Cockneys vs Zombies (2012)

A gang of bank robbers fight their way out of a zombie-infested London.

Director:

Matthias Hoene

Writers:

Matthias Hoene (original idea), James Moran (screenplay),

Stars:

Rasmus Hardiker, Harry Treadaway, Michelle Ryan

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rasmus Hardiker	...	Terry
Harry Treadaway	...	Andy
Michelle Ryan	...	Katy
Jack Doolan	...	Davey Tuppence
Georgia King	...	Emma
Ashley Thomas	...	Mental Mickey (as Ashley Bashy Thomas)
Tony Gardner	...	Clive
Alan Ford	...	Ray
Honor Blackman	...	Peggy
Tony Selby	...	Darryl
Georgina Hale	...	Doreen
Dudley Sutton	...	Eric
Richard Briers	...	Hamish
Natalie Walter	...	Bank Manager
Phil Cornwell	...	Grainger

Storyline

This British movie is about a group of inept criminals who decide to rob a bank so they can save their grandfather's retirement home from being demolished by developers. Meanwhile on another building site some workers dig up an old graveyard and they get bitten by the "undead" which sets off a chain reaction. Then the bank robbers are cornered by the police while in the process of the robbery, but when they exit they find that they are all dead as a result of the horde of zombies. They have to get to the retirement home before the zombies do!

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Plot Keywords:

zombie | zombie apocalypse

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Taglines:

The undead are brown bread

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [jp] Screamworks Records [se]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 August 2012 (UK)

Filming Locations:

Three Mills Studios, Three Mill Lane, Bow, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kintop, Limelight, Molinare

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

Katy can be spotted briefly in the van, sitting behind Terry, just before they pick her up.

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Quotes

Eric: Those things are vampires! We need crucifixes, garlic, silver, holy water, and Christopher Lee!
Ray Macguire: No, you sloppy tart, those things are fucking zombies!

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Connections

References Brazil (1985)

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Soundtracks

"Monster"
Written by Robin Hawkins, James Frost, Alex Pennie and Iwan Griffiths
Performed by The Automatic

User Reviews

Hilarious

Last decade brought us a slew of dire comedy-horrors largely rushed out on the back of the few successful, decent ones like Shaun Of The Dead. Cockneys Vs Zombies is another example of genre-blending done right. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that, in my opinion, this film is being underrated by a lot of people (judging by its IMDb score).

While Shaun Of The Dead borrowed from the tense and jumpy brand of horror films, Cockneys Vs Zombies is a play on the newer breed of more gore-fueled horror. To that end, it's quite a bloody film. It's nothing that will trouble today's desensitised teenage generation but it's probably worth considering if you're of a sensitive nature. Moreover, if you don't find gratuitous, over-the-top comedic violence amusing, the film will have substantially less to offer you.

I call Cockneys Vs Zombies a comedy "horror" but there's rarely any real sense of danger or tension in it. The atmosphere is most often similar to an action film and the arcade-style insanity of the violence reflects it. It's important to realise that this film wouldn't stand up as a horror or an action film in its own right. If you're watching it as a fan of either genre and you're not expecting to laugh, you might be better off with something else.

The film is extremely simple with a plot which really only consists of two sections without a twist in sight. Without giving away any spoilers, the death count amongst the lead characters is rather low. The storyline is predictable and effortless but it's more than sufficient to tie the action and laughter together in a cohesive way. I think a more complex plot would've been inconsistent with the film's aim so I can't fault it in that respect.

The low budget nature of the movie is fairly obvious from watching it. Some of the sets and acting is a bit sub-standard but the good job done by the writers and the people behind the film carry it over any individual problems. The budget didn't really affect the special effects either and the violence is believable enough to make more sensitive souls feel a bit queasy.

The film's visual humour is stronger than its vocal comedy. Some of the action-based moments had me in stitches (especially the football fans bit, for those who've seen it). If you don't know what I'm talking about, I don't want to ruin it for you because it was my favourite moment in film last year. Even if you view the entire film as a build-up and conclusion to several priceless moments (which it isn't, don't worry), it justifies its existence on the strength of those moments alone.

On the vocal comedy side, I did get a grin or two out of some of the lines which was probably helped by the distinctive accent and amicable nature of the cockney characters. The very likable Alan Ford gave the strongest performance as the cockney granddad but most of his lines were amusing or entertaining rather than outright funny. The latter could be said for most of the film's dialogue but I don't remember it ever becoming a particularly weak aspect of the movie.

Cockneys Vs Zombies is basically a couple of absolute gems buried in an entertaining and largely competent film. I also liked the definite Britishness about it. As a Brit myself, it's hard to judge how "localised" this movie actually is but I can see how the full impact of a couple of bits (like the fact that the football fans support clubs which are arch rivals and have particularly active hooligan followings in real life) could be lost in translation. Maybe knock off a point if you don't know Britain that well!