas Tree. Save it for those who love teen angst, zombie mauling, and a pretty solid soundtrack. It doesn’t reinvent any of the genres, but it shows the creative spirit of what cinema can be when allowed to be as deranged and creative as it wants to be. I wish nothing but the best for the cast and hope they have strong careers ahead of them. I definitely believe they all deserve it.
And for everyone else, I hope you have a great Christmas and are prepared for the big apocalyptic fight. If you don’t hear from me tomorrow, you’ll know why.
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