Anna and the Apocalypse

Movie review by Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media
Anna and the Apocalypse Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 15+

Exuberant but uneven, gory holiday zombie musical.

R 2018 97 minutes
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Parents say

age 15+

Based on 3 reviews

Kids say

age 13+

Based on 7 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Anna and the Apocalypse is a Christmas-themed zombie musical that's almost certainly the first of its kind. Not surprisingly, it has graphic (but comical) zombie violence, including lots of blood and gore, eating/spilling of entrails, characters dying and becoming zombies, zombies being bashed with blunt objects and weapons, etc. Language is also strong, with uses of "f--k," "s--t," "a--hole," "p---y," and more. Teens kiss passionately (and sloppily), and teen sex is briefly but openly discussed. One character is in a same-sex relationship, but her girlfriend is never seen. There's also some eyebrow-raising sexual innuendo in certain scenes, most notably in a particular song. Consumerism and substance use aren't issues. The movie is uneven but ultimately creative and energetic, with touching emotional connections; teens looking for nonstandard holiday fare should enjoy it.

Community Reviews

jcmcdowell
jcmcdowell Adult
January 1, 2020
age 16+

GORE AND MUSICALS DON’T MIX!!!

I liked the gore in this movie, but because it was a musical, it is more stupid than scary. The fact that this is a Christmas movie that is a gory musical makes it stupid. I like Christmas movies, horror movies, and musicals, but not combined. There is lots of graphic gore and lots of singing and dancing. THEY DON’T MIX! The songs are good by themselves, the soundtrack is great, but don’t waste your time watching this!

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Brendan M.
Brendan M. Adult
December 3, 2019
age 15+

Well Done Zombie Christmas Musical Absolutely Earns The R Rating

Note: There are 3 versions of this film; the US Cut (92 mins), the UK Cut (97 mins), and the Extended Cut [aka Festival Cut] (108 mins). I have seen all three, extra content doesn't make the movie more explicit. Movie (4.5/5): The movie is a zombie comedy Christmas musical; it follows Anna, a girl who wants to see the world and escape her uneventful life in her small town, even against her dad's wishes (who wants her to go to college instead). However, soon zombies start taking over her town and now she and her friends have to make it to the school in order to find their loved ones and hopefully get out alive. The story develops the characters perfectly, giving us their normal problems and hopes before the zombie apocalypse happens, in which causes them to mature and deal with loss and grief in a new world. The songs are memorable, well written, and catchy while properly telling the story. The comedy is hilarious and makes us like these characters so that the drama hits strong. Well filmed, greatly acted, and excellently paced; Anna and the Apocalypse is a movie that is a fun holiday musical and well made zombie comedy all in one package. I highly recommend this movie to anyone (especially the 108 minute long extended cut). Violence (4/5): Gory violence throughout. Including head bashing with blood and gore, ripped out intestines, stabbings, gory zombie bites, decapitations, and more. Anyone that says that this movie could've been PG-13 is being silly, this movie absolutely earns the R rating for its violence alone. Language (4/5): Typical R rated language. 20+ F bombs, as well as uses of s--t, hell, damn, and more. Also includes British language such as bloody, bollocks, shag, etc. This language is in some of the songs as well (so be weary about playing the soundtrack out loud). Sex (2/5): One song is a giant constant sexual innuendo, a character finds a sex toy in a box of confiscated items, some mild talk about sex. Drugs/Drinking (1/5): In the extended cut, the main antagonist is seen drinking for a brief moment.
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE, several high schoolers deal with their day-to-day problems. Anna (Ella Hunt) wants to travel to Australia after graduation, but her widowed dad (Mark Benton) is against the idea. Anna's best friend, John (Malcolm Cumming), is secretly in love with her, and her ex-boyfriend Nick (Ben Wiggins) is an obnoxious bully. Another friend, Steph (Sarah Swire), is a sophisticated lesbian who's been left on her own just before Christmas by both her parents and her girlfriend. At least cabaret-style singer Lisa (Marli Siu) and her film geek boyfriend, Chris (Christopher Leveaux), seem to be happy. But everything changes when the zombies come. Four of the friends must try to get back to the high school across town, where their loved ones have been holed up since the big Christmas show. But another problem lies in the sadistic headmaster (Paul Kaye), who doesn't mind if a few students' brains wind up as zombie food.

Is It Any Good?

Both its tone and its songs get a little melancholy as the movie goes along, but this frequently exuberant Christmas-zombie-musical is wonderfully creative, with a touching emotional center. Dreamed up by a handful of fresh-faced newcomers, Anna and the Apocalypse features several brand-new original tunes, the most delightful of which are doled out in the first half hour, although the cast's singing and dancing generally carry the later, sadder, darker ones through. (Only a vicious shriek-fest, sung by Kaye's villain, stops things dead for a time.) And while the zombie violence is mostly old hat, there are a few clever new slayings, especially those taking place in a bowling alley and one involving a seesaw.

Of the movie's three main thematic elements, Christmas is less present than the songs or the zombies (or at least less so than in something like The Nightmare Before Christmas). But holiday imagery is used in twisted, subversive ways, such as Anna's choice of a candy cane (with a sharp end point) as a weapon, a Christmas tree on fire, and a big prop star in the stage performance. An ugly holiday sweater is also a highlight. Aside from any gimmicks or genre-switching, though, what really comes through in Anna and the Apocalypse is a sense that the characters have genuine troubles, that they genuinely care for one another, and that death actually means something. Viewers may have expected to laugh and tap their toes, but they may be surprised at having been moved, too.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Anna and the Apocalypse's violence. How gory is it? Did it make you laugh or cringe? Why? How did the filmmakers achieve this? Can gore be funny?

  • Is the movie scary? Are zombies scary? Why or why not?

  • How is Steph portrayed? Is she a positive representation of the LGBTQ community?

  • How does the movie deal with the bully character? How is his story resolved?

  • What is the father-daughter relationship like between Anna and her dad? Do they communicate? Do they respect one another? How does it compare to your own real-life relationships?

Movie Details

Our Editors Recommend

For kids who love zombies and holidays

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