Juan is a 40 year old with absolutely no direction in his life. His only emotional tie lies in his daughter, Camila, who wants nothing to do with him because of his lack of purpose. When strange things begin to occur, specifically people violently attacking one and other, Juan decides to do what he does best when facing this type of situation - make money. Alejandro Brugues' Juan of the Dead is a zombie horror comedy in the same vein as films like Shaun of the Dead or Fido. It's a highly entertaining addition to the sub-genre with lots of great comedic moments centered around Juan and his friends being oblivious to the true nature of the situation they find themselves in. In terms of a zombie movie, Juan of the Dead brings what one expects to the genre with lots of violence and some rather creative deaths. In the end, what makes Juan of the Dead so good is its scathing satire towards Cuba, more specifically Castro's regime. Early on the satire is more subtle, showing the stagnant nature of people caused by the regime, focusing on Juan's lazy lifestyle as a symbol of this concept. Almost every character who has a sense of direction is leaving the country to make something of themselves while the people who stay, Juan for example, are simply drifting through life with no purpose. The satire becomes far more blunt after the zombie apocalypse escalates, displaying news reports which blatantly lie to the people about the severity of the situation. There are even billboards displaying messages like "Free Cuba" just in case the viewer is missing the point. Juan and his fellow survivors never even comprehend what a Zombie is because they have been living in a sheltered box from the rest of the world. Juan of the Dead is a lot of fun as both a comedy and a zombie film but what escalates the film is its satirical elements about Cuba, even giving the country's people a beacon of hope at the conclusion of the film. 8/10
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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