Queens of the Dead (2025)

Queens of the Dead has an appealing premise and a cast with enough personality to make the movie entertaining even when the horror isn't particularly effective. A group of drag performers and friends encounters a zombie outbreak in New York City, and the film leans into the comedy that comes from these characters trying to navigate the chaos. I appreciated that it had a distinctive setting and voice rather than looking like another interchangeable outbreak story.

The performances are the biggest reason to watch. The cast understands the humor, and there are plenty of funny exchanges that feel connected to the characters rather than being random jokes added to a zombie movie. I enjoyed the theatricality of the setting and the ways the performers' personalities continue to matter even when the danger outside is growing.

The movie also has fun with expectations about zombie films. Some situations are exaggerated in ways that make them entertaining without necessarily making them frightening. I liked the absurdity, and there were moments when the jokes worked better than anything involving the undead.

My issue is that the zombies often feel like a secondary part of the experience. For a film called Queens of the Dead, there is surprisingly little horror tension. The comedy can carry a scene, but I wanted more of a sense that the outbreak was dangerous and that the characters faced meaningful consequences.

There are enough strong personalities that I stayed interested, and I can understand someone watching primarily for the cast and the humor. I don't think the movie needs to be relentlessly grim to qualify as horror. I just wanted a better balance between the funny moments and the genre elements.

The effects and production are serviceable, and the film has a lively tone. It feels more interested in entertaining through character interaction than in showing a frightening apocalypse. That isn't inherently bad, but it changes the experience.

Queens of the Dead is a fun, personality-driven comedy with zombies in it, rather than a particularly strong zombie horror movie. I enjoyed parts of it and laughed quite a bit, even while wishing the undead had a little more bite.

Queens of the Dead made me laugh more than I expected from a zombie movie. The characters have big personalities, and I enjoyed watching them interact even when things were getting dangerous. I wasn't constantly thinking about who might get eaten next. Most of the time I was waiting to hear what somebody was going to say.

The drag performances and nightclub setting give the movie something different from the usual zombie story. I liked that the characters weren't a random group of strangers hiding in a house. They have friendships and personalities that matter, and I could tell the performers were having fun with the material.

There are some very silly jokes, and not all of them worked for me. But enough of them did that I spent a lot of the movie laughing. I also liked recognizing some of the performers and appreciating the way they brought their personalities into the story.

What surprised me was how little I was actually frightened. I expected zombies to be a bigger part of the movie. There are undead people causing trouble, but the film is much more interested in the comedy. That isn't necessarily a problem for me because I enjoy a funny horror movie. I just think the title makes you expect a little more of the dead.

I liked the costumes and some of the little visual jokes, too. The movie has a theatrical feeling that fits the characters. Even when the situation is ridiculous, the performers act as though this is their very real problem, and that helps make the humor work.

I wouldn't put this on when I wanted to be scared. It's the kind of movie I'd choose when I wanted to laugh and didn't mind seeing a few zombies along the way. That can be a nice change from the really dark horror movies that leave me feeling exhausted.

Queens of the Dead was an entertaining watch for me. I enjoyed the cast and humor, even though I don't think it delivered much frightening zombie action. I came away smiling, which is more than I can say for a lot of horror movies.