written by Chloé Harper Gold, Horror Press
Queens of the Dead starts, as so many wild stories do, with a sketchy app-initiated hookup.
Drag artist Z Queen (played by Julie J) makes a pitstop at her church on the way home from a night out. She drops some cash into the donation box, says a few words of prayer…and gets a notification from the Grindr-esque hookup app Skins saying that someone in the building swiped right on her profile. Intrigued, she goes to look for the mystery suitor, but instead of a casual encounter, she finds a zombie priest who promptly attacks her.
Brooklyn Drag Show Meets Zombie Apocalypse
In a Brooklyn warehouse, DJ and party organizer Dre (Katy O’Brian) is preparing for that night’s Easter-themed drag show, contending with drama between the performers, a backed-up toilet requiring the plumbing expertise of her brother-in-law Barry (Quincy Dunn-Baker)—who is spectacularly ignorant about queer culture—, and her spacey but well-intentioned intern Kelsey (Jack Haven). When one of the headlining drag queens, Yasmine (Dominique Jackson), flakes in order to do a paid appearance at a vodka launch, her former friend Sam (Jaquel Spivey) shows up to resurrect his drag persona, Samoncé. Sam, now a nurse working with Dre’s wife Lizzy (Riki Lindhome) at a local hospital, hasn’t performed in a while; the last time he was supposed to, at a major party that Dre organized, he got cold feet, forcing her to refund everyone’s tickets, amounting to $9,000. Sam is there now, though, ready to help Dre and perform with his drag mother Ginsey (Nina West).
But then, another problem arises: the zombie apocalypse hits New York. Now, as a horde of slow-moving but ravenous undead descend upon the warehouse, the group must put aside their personal conflicts and work together to survive.
Tina Romero’s Hilarious Horror-Comedy Debut
In her directorial debut, Tina Romero serves up a delightful zombie horror-comedy that’s hilarious and heartfelt. Her film, co-written by Erin Judge and brought to life by an outstanding ensemble cast (rounded out with Shaunette Renée Wilson, Cheyenne Jackson, Samora la Perdida, and Becca Blackwell), is filled with quippy one-liners, energetic zombie scenes, and well-developed characters with believable relationships with each other. Costumes designed by David Tabbert and hair and makeup led by Mitchell Beck and Christina Grant, respectively, steal the spotlight. And yes, there are a few references to the OG zombie picture helmed by Romero’s father in the forms of an Impala named “Barbara”, a character quoting, “They’re coming for you, Barbara”, and the line, “This is not a George Romero movie.” Tom Savini even has a cameo appearance.
Most notable about Queens of the Dead is that it was clearly made specifically for queer audiences (in the best way!). In addition to the cast being populated by iconic queer and trans actors, there are drag culture references, cishet men getting tripped up by third-person singular pronouns, a butch power dyke wielding a power drill, and some raunchy humor: in one scene, an influencer’s presumably straight (or “straight”) boyfriend unwittingly simulates fellatio on a penis-shaped cake pop; in another, Kelsey—injured by a poorly-aimed axe meant for a zombie—tells her worried fiancée Pops (the aforementioned power dyke, played by Margaret Cho) that she wasn’t bitten, but instead has an “axe wound”, leading to one of the queens telling her not to brag about it. The sound bite of Kelsey saying, “I got an axe wound”, is sampled and remixed into an upbeat, danceable tune that plays during the closing credits.
Queens of the Dead Addresses Real Queer and Trans Issues
Interwoven with the comedy and zombie-fighting scenes are plot points that explore real issues that impact queer and trans communities, such as pervasive drug use in drag scenes and healthcare trauma among trans people. The character Nico (played by Tomas Matos) is a drug dealing (and using) dancer and aspiring drag queen who feels ostracized and disrespected as an artist by Ginsey and Sam. Meanwhile, Lizzy’s patient at the hospital—and companion as they outrun zombies—is a young trans woman named Jane (played by Eve Lindley) who has been getting her HRT from dealers rather than licensed doctors. It’s important to note that Romero and Judge don’t showcase these issues through a moralistic lens; they’re presented in a matter-of-fact and deeply compassionate way.
Why Queens of the Dead Slays
Although there could have been a bit more gore, overall, Queens of the Dead is a thoroughly entertaining zombie flick that also manages to be deeply comforting for queer viewers. The central cast is funny without being relegated to the butt of the joke; the lesbian characters aren’t sexualized for the titillation of straight male audiences; the creativity and DIY prowess for which drag queens are famous is highlighted in the fresh context of zombie-fighting weaponry and armor. The characters are messy, complicated, and bitchy. They’re also smart, resilient, and loving. They, like the film as a whole, slay in every sense of the word.
