How to Kill a Zombie (2014) User Reviews

it was pretty good

[dhanson-87627 · 4/10 · 29 July 2020]

Acting was alright, and some of the effects were corny, but i did like how it kept you on edge.

Unsurprisingly bad

[Leofwine_draca · 1/10 · 30 January 2019]

HOW TO KILL A ZOMBIE is, unsurprisingly, another godawful indie zombie comedy in which a bunch of survivors fend off an onslaught (well, two or three) of the living dead. DAY OF THE DEAD is an obvious inspiration here but the films are poles apart. There's no plot, endless chit-chat, a scattershot approach and even some out-of-focus filming for good measure.

Straight to DVD blithering mess!

[jamesboyrussell · 1/10 · 25 June 2014]

Sometimes budding chefs try to put two ingredients together and it just doesn't work. Comedy and horror have been done and done well before, but it says something about the paradox of life when you see a film of this nature that is neither funny nor scary. Even the ambiance of the Saco drive in could not save this movie. The lead character Mac (The starring role the director was humble enough to bestow upon himself) is hollow and wooden both in the acting and directing. Only after noticing him use social media to proposition "fans" to vote it high on IMDb (so it would sell more dvds) did I feel compelled to share my thoughts.

Such high art film making. Just the title of the movie suggests the same plot twists we haven't seen since Hitchcock's Vertigo but matched with the intellectual stimulation you come to expect from movies where extras are the stars being shot down and hacked up by the overacting renaissance man of our time Bill "Freight Train" McLean!

If you're looking for good local horror I would highly suggest Corey Norman's "Hanover House" and Shawn French's "Wrong House". The most scary and funny thing about this movie is realization of the minutes it steals from your life.

Take it from me and don't waste your time.

Horrible

[rawardwell · 1/10 · 28 September 2019]

Full disclosure: my very close friend, a guy who was 1 of 3 in my wedding party, I played little league baseball with him and we worked at a movie theater together for way too long, is in this movie with a substantial speaking part. This might be the worst movie I've seen, and I've seen all of my friend's other Maine-Indy movies.

The zombies make up is the only decent part of this movie, and that is being generous. One scene the father and son duo drive through the doors of a presumably secure facility that is the cause of the outbreak; during the action shot it's clear that the wall that is being driven though is made of foam board insulation and the car takes zero damage. I understand the movie is on a restricted budget, but work your script around it. On to the things they can help; the writing and acting. Both are super terrible, lame jokes delivered horribly and repeated until you want to practice smashing zombie skulls on yourself. My friend has the dumbest recurring joke, and it's done 10 times in maybe 4 minutes.

Another terrible zombie movie

[mhorg2018 · 1/10 · 19 December 2017]

The two problems with zombie movies are 1) there are two kinds, One that's great like oh, Night of the Living Dead (which should STOP being remade), and one that's utter crap like this one. 2) Anyone thinks (and usually fails) they can make one. This one falls in the latter category. It's absolutely terrible from beginning to end. Directing: Bad Story: Bad Acting: Bad SFX: Bad This is just bad, bad, bad. There isn't one thing worth seeing in this mess. It's just an exercise in bad film-making. They should use this as an example in film school on how not to make a movie.

mind blowing.

[nibur-16895 · 1/10 · 24 January 2016]

Another settlement needs your help, preferably starting with better movies. The acting is below expectations. The price is too high. Time I will not be given back. Did anybody get paid for this movie? I should have been paid to watch this movie. If you have such a low budget why not make a movie that was more budget friendly? Somebody watched too much of the walking dead and decided this would be a great idea, unfortunately it fell on its face in both horror and comedy. It was cringe worthy at best. The sound is cell phone quality, Picture was about the same. Quality of acting was pretty awful as well. The only actor that did a great job was the zombie in the wheelchair.

Waste

[sachman71 · 1/10 · 20 November 2017]

Piece of dung movie. This guy who made looks like the kind of guy who brags about the success of others. He's like that scrub from the TLC song. He latches onto the success of others trying to impress the girls but usually get sloppy seconds. Do Not Waste Your Time. Not much else to to say about this piece of crap.

Save your time and don't watch

[cutemehere · 1/10 · 28 December 2022]

Any "good" review left for this (on here, rotten tomatoes) is from people on the film trying to big this film up. Don't fall for it Don't waste your time with this. There are great zombie comedys and this is far from it. The fact they compare it to such ones like Shaun of the dead and cockney vs zombies is beyond ridiculous!

The "comedy" is cheaper than cheap and more than often is forced upon you. It is infuriating, annoying, lazy and isn't in the least bit funny.

The acting is dreadful and increasingly bad as the movie goes on.

The plot of the film I felt was pointless. Honestly there is nothing good I can say about this film.

Family Fun

[jackahlq · 8/10 · 5 September 2014]

Had a great time at the world premiere of this film. Not a big horror fan, but wanted to support local arts and I was very pleased. I enjoyed the acting, the makeup that was a bit gross but not too frightening (I am a big sissy). The story was cute and has a nice mix of clichés and local humor which I think will make this film appeal to a larger audience. On screen graphic images were not overwhelming (I am a very big sissy) and I would be comfortable bringing a 9 or 10 year old. I believe that some of the running jokes will become great cult classic lines. This is a family friendly film, funny, some really good gags and running jokes. Had a good time identifying local places. Not a big budget film, but campy, fun, and entertaining and an all around good time. I am really looking forward to the next film!

What if

[btrionfe · 6/10 · 1 October 2018]

What if the zombies were one zombie and that zombie is Stanley Kubrick. How do you kill him? Also how do you bring him back from the dead?

Amazing film

[vltrn0923 · 10/10 · 8 September 2014]

I was lucky enough to have a "Large" zombie role in this film and loved every minute of it. The film is funny and witty and I suggest everyone view it at least once. Look for the extremely large zombie towards the end, that's me. :) On set was a blast with Bill "Freight Train" McLean and crew and I would certainly work with them on any project at any time. There are some people that posted reviews on here that have no say in how the film turned out. Nothing bothers me more than an uneducated fool spitting garbage about stuff he can never understand or appreciate. It is probably best to keep you comments to yourself if you have no idea what you are talking about sir. Besides, until you have seen the commitment and drive it took from everyone involved, you really have no say. I love the film and cannot wait to own the DVD.

Funny

[junkdrawerfull · 8/10 · 25 June 2014]

I was one of the lucky ones to first see this film at it's world premiere. Though it was the second screening unfortunately for me. It was truly funny. Had some great moments that I would love to spoil for you right now.... But I won't. Surprisingly kid friendly it seemed. Not one of those films that is full of gore but rather filled with the laughs. Good Ole fashioned independent low budget Zombie movie the way it was meant to be. Mixed with the comedy flair and you got something here that is Worthy of a sequel for sure. What was even cooler was to the the main character "Mac" walking around right after the showing of the film in full costume and character. When this comes out on DVD & or Blu Ray I am buying it for sure!!

Zombie movies are more fun when you laugh between the horror

[danblakemaine · 10/10 · 17 May 2014]

What a great way to spend time with my wife and friends. I am a huge fan of the Walking Dead series on AMC and love funny zombie movies like Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland. So this movie was a "no brainer" (no pun intended. We were cracking up at a few of the more memorable zombies but loved the pacing and plot. Excellent running gags throughout the movie too. The main characters were believable and the ladies were very easy on the eyes too. I have always been a fan of lower budget movies that do not rely on CGI for the big effects. My hat is off to the directors and producers and the sound guys were great too! Cannot wait 2 see the sequel 8). Great movie from a Maine crew with Maine actors filmed in Vacationland.

Decent Movie

[themusicdoctordj · 9/10 · 16 May 2014]

I went and saw this movie at the Saco Film Festival and I thought overall that it was a decent movie..

It wasn't high budget but than again it didn't need to be..

It was a nice twist to not have it be your typical zombie movie, this was a zombie comedy and I was doing some nice laughing..

I would recommend this movie..

Kid Friendly

Not much language if any to worry about.

Nice to see a movie based in Maine.

Good job on the cast and crew..

An instant classic!

[PaleBarbiedoll · 9/10 · 8 September 2014]

The plot is very original, depicting a father and son at war with the undead, as well as at times, with each other. Along with Mack, Jesse and Ashley, there is a whole band of supporting characters that will leave you in no short supply of laughs. From the sniveling, power hungry Norman, to the "innocent" and confused Steve, there is truly something everyone can enjoy. Freight Train Films truly accomplished a Hollywood-grade movie, between the quality of the acting, the set design, and the SFX, it makes me proud to be from the state that this was filmed in. If you're looking for a movie to take your family to see this Halloween, I highly suggest How to Kill a Zombie.

Awesome Indie Zombedy and Kid Friendly

[bhartleycrew · 9/10 · 18 April 2016]

I watched this film with my grand children and we laughed until our sides hurt. It starts out slow but builds momentum and laughs as it rolls on. I loved the father-son relationship in the film as portrayed by the McLeans. I downloaded the film on Amazon, then bought the DVD and to my surprise, the DVD has over 2 hours of special features - so the grand kids and I had to re-watch it! As I have seen in some of the other reviews, this film is independent and did not have a huge budget. But after doing some research I found that a small family film company in Maine was able to put together a full length feature movie with less than 20K and get it distributed by one of the largest Indie Distribution companies in the US. After reading some of the other reviews on this page, I was disappointed that people would be so harsh and critical of a truly enjoyable comedy made by a bunch of unknowns with almost no money to speak of. Shame on you for being so narrow minded and using bully tactics against people that obviously have fun making movies. My family enjoyed it, and we will continue to do so. We are looking forward to this coming year as this company is expected to release three more movies in three different genres. I saw this at their website (freight train films dot com). Thank you for reading and a big thank you to the McLeans for making this movie!

No. 15 Death by Dodge

[nogodnomasters · 8/10 · 12 September 2017]

Mack (Bill Steven McLean) is six miles north of Portland, Maine with his son Jesse (Ben McLean) teaching him manhood survivor skills when a localized zombie outbreak occurs. They travel to Portland in their plastic window Jeep saving Ashley (Hannah Elaine Perry) along the way. They end up in the building where the whole incident started attempting to save the innocent people who work there...even those that don't want their help. Jesse has a notebook and keeps track of the different ways he kills zombies, hence the title, although a comprehensive list would have been nice.

This is the second best zombie film to come out of Portland, Maine ("Night of the Living Deb" was #1 in case you had doubt). It is designed to be a camp cult film, and certainly has many elements to make it one. It spoofs the zombie craze. The dialogue had humor and the characters were quirky and they had effective running gags. Acting was poor by design...I think. Pretty good for a low budget film. Decent sound, camera angle, and no mics in the picture. Nice to see someone actually use what they learned at film school.

No swearing, sex, or nudity.

Film Festival Award Winners!

[Shanopolis · 10/10 · 11 September 2014]

This independent film will grab you, laugh you out loud, gross you out and keep you interested with edge of your seat action, from open to end credits. The comedic timing of the father son team, talented cast and the amazing eye of female director has launched this movie into one of my all time favorites! Filmed in picturesque Maine, the story develops in a way we can all identify with. Spending time with loved ones, building family, helping those in need and facing grave circumstances. A great twist on a zombie movie with "The List". Hats off to the young writer and his talented family for bringing this cinematic master piece to the masses. I commend their efforts and am looking forward to the next installment.

Fun & Action Packed Zom-Com

[StephanBernard · 10/10 · 25 June 2014]

Made in Maine Zom-Com? Can't be good if it ain't Hollywood... well think again! A great piece of film combining action, gore, comedy, drama, and of course... THE ZOMBIES! The Lead Protagonists give it a realistic survival scenario against the undead; by using whatever means, and whatever weapons! On the Leads opposing end: The Lead Antagonist is truly a character you'd want to punch square in the face; from opening line, then on(for all the right reasons). The use of one-liners, running gags, and action is the "Meat & 'Taters" of this funny film. If you like titles such as "Shaun of the Dead" or "Cockneys vs Zombies", then this'll be just as enjoyable!