Netflix’s latest new movie to hit the top 10 charts comes out of nowhere. And we’re not entirely surprised that this zombie movie we haven’t heard of actually grabbed attention. Zombie flicks always attract something from the audience, if only because they don’t come up very often.
Today, we’re talking about Valley of the Dead, a Spanish zombie movie (originally titled Malnazidos) that just dropped on Netflix on Monday (July 11). And in that short span, it has already managed to make its way into the top 10 of the US list, a feat for a film in a language other than English with little to no promotion or involvement.
Valley of the Dead slips into eighth place on the list, sitting among the most popular films – Wanted with Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy and The Dark Knight Rises, Christian Bale’s third Batman film. It’s a Netflix original too.
What is the Valley of the Dead talking about?
The Valley of the Dead is set in Spain in 1938, as the Spanish Civil War continues. Captain Jean Lozano (Mickey Esparbe) approx He doesn’t continue to do so, though we meet him facing the death squad. The general’s uncle saves his fate.
Next, Lozano is sent on what is essentially a suicide mission. Soon after the said mission they encounter – you guessed it – rabid zombies. This forces Lozano to work with his enemies to survive.
Lozano’s most interesting temporary ally is a woman named “The Reverend Killer” (Ora Garrido). She has a short temper and short hair and seems to be made to complicate matters in action movies.
These enemies find more and more allies and fight against zombies. It is somewhat of an adventure by the books.
What do critics think of the Valley of the Dead?
Valley of the Dead seems off the radar to many critics, but some have found it and made mixed judgments. Donato died in IGN (Opens in a new tab) He wrote that “Valley of the Dead won’t break anyone’s list of favorite zombie flicks, but it’s still serviceable and makes it all the more interesting with its surroundings from the Spanish Civil War.” He also explains that “the ambiance of that whole period sells for worthwhile cover, while the depths of exploration of horror and climatic extremes are very shallow.”
rotten tomatoes (Opens in a new tab)I found only one critical review, though, from Roger Moore at Nation movie (Opens in a new tab) (Which, admittedly, we’ve never heard of..) He argues that the movie lacks material, saying, “The acting is very good, but the script lacks the jokes and gags that make this singing. The whole project feels a bit unstable most of the time. , also notes that “the only times this ‘valley’ seems to come together is when he’s playing with classic fighting and horror games.”
John Serpa of Desider is also polite but constrained to his review, describing Valley of the Dead as “technically competent, and thus watchable…The plot plays out in a predictable manner, with the main characters being chosen as a matter of routine and the survivors resentful at seeing their friends return as chewers alive, And in the end they see the zombie phenomenon in a larger context than survival, etc. Funny.”
Should you watch Valley of the Dead tonight?
To be honest, we don’t think Valley of the Dead has a solid chance of making it onto our list of best Netflix movies. Or even the best horror movie on Netflix.
After watching a bit of Valley of the Dead, it seems like a movie meant only for those who don’t have enough zombie content in their lives. We’re not sure if Disney’s hilarious zombies are your flavour, but we should note that Zombies 3 is one of 7 new movies airing this week.
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