My Zombabe - Movie Review

It’s a Zombie world, and we’re all just living in it. Look around you, and you won’t get far in seeing many different zombie-themed TV shows and movies populating the airwaves and the silver screen. The Walking Dead was groundbreaking when it first came out, mixing the quick thrills that the undead bring with a previously unseen level of gravitas brought in to match the excitement. Many other memorable titles followed suit, like the stunning roller-coaster ride that was Train to Busan and the cerebral actioner World War Z. These titles all have action or adventure as their subgenre, but rarely does a Zombie flick ever have a surprisingly touching amount of heart. Thankfully, we have Viva Films delivering one such film as its initial offering for 2024: My Zombabe, starring Empoy Marquez, Kim Molina, and Yanyan De Jesus.

Set in a sleepy resort town, we follow brothers Pong (Marquez) and Gohan (De Jesus) as they meet Yasmine (Molina), a drifter with a mysterious past. Immediately, Pong is smitten hard by her. However, a zombie plague wreaks havoc in their community, and Yasmine is one of the infected. Will Pong’s love for her survive this apocalypse?

"First off, we need to give major props to Yanyan de Jesus as Gohan. He may be a newcomer to starring in movies, but it feels like he’s been doing this forever, even when matched against comedy legends in Marquez and Molina. "

His comedic timing and delivery are on point; his performance evokes early career John Lapus. There is no better example than a standout moment involving him in hysterics that just brings the house down.  

The performances (no matter how good they may be) would be for naught if the script weren’t up to snuff, and damn did My Zombabe’s script come to play. Written by director Bobby Bonifacio and Juvy Galamiton, the screenplay employs a non-linear way of storytelling - something that’s rarely seen in Filipino cinema and even rarely done right.

"The movie vacillates from timeline to timeline with such narrative finesse that’s assisted by excellent editing by Noah Tonga and color grading by the team of Director of Photography Rommel Sales."

The finished product is a treat for cinephiles, and we, The Cinegeeks, absolutely appreciate this.

As satisfying as the movie is, we would have loved to have seen more of the world’s supporting characters like Gary Lim, Andrew Muhlach, and Andrea del Rosario. This way, the eventual fates of their characters would’ve hit much harder. However, these minor nitpicks shouldn’t detract from the film's totality.

All in all, My Zombabe is a smartly funny and heartfelt film that makes for a wonderful first offering from Viva Films and our local film industry in general for 2024. With the critical and box-office success of the 49th Metro Manila Film Festival carrying over to this calendar year, it does feel like we are living in a new Golden Age of Philippine Cinema. What a time to be alive!

My Zombabe opens on January 10 in cinemas nationwide.

Cinegeeks rating : A-

Watch the trailer here: