Night of the Living Deb (2015)

Number Rolled: 75

Movie Name/Year: Night of the Living Deb (2015)

Tagline: It’s a Rom-Zom-Com!

Genre: Horror, Comedy, Romance

Length: 84 minutes

Rating: NR

Production Companies: Cocksure Entertainment

Producer: Faisal Campwala, Michael Cassidy, Holly Karrol Clark, John Copolillo, Tony Copolillo, Benoit Grenier, Chad Nicholson, Darren Priest, Jane Rankin, Kyle Rankin, Doug Roos, Leah Schiffer, Tom Schiffer, Debra Schwartz, Kevin Sproles, Jocelyn Stamat, Dana Street, Larry Taube, Syd Wilder

Director: Kyle Rankin

Writer: Andy Selsor, Kyle Rankin

Actors: Maria Thayer, Michael Cassidy, Julie Brister, Syd Wilder, Grant Garry, Chris Marquette, Ray Wise, Brian Sacca, Orson Scott Card

Stunt Coordinators: Ned Donovan, Nick Shuhan

Languages

Speech Available: English

Subtitles Available: English, Spanish

Blurb from Netflix: The morning after an ill-advised drunken hookup, Deb and her hunky one-night stand, Ryan, wake up with regret -- and facing a zombie apocalypse.

Selina’s Point of View:

I found this film adorable. It was VERY Shaun of the Dead (2004), complete with an over-the-top ridiculous main character, spoofy-type zombies that don’t quite follow all the rules/tropes, and tons of humor.

The humor DID have a bit of a cringe factor to it at times. I’m VERY bad with cringe. In fact, if someone recorded my reaction to something cringe-worthy, people would instantly think I was faking it. Meanwhile, I’m just that bad with it. And it’s not that kind of ‘scream at a jump scare but kinda like being scared’ feeling, either. I actively hate too much cringe.

That being said, there wasn’t SO much cringe that it destroyed the movie for me. I didn’t like when it went in that direction… but otherwise I really dug the rest of the spaztastic humor.

The actors were good, though I had some minor issues with a couple of them and seeing Ray Wise (Shattered, The Young and the Restless, Halloweed) in this part doesn’t change my head-cannon that says he’s still playing the devil from Reaper (2007) in every single part he accepts.

Maria Thayer (Those Who Can’t, Comedy Bang! Bang!, Cougar Town) was just adorable in her geeky, girl-next-door, awkward role.

I’ve always been a fan of mixing horror and comedy, this film didn’t change that point of view. I still prefer Shaun of the Dead, but if that wasn’t available, this film would be just fine as an alternate.

Cat’s Point of View:

After baking, barbecue, and other Mardi Gras festivities, Night of the Living Deb was a fun way to cap off my weekend.

The zombie genre never gets old for me. There’s so many ways it can be explored. This film was somewhat in the vein of Shaun of the Dead (2004) with its heavy comedic element. I enjoyed that the movie didn’t take itself too seriously, and even poked at various tropes of the genre.

I absolutely adored Maria Thayer (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Annie Claus is Coming to Town, Eagleheart) in this movie. She absolutely stole the show for me. I really identified with the adorkable awkwardness of her character; which was well balanced by her pluck and intelligence. I promise I wasn’t biased because she’s a redhead. That does give her more cool points, though.

There was a surprising cameo in this film, as well. Hugo Award winner Orson Scott Card, author of the book Ender's Game (2013) was based on, appeared as Professor Turlington for his only acting credit listed on IMDb. At the time of writing this review, I couldn’t seem to find any media that would point to why he chose this project; though, as a sci-fi fan, I found it highly entertaining.

This movie goes in a few odd and interesting directions, which actually made for a change of pace over your typical zombie flick. I was actually a bit surprised that the production seemed to show a bit of restraint in the zombie gore department. It has me pondering if this was an active choice or a case of budget restrictions, considering it was an unrated movie.

I think that makes this movie a great stepping stone for someone who wants to get their feet wet in the genre without an overload of blood and guts. Though, having some experience with zombie movies before watching would definitely provide a better reference so that the bits that poke fun at the genre aren’t missed.

All in all, I really enjoyed this movie and would have no problem recommending it, or even watching it again!

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – %

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – %

Netflix’s Prediction for Selina – 4/5

Selina’s Trust-the-Dice Score – 4/5

Netflix’s Prediction for Cat – 4/5

Cat’s Trust-the-Dice Score – 4/5

The Random Rating: R

Movie Trailer: