Horror and comedy mix well when there’s the required care and attention to genre needs. Most famously realised by Peter Jackson and Sam Raimi, it’s a combination which can work brilliantly (Tucker and Dale vs. Evil) but more often ends up failing on both the humour and jumps (Life After Beth). In Night of the Living Deb director Kyle Rankin pulls it off, largely due to a brilliant lead performance from Maria Thayer.
After a drunken night in a bar, Deb (Thayer) wakes up in a strange house owned by Ryan (Michael Cassidy). Unfortunately, her host is keen to get rid of her as soon as possible, not least because he’s engaged to Stacy (Syd Wilder). However, the pair find themselves thrown together when an overnight zombie outbreak, caused by pollution from his father’s (Ray Wise) water treatment plant, reeks havoc on the small town of Portland.
Maria Thayer is brilliant as Deb, with all the best lines and the humour revolving around her character. Fun is the main focus of Night of the Living Deb and it never takes itself seriously, gleefully playing with many genre tropes. The plot is light and used as a means to an end, allowing the odd couple to reach their destination. It’s well worth a watch and puts many of its big budget competition to shame.
Night of the Living Deb is released by Frightfest Presents and available to download from Monday.
