Army of the Dead

"Survivors take all."

2021 2h 28m EN

😐

6.2

MID

🍅

68%

FRESH

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

5.8

IMDB

★6.2TMDB · 4,566🍅68%Rotten Tomatoes●57Metacritic★5.8IMDB · 198,860

CrimeActionHorror

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Following a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries take the ultimate gamble: venturing into the quarantine zone to pull off the greatest heist ever attempted.

“Survivors take all.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Dave Bautista
Scott Ward
Ella Purnell
Kate Ward
Omari Hardwick
Vanderohe
Ana de la Reguera
Maria Cruz
Theo Rossi
Burt Cummings
Matthias Schweighöfer
Ludwig Dieter
Nora Arnezeder
Lilly / The Coyote
Hiroyuki Sanada
Bly Tanaka

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Zack Snyder
Writers: Zack Snyder, Shay Hatten, Jay Oliva
Languages: English, German, Spanish
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Mid-budget at $90M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 5 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, German, Spanish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Army of the Dead Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

221+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Zack Snyder, shot by Zack Snyder. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Tom Holkenborg. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Dody Dorn shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Zack Snyder directs. Zack Snyder behind the camera. Tom Holkenborg scores. Dody Dorn cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, German, Spanish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Mid-budget at $90M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.
2Released 5 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, German, Spanish.
4Part of the "Army of the Dead Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5221+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
6Directed by Zack Snyder, shot by Zack Snyder. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Original score by Tom Holkenborg. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
8Editor Dody Dorn shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
9Dave Bautista and Ella Purnell and Omari Hardwick carry the top of the cast.
10Marketing tagline: "Survivors take all.".
11IMDB entry: tt0993840 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
12Classified under 21 themes, including "casino", "tiger", "vault", "mercenary".
13Released under 14 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Zack Snyder
Original score: Tom Holkenborg
Editing: Dody Dorn
Production design: Julie Berghoff
Costume design: Stephanie Portnoy Porter
Makeup / hair: Cary Gunnar Lee
VFX supervisor: Marcus Taormina
Sound: Andy Koyama
Stunt coordinator: Wayne Dalglish
Runtime: 148 min · 2h 28m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $90,000,000
Box office: $190,700,000
Return: 212% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Army of the Dead (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes: 68% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 57/100
IMDB rating: 5.8/10 · 198,860 votes
MPAA: R

Awards

1 win & 4 nominations total

Part of

Army of the Dead Collection

Series of movies revolving around a group of criminals plying their trade during a zombie apocalypse.

Also by

Zack Snyder

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Chris Sawin2021-05-19
★ 8/10
Army of the Dead injects some much needed vitality into both zombie films as a whole and Zack Snyder’s career as a filmmaker. Dave Bautista is also the best he’s ever been as far as his acting ability goes. Gory as hell and entertaining through and through, Army of the Dead is a must-watch for action and horror film fans alike. We really needed more scenes with Vanderohe (Omari Hardwick) using that giant circular saw to tear through zombie flesh though. Full review here: http://geekshavegame.com/army-of-the-dead-review-zack-snyders-return-to-zombie-flesh-eating-form/
Manuel São Bento2021-05-22
★ 6/10
If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog @ https://www.msbreviews.com Zack Snyder is far from being a consensual director. Some viewers really love his work - Zack Snyder's Justice League was only possible due to passionate, hardcore fans - while others fail to understand the reasons behind the constant hype surrounding the filmmaker's projects. Personally, despite not belonging to his enormous fandom, I quite enjoy his work outside of the DCEU. From Dawn of the Dead to Watchmen, passing through 300, I hold these films in high regard. However, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is unquestionably one of the biggest cinematic disappointments of my life, and it's arguably the movie that triggered the beginning of the controversial general opinion about the director. Usually, when people find themselves on a rough path, going back to their roots helps them get back on track, which is precisely what Snyder does here. The "zombie apocalypse" genre has been around for decades, but since the start of the new century, audiences all over the world were able to witness a narrative that was once unique and exciting become one of the most overdone, generic, formulaic pieces of storytelling. This last statement doesn't mean a few gems can't come out of it. From probably the greatest zombie film ever, Train to Busan, to the comedy classic Zombieland, there are truly great movies within the genre. So, where does Army of the Dead stand? Somewhere in the middle, labeled as "good fun", which is all I expected from this Netflix film. Let me get one thing out of the way immediately: this looks, sounds, and feels like a Snyder movie. Countless over-stylized shots, long slow-motion scenes, an overwhelming amount of gore and blood, bizarre song choices, a two-hour-and-a-half runtime... for better or worst, no one can complain about studio interferences this time. Clearly, the famous director had complete creative freedom, and it shows through all of the film's positives and negatives. Fortunately, Snyder's filmmaking style not only fits well within this genre, but it also works for the simple, entertainment-driven screenplay. A vast majority of viewers will press play in the hopes of receiving an action-heavy, fun, uncomplicated zombie movie with all the attributes that these flesh-eating characters possess. Except for a genuinely interesting storyline - though not new - concerning a specific type of zombies, everything else is pretty much what viewers have seen for the past two decades, which might be disappointing yet still highly enjoyable. From the way people can kill them to the time each infected person takes to become a zombie, every single cliche is present in this film. Honestly, none of them really annoy me unless they're repeated to exhaustion, which I don't believe Army of the Dead does that much. The action sequences are all well-shot, but I did expect more from them. Most scenes are just characters randomly shooting, hitting insane headshots that viewers will just have to accept as something normal, which shouldn't be too hard, considering the recent action flicks. Occasionally, one-on-one or one-on-many combats ensue, and it elevates the excitement levels by focusing on that single character, but then it's brought down again by tiresome shootouts. Snyder asks the viewers to accept several dumb plot and character decisions, so it's always going to be a matter of how much you can take until it starts getting too much... Personally, these logical issues don't really bother me - the ridiculous third act does push my limits, I admit. However, the lack of character development and overall care for everyone in the movie will always be a massive problem, especially when supposedly emotional, heartfelt moments end up having zero impact. I doubt anyone will be surprised to find out that people die in this film besides the zombies, consequently bringing tonal balance to the table. Obviously, not every character needs to receive a deep backstory and complex motivations, but it doesn't hurt to tell the viewers a bit about the people going into the danger zone so that the action sequences can carry more tension. Without spoiling anything, there's a period in the movie where a deadly countdown begins, and everything that occurs from the starting time to the climactic moment just feels like any other scene in the film. The lack of tension and sense of urgency ultimately stops it from being one of the greats. Overall, it's an enjoyable zombie flick that offered me a blast of fun, but I still believe it could have been a lot better. Dave Bautista (My Spy, Avengers: Endgame) is the absolute standout, interpreting the only fully-developed character of the movie. Ella Purnell (Wildlike), Omari Hardwick (Sorry to Bother You), and Nora Arnezeder (Origin) are also quite good. Finally, a point must be made about the relationship between studios and filmmakers. While I'm all in favor of creative freedom, there must always be a compromise between both parties. Snyder didn't gain fame for badly editing his films for no reason. Army of the Dead is, like most of his movies, unnecessarily long. The "deleted scenes" feature on Blu-rays doesn't exist for show-off. There's no film in the history of cinema where every single second recorded is pure gold, and runtimes are something studios can help filmmakers nail perfectly. In the end, I still consider this movie to move quickly through its straightforward story, so the excess screentime might not be that big of an issue for other viewers. Army of the Dead brings Zack Snyder back to the zombie apocalypse genre, delivering an entertaining, action-driven story that will please most spectators. With his distinct, divisive filmmaking style completely unrestrained, for better or worst, the standout Dave Bautista and his team fight through the cliches, lack of character development, and excessive runtime to still offer plenty of excitement. The lack of tension and urgency hurt some of the last action sequences, but all are well-shot and packed with energy. Exceptional production design and VFX aren't enough to compensate for the predictably formulaic screenplay, especially when the only interesting zombie storyline is only partially explored. Overall, it's the definition of "good fun", so if your weekend has a two-and-a-half-hour empty slot, Netflix has my endorsement. Rating: B-
Kamurai2021-06-19
★ 8/10
Great watch, would watch again, and can recommend. Probably the worst part of this is a trend I'm noticing from some movies I've been seeing recently where they show you what could be a better movie, in the movie. While this starts with a "patient zero" style opening, they then skip past the movie I want to see to the last possible story from the opening event. This movie does do a lot though, and has a lot of moving parts at any given time. Batista is amazing, and everyone sort of gets lost around him, I can't tell if that's because he's a giant or if the movie wants it that way: the cast all does a fantastic job in their roles. The movie does a couple things that I don't typically enjoy in movies: smart zombies, obvious traitors, and secret motivations. It's like if SHIELD was in "I am Legend" and Black Widow kept tripping everyone else to get a rare Pokemon card. That said, they show a fantastic amount of detail and complexity to a society that is barely explored, adding a wonderful flavor to the story.