DVD Corner

Queens Of The Dead Review

“Queens Of The Dead” is a fresh zombie film.

Penned by Erin Judge and Tina Romero (daughter of the late horror master George A. Romero), 2025’s “Queens Of The Dead” is a queer zombie horror-comedy. Set in Brooklyn, the ensemble story primarily takes place at a bar where a drag queen show run by Dre is taking place. The show is looking to be a disaster as the star (Yasmine) has run off. In need of a replacement asap, a nurse and former drag queen (Sam) is called in to fill in, but it’s possible Sam’s stage fright might derail the show further. It turns out that everyone has bigger problems to deal with though as a zombie outbreak has occurred. Now, everyone in the club finds themselves staying inside for safety. Among those now trapped in the bar are Kelsey (an assistant), drag queens Scrumptious and Ginsey, and a plumber named Barry. Outside of the club there’s a key storyline involving Dre’s wife Lizzy (a nurse) who is attempting to get to Dre alongside a patient (Jane).

When it comes to zombie films, nobody did it better than George A. Romero. Tina Romero (who makes her feature-length directorial debut here) has the daunting task of following in her father’s footsteps, but with “Queens Of The Dead,” she proves that she is forging her own filmmaking path.

While Tina Romero does pay homage to her father with a few references and cameos by George regulars like Tom Savini, she certainly has her own voice here in terms of the dialogue, style, comedy, and thematic exploration into everything from social media to gender. Are there too many characters juggled within this story? Perhaps, but Tina Romero’s strength here is attention to character. In many zombie films, characters are essentially fodder for the zombies, but with “Queens Of The Dead” the characters have a real soul to them. Their friendships, their dreams, their flaws, and their fears are all on display here. At its heart it’s a story about humanity.

So what about the zombies and the comedy? Worry not, there’s plenty of zombie mayhem here along with creative deaths involving a drill and a crossbow. The comedy generally works (particularly anything with Kelsey), but it doesn’t always land. Some of the comedy could have used some punch-ups, but let’s face it, comedy is subjective.

In terms of the direction and production itself, Tina Romero impresses with a low-budget. The use of color and lighting, the shot selection, and the practical gore and make-up are all first rate. 

Cast wise, there’s a number of notable performances here. Katy O’Brian (who is everywhere these days) does a fine job as the central star Dre. Jack Haven (of “I Saw The TV Glow” fame) steals the film. The song bits are absolutely hilarious. Jacquel Spivey shines as Sam (who perhaps has the best character arc). Rikki Lindholme, Margaret Cho, and Tomas Matos are also memorable in their respective roles.

IFC and Shudder’s “Queens Of The Dead” hits theaters October 24th.

October 22, 2025 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Movie Review | Drag Queens, Horror-Comedy, Katy O'Brian, Queens Of The Dead Review, Queer Cinema, Tina Romero, Zombie Film