Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (15) | Close-Up Film Review
There are other useless, rote subplots that unfold as the film skips along (at a very brisk pace, it must be said), including Ben’s crush on Carter’s sister Kendall (Paper Towns’ Halston Sage) and Carter’s desire to get laid – or at the very least, see some breasts. It’s all classic teen movie shtick, just wrapped up in an entertaining zombie apocalypse setting. There are some good gags to be enjoyed along the way, and the crowd this reviewer was with positively ate it up. Some of Scouts Guide’s best moments are of the gross-out variety; even if that kind of humour isn’t your cup of tea, you still have to applaud the inventiveness of those responsible for coming up with those gags.
Tye Sheridan cuts a sympathetic figure, a nice young guy who’s easy to root for. Logan Miller fills the foulmouthed sex-obsessed best friend role with ease and confidence, and is frequently the more enjoyable portion of the main trio, but its Joey Morgan who comes out on top as sweet-natured kid Augie, ditched by his friends in lieu of a party but still comes through for them in a zombie apocalypse. Sarah Dumont turns up as sassy cocktail waitress Denise and is not only a badass chick with a shotgun but also great eye candy for the pubescent adolescent male crowd.
Don’t get it twisted, this film is predominately aimed at a teenage market. But if you’ve got even a mildly silly sense of humour and a penchant for horror comedy mash-ups, then you’ll find something to enjoy here. The film never rises above what’s expected of it, and that’s a shame, but there’s still an okay way to spend 90 minutes contained within.
Review by Dan Woburn