Cosplayers Versus Carnage in an Undead L.A.

Read Time:5 Minute, 29 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
ZombieCON Vol. 1
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Genre: Action, Comedy, Horror
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 1h 50m
Director(s): Kyle Valle
Writer(s): Kyle Valle, Manny Luke, Erin Áine
Cast: Manny Luke, Erin Áine, Christian Casillas, Carlo Mendez, Punkie Johnson, Nichole McAuley, Melissa Jane Rodriguez
Where to Watch: on demand, July 15, 2025

RAVING REVIEW: It’s not every day a zombie movie sets its sights on fan culture and manages to both celebrate and roast it at the same time. ZOMBIECON VOL. 1 lands somewhere between chaos and commentary, blending camp, carnage, and cosplay in a world that feels absurdly heightened and yet oddly timely. While it doesn’t always stick the landing, this genre-mashing indie horror comedy charges forward with confidence, buoyed by a cast that’s enjoying themselves and a concept bold enough to stand out in an overcrowded undead landscape.

The film follows four best friends who live for cosplay and conventions—until their latest adventure accidentally sparks a zombie outbreak. But there’s a twist: this infection doesn’t target just anyone. It goes after the worst of the worst—rude influencers, power-tripping security, bigots, trolls, and others who often make fan spaces toxic. In that respect, the film becomes more than a splatterfest. It’s a commentary, laced with satire, about how easily community can turn into chaos when ego enters the equation.

Manny Luke and Erin Áine, who also co-wrote the script alongside director Kyle Valle, lead the ensemble with a level of heart and energy that keeps the film moving even when the story itself wavers. Their chemistry is a real asset, grounding scenes that could have easily become too absurd. The characters never feel too deep, but they don’t need to be. This is a world that thrives on type: the try-hard hero, the too-cool skeptic, the protective friend, the unlikely mentor. What matters is how these archetypes are used—and here, they’re having fun with them, not hiding behind them.

Much of the humor in ZOMBIECON VOL. 1 stems from the absurdly specific nature of its world. Anyone who’s ever walked a convention floor, waited in line for a panel, signature, or gotten into a debate about canon will recognize the dynamics at play. There’s a familiarity to the environment that makes the exaggerated stakes more fun to watch. But it’s not just jokes for the sake of references. The satire cuts pretty deep, pointing out how self-importance, social media performativity, and toxic behavior often hide behind layers of fandom identity.

As a director, Kyle Valle leans heavily into the film’s heightened reality, utilizing fast cuts, comic book-inspired transitions, and exaggerated sound effects to maintain a snappy pace. There’s an anime-inspired flair to some of the action, especially in the sword fights and slow-motion sequences. While the budget limitations are noticeable, the film is never boring to look at. The style is consistent with its tone—unpolished but earnest, chaotic but controlled.

The zombie effects range from minimal to pretty impressive. This isn’t a film trying to compete with big-studio horror makeup, and that’s probably for the best. What it lacks in realism, it makes up for in creativity and intention. The infected aren’t just random—they’re designed to be recognizable caricatures of awful people, and that gives each encounter an added layer of catharsis.

One of the more refreshing aspects of the film is how it utilizes queerness, race, and identity not as mere accessories but as parts of the world. Characters aren’t shoehorned in for representation points—they exist, they survive, they joke, they fight, and they lead. This is a great start into representation in filmmaking that just exists because it's part of our world.

The film’s relentless energy—while often a strength—can become overwhelming. There’s little room to breathe between jokes, fights, or plot turns, and while that suits the “live-action cartoon” aesthetic, it can lead to fatigue for viewers not on the film’s very specific wavelength. Those seeking more conventional horror or traditional character development may feel left behind.

But for those who live in the intersection of genre fandom and dark humor, ZOMBIECON VOL. 1 will likely hit its mark. It has the spark of a future cult favorite, especially for audiences tired of polished, predictable horror that plays it safe. There’s a lot of joy packed into its chaotic structure, and even when it falters, it does so with ambition. It wants to be more than just another zombie movie, and even when it's messy, it’s rarely forgettable.

In a time where the horror-comedy genre is often crowded with shallow nostalgia or cheap parody, ZOMBIECON VOL. 1 dares to be specific, inclusive, and just plain weird. It doesn’t always fire on all cylinders, but when it does, it’s a ridiculous, gutsy delight. A blood-soaked celebration of community, identity, and the sheer power of nerds with swords, this is the kind of film that could live on in midnight screenings and con panels for years to come.

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[photo courtesy of BIG SQUID PRODUCTIONS, LEVEL 33 ENTERTAINMENT]

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