Horror is the only genre that can poke fun at itself and not be called a parody or a spoof. The horror-comedy is a genre all it's own at this point but it is not easy to pull off, one must know the genre well and have solid timing on the comedy and know when to play up the horror. The filmmakers behind Zombeavers definitely know both comedy and horror and they execute these forms perfectly and the end result is one hell of a fun film.
Zombeavers starts off with a hilarious set up to create the zombie beavers (I won't spoil it here) and is followed by a fantastic opening credit sequence that mixes live action shots with animation and it's one of the coolest openings I've seen in a long time. It's the perfect set-up for the film that follows. We are then introduced to 3 girls on their way for a weekend of fun at a lake house out in the country. The trio are very likeable and come across as real girls instead of just characters to be chased and killed. They are naive without being dumb and have a playful chemistry amongst them. The dialogue is well written and sounds like real language and I was invested from the beginning. Rachel Melvin is probably the standout amongst them, she has a real "girl next door" quality and Cortney Palm has a fantastic comedic delivery.
A bit later in the movie boys inevitably show up to crash the girls' weekend getaway. While not as well developed, the guys are just as funny as their lady counterparts and also bring some extra storylines into the development of the group's history as friends. I thought the little extra effort taken to establish some character depth and show how the group ties together as a whole and as friends was great to see. This isn't always the case with horror as we often are thrown a handful of stock characters that we don't care about. The character relationships help make the characters that much more real amidst the seemingly impossible surroundings of zombie beavers.
Obviously the zombie beavers are an extremely important element in the film, and their appearance and technical execution could make or break the production. If they are lousy CGI will they be believable and accepted? What do zombie beavers even sound like? How do they move? Luckily, the filmmakers created the perfect zombie beaver for the film. Everything about the world of the movie is ultimately believable, except the zombie beavers, of course. There are no over the top crazy backwood hillbillies and there is no wild life expert in the group who knows just what to do. So would a slow lurking, quietly gurgling, bloody zombie beaver stand out much? No. There's a saying that says if you're going to lie, lie big. If Zombie beavers can't really exist, then lie big to make them real! These practical effect zombie beavers are bug eyed, crazed, fast moving, screeching, relentless terrors and they elicit real fear from our group of doomed protagonists. That is the main reason why this film works so much: it sets up the real world and when the reality of zombie beavers is introduced into it they are so absurd and over the top and are met with serious fear from the characters that the audience buys into it. If the characters take them seriously, so will the audience.
The music in the movie also helps create the humor filled yet serious tone as well. It quietly plays in the background and seems overly dramatic during touching or dramatic moments and turns serious during frightening moments and it helps create that hint of something over the top lurking just around the corner. From the visual to the writing to the audio, nothing was missed by the production team and it all comes together for a fantastic humor filled horror story. I definitely recommend Zombeavers, you won't be disappointed!
Also, stick around for the Sinatra-esque Zombeavers song that plays over the closing credits. Classic.
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