• Release year: 2025
• Director: Tina Romero.
• Producers: Natalie Metzger and Matt Miller.
• Screenplay by: Erin Judge and Tina Romero.
• Cinematography by: Shannon Madden.
• Music by: Blitz//Berlin.

Shotgun Commentary: RuPaul’s Drag Race (2009–present) with zombies, can you seriously ask for more?

Review

If RuPaul’s Drag Race and George A. Romero had a baby, Queens of the Dead would be it. It is ridiculous in the best way, it is over the top, and it is as gory as you expect a low-budget zombie movie to be. Looking for a fun horror movie night? Look no further.

From bad to worse

The story begins with ZombiQueen (Julie J.) as she heads to a party after a terrible bingo experience. The drag queen decides to stop for a quick rendezvous with a priest but ends up getting devoured by her zombified right swipe instead. This opening will give way to a crazy night of queens surviving the Brooklyn party scene AND zombie scene. We are then introduced to Dre (Katy O’Brian), a shy but charismatic butch who’s trying to organise a rad party at a club.

Sadly, everything seems to be going against her: her dancers and main number are ditching her for cooler joints and fancier events, which makes her situation not that great to begin with. In addition to this, her wife Lizzy (Riki Lindhome) is very proactive trying to solve her problems, which sadly means that Dre will be stuck with her uninitiated brother-in-law Barry (Quincy Dunn-Baker) and her ex-bestie Sam (Jaquel Spivey). The first is on his way to unstuck the club’s toilet, and the second is their substitute main number. If that wasn’t bad enough, the only two dancers left at the party are fame-hungry diva Nico (Tomás Matos) and Jax (Samora La Perdida), a gogo with a severe drug addiction.

Priorities, boo

The story only gets more chaotic as the zombie attacks begin to spread, leading to the most surreal moments of the film, which, oddly enough, are not actually that hard to believe. The narrative presents a disconnected youth who prioritises the perception others have of them rather than their own well-being and self-esteem.

As a result, the zombies that are created, which represent people on their most basic impulses, present individuals who are not that interested in traditional forms of achieving satisfaction, like feeding or sex, but rather in modern forms of pleasure: getting the acceptance of strangers and mimicking idols they do not know. Comedic as this might be, seeing a bunch of zombies still looking at themselves on their phone camera, swiping on apps, or watching IG stories does provide a great deal of food for thought.

In addition to this, you will get a quick look into the pros and cons of the LGTBQIA+ party scene in a big city. In particular, a quick look into the drag scene. Sure, you can watch all of RuPaul’s Drag Race if you want a bit more of an in-depth course on the matter, but this feature is good if you’re looking to just dip your toes a little in it. As with all entertainment businesses, not all that shines is gold, and two of the most common issues are acknowledged quite beautifully here.

Life, amirite?

Firstly, the catiness. Sure, we all love a sassy queen, but there is a fine line between sassy and offensive. Drag is about pushing boundaries, and one needs talent to do the pushing gracefully. In a business as cutthroat as the entertainment industry, sometimes one has to choose what kind of person they want to be, and not everything is friendship bracelets and rainbows.

Secondly, the drug abuse. It is a horrible reality that people in the LGBTQIA+ community suffer the abuses of a heteronormative, cisnormative society on the daily. Especially if you happen to be as extravagant as a drag queen. Mental health is still far away for many individuals who are having a rough time and truly need it.

In a country that is systematically feeding the hatred for all that is different and refusing any sort of medical aid to those who need it, it is not a shock that these people turn to drugs to alleviate their pain. Regrettably, this leads to the infuriatingly soon end of many beautiful individuals who would still be with us if the world were capable of being a little kinder, a little more accepting of the different.

All in all, Queens of the Dead does what any good drag show does: satirises the reality in which we live in a way that makes us laugh, reflect, rage, and celebrate. If you have SHUDDER, you are in luck! Queens of the Dead is coming to you this Friday, the 7th of August.

Thanks to SHUDDER for early access!

Advice to take from this movie:

• Always remember: the outfit you go out with might become your zombie outfit for eternity.
• Never underestimate the usefulness of padding in an apocalypse.
• We all need a break from socials. Fr tho.

What’s your take? Have you watched Queens of the Dead? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message on my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀