Summary
Festival of the Living Deadis a spiritual sequel to George A. Romero’sNight of the Living Dead, and I’m here for it. The Soska Sisters, Jen and Sylvia Soska, who also sometimes go by the name, “The Twisted Twins”, have been directing movies together for years. Their projects are firmly planted in the horror genre, with plenty of gore to satisfy the most ardent horror fans. Their work inThe ABCs of Death 2andRabidis what initially drew me to them, but with 2024’sFestival of the Living,I think they’re finally coming into their own.
Festival of the Living Deadis a spiritual sequel, or companion piece, tothe 1968 horror masterpiece,Night of the Living Dead. InFestival, Ash (Ashley Moore) and Iris (Camren Bicondova) are two friends who live in a world where the events ofNOTLDare well known by all, and zombies are always a possibility. Ash is even the teenage granddaughter of Duane Jones' character, Ben, fromNight. Iris and Ash go to a zombie-inspired music festival where the dead once again rise, andthe teens and their friends must fight to survive the night.
5 Great Zombie Movie Endings (& 5 That Were Disappointing)
Zombies movies live or die by their endings, as is the case with these amazing cliffhangers and undead flatlines.
Festival Is A Loving Homage To The Original Zombie Movie
The timeline of theNight of the Living Deaduniverseis already wildly complicated, and I am never sure if a film is in theReturn of the Living Deadcontinuity or Romero’s line. And then, where do the remakes go exactly? So, ifFestival of the Living Deadwants to call itself a spiritual sequel toNight, then I say make it an official sequel. Who says no? Even if the Soska Sisters never wantedFestivalto be a direct sequel toNight,it’s such a love letter to the original, you have to admire their admiration.
But in horror movie remakes? Give me callbacks, homages, references, and Easter eggs.
Isn’t that one of the best reasons to consume horror remakes and sequels (which are sometimes one and the same in our hallowed genre)? That they remind us of those scares and memories of enjoying the original? I absolutely love new horror films as well. It’s to new horror I turn for legitimate frights, interesting new direction, and things I haven’t seen before. Butin horror movie remakes? Give me callbacks, homages, references, and Easter eggs. It’s what makes horror remakes so personal and whyFestival of the Living Deadworks so well as a sequel.
Festival Features The Twisted Twins Doing Their Best Work
The Soska Sisters have dabbled in horror movie remakes and sequels before, withSee No Evil 2andRabid. They’ve also made smaller shorts in notable horror anthologies likeABCs of Death 2. All the while, they’ve made plenty of original films, likeVendettaandAmerican Mary. However,Festival of the Living Deadis far and away the sisters' best film. It’s obvious to me that the only thing constraining these two directors is budgets, which are probably not easy to get as young independent filmmakers working out of Canada.
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On the Edge
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Even with the lackluster budget,Festival of the Living Deadmanages some great gore, scares, and excellent character beats that actually made me a little bummed when people were eaten by zombies, a coup for even the better zombie movies. Every time the Soska Sisters make a movie, they get more confident, more experimental, and more interesting as filmmakers. I can’t wait to see what The Twisted Twins have in store.
Festival of the Living Dead
Cast
Festival Of The Living Dead follows Ash and her friends who attend a nostalgic festival commemorating the zombie attack from Night of the Living Dead. Their celebration is abruptly disrupted by radioactive space dust, forcing the group to defend themselves against a resurgence of the living dead.
