‘Father of the zombie film' George A. Romero changed the face of horror with his landmark contributions to the subgenre. The Night of the Living Dead series – including Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, and Day of the Dead – are considered not just the greatest zombie movies of all time, but some of the greatest contributions to horror as a whole. Now, Romero's daughter Tina Romero is following in her father's footsteps with Queens Of The Dead, a campy splatter flick which held its world premiere at this year's Tribeca Film Festival.
Co-written by Tina and Erin Judge, Queens Of The Dead follows an eclectic group of drag queens and club kids on the opening night of their new club, Yum. Dre (Katy O'Brian) is desperately trying to pull her motley crew together – seasoned drag queen Ginsey Tonic (Nina West), newcomer Scrumptious aka Nico (Tomas Matos), and manager Kelsey (Jack Haven) – for opening night. The DJ has gone AWOL, star attraction Yasmine (Dominique Jackson) has pulled out for a better gig, and Dre's bigot brother-in-law Barry (Quincy Dunn-Baker) is taking far too long to fix a toilet.
Dre's wife, Lizzy (Riki Lindome), suggests that her nursing colleague and Dre's previous top performer, Sam (Jaquel Spivey), could resurrect their drag persona for a big comeback show. Dre turns the offer down, but soon the group is forced to put their tumultuous histories aside when the zombie apocalypse breaks out during the Brooklyn drag show, and they must fight for survival.
Queens Of The Dead is a loving homage to classic zombie films while still feeling fresh and fun. Its references are in your face that they could well feel thumbed in and forced, but with the camp, extravagant energy that runs throughout the narrative, they feel right at home in the outlandish setting. A cameo from Tom Savini, assuring the residents, “This is not a George Romero movie,” will have viewers squealing with glee rather than rolling their eyes, thanks to Tina's expert understanding of pacing and the art of ratcheting up Queens Of The Dead's comedy and horror elements at just the right moments.
The giggles and gore play off thanks to the charming ensemble cast, including Jaquel Spivey, Nina West, Tomás Matos, Margaret Cho, Jack Haven, Cheyenne Jackson, Katy O'Brian, and Riki Lindhome. The plight of the ragtag group at Yum feels so fraught because of their performances, which make these characters feel larger-than-life, and yet relatable. Between the witty one-liners and bizarre fight sequences are touching moments of human connection as the world falls apart with the group helping Sam find their confidence, Barry understands the nuances of sex and genre, and Dre comes to terms with a huge life change.
The term cult classic is thrown around way too often, but Queens Of The Dead has all the makings of an instant indie hit. Every inch of it is goofy and goory, cheesy yet charming, and an absolute blood-soaked blast from start to finish. Rather than simply replicating her father's work, Tina has showcased her unique vision and style in a stellar debut feature that sets her out as a director to get excited about.
Queens Of The Dead had its world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival on 7 June
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