An animated film featuring zombified zoo animals might sound like standard family fare, but “Night of the Zoopocalypse” brings a surprisingly dark twist to the genre. The story, based on an original concept by horror maestro Clive Barker, follows a young wolf and a cynical mountain lion as they lead a band of unaffected animals in a desperate bid to escape their enclosure and stop a mysterious plague.
While the core plot is straightforward, the film compensates with a unique narrative device: a horror-obsessed lemur who provides a running commentary on the action, dissecting the story’s tropes and structure. This meta-humor, reminiscent of characters from modern slasher films, will likely charm younger viewers new to this style of comedy, though it may feel less groundbreaking to seasoned audiences.
Where the movie truly stands out is in its commitment to its horror roots. The zombie animals are genuinely unsettling creations, a choice that will thrill children with a taste for the macabre. For more sensitive viewers, however, the film’s frightening imagery could prove to be intense, making it a potentially memorable—or nightmare-inducing—cinematic experience.
“Night of the Zoopocalypse” arrives in UK and Irish cinemas on October 10, with an Australian release to follow on October 16.
