Queens of the Dead Review: A Glittery Union Between Drag and the Undead

Every so often there comes along a film that you start watching and about halfway through it, you think, “This is going to be a classic that people will reference decades from now.” Tina Romero’s “Queens of the Dead” is a campy, hilarious, zany, delightfully gross marriage between zombie killing and the best of drag culture. 

Written by Romero and Erin Judge, there’s a fine balance between the terrifying tension of a zombie outbreak and the endless fountain of humor queer people possess. All with the underlying social commentary of people brain rotting on their phones, even after death, plus the overindulgence of party drugs in the night-lifestyle and a little sprinkle of ageism.

That’s a lot to juggle in a 99 minute movie about zombies biting drag queens directly on the ass, but it never feels forced. It’s more like a window into a catastrophic scenario that seems to happen to New Yorkers regularly, complete with undead influencers and gold dragified body armor. None of which would be out of place on a regular Saturday night in Brooklyn. 

Undead trade leads to undead problems

Things kick off right away with Julie J as Z Queen stomping in her glitter bodysuit all the way to church, where she attempts to hook up with an undead preacher. Drag performers, queer people, and religion have always had a fraught relationship, and there are multiple moments throughout the film that pokes at this. 

Ginsey Tonic’s (Nina West) Virgin Mother performance outfit isn’t just a wink and nod at her drag mother role, but another small comment on Christianity’s oppressive shadow over the culture. A drag queen literally gets “infected” by a man of the cloth, so who’s the problem now?

But on the lighter side, it was Easter weekend, so the bunny iconography and imagery was everywhere from Z Queen’s bunny case, to Dre’s (Katy O’Brian) cumbersome balloons to the thoughtfully placed bunnies and eggs on her wife Lizzy’s (Riki Lindhome) nurses station. 

Drag IS life or death

The level of detail in every scene is incredible, there’s so much care and consideration that went into showing how interconnected each member of this community is. But within that connection, Romero and Judge don’t shy away from some of the less appealing parts like ageism. 

Mostly played for laughs, Ginsey and Nico a.k.a. Scrumptious’ (Tomás Matos) persistent back and forth feels uniquely familiar. It’s giving classic Millennial vs. Gen Z, it’s giving established performers vs. young ingénue, it’s giving reluctant aunt trying to connect with her uninterested nibling. This tension against the backdrop of zombie attacks makes the characters feel more real, because, of course, folks are still reading each other even in the face of possible mutilation.

Nico is the lowkey savior throughout the film, in a way most people wouldn’t notice if they weren’t paying attention. They take time to educate the homophobic brother-in-law, Barry (Quincy Dunn-Baker) about people’s pronouns, pushing the group into solutions, trying to find humanity in Jax’s zombie state, and showing up to help save the day. Scrumptious deserves all their flowers.

All is fair in love and zombies

One of the biggest drivers of the entire story is love, both familial and romantic, as corny as that might sound. Dre and Lizzy are established up-front as the couple to root for. Not only are they separated during a zombie apocalypse, but one of them is newly pregnant. This legitimately adds a sense of growing panic as the plot progresses and things keep happening that seem to drive them further apart. Lizzy’s impending pregnancy puts her in a motherly role that sweetly parallels Ginsey’s mothering of Sam (Jaquel Spivey) a.k.a. Samoncé. 

Lizzy beating up zombies to get Jane (Eve Lindley) to safety, but then getting distracted by an undead baby and putting both their lives at risk speaks volumes of her as a character. Ginsey telling Sam “drag isn’t life or death,” but risking her wig and life to keep Sam safe from harm while in drag is exactly why this film excels in ways others in this genre don’t. A community that can read each other fiercely, but still grab a bedazzled drill and get to work is the kind you need when the world comes to an end.

In contrast to the audience’s anxiety about Dre and Lizzy, the introduction to Kelsey (Jack Haven) and Pops’ (Margaret Cho) relationship was akin to a freshly shaken cocktail, complete with a satisfying punch in the face for Barry. Ain’t love grand?

Glitzy blood and brain-rotted influencers

Tina Romero’s zombies are different from her father’s (shout-out George Romero). Yes, they’re still hungry for brains, but they’re also glam as hell and addicted to their phones. Being undead with a thirst for human flesh didn’t deter them in any way from doom scrolling endlessly. Can you imagine getting your brains eaten by a dumbass clout chaser who can’t stay off their phone?

These zombies are also fabulous from head to toe, no rotting flesh or random viscera falling out. The undead’s makeup is serving a gorgeous metallic, sickly green, even down to the contouring, there’s glitter in the blood, their hair is still perfect; these are not her father’s zombies. 

Romero plays tricks on the audiences’ minds with green lighting that foreshadows imminent undeath and misdirects with party drugs. Z Queen’s altered outfit representing her changed state, Scissor Sister’s “Let’s Have a Kiki” playing as the crew lock the doors on a cage, zombies munching on ass only to get a mouthful of padding; the details are what make this pop in a way most zombie movies never do. 

Romero mentioned in our interview with her that the film crew was “near 98% queer” with drag queens and performers on and off camera. Speaking of cinematography choices, the bisexual lighting during the warehouse party chaos was another beautiful detail that might be lost on non-gay people. 

Final thoughts

When it comes to zombie attacks, what stories are even left to tell until they all start to feel the same? Romero and Judge answer that with “Queens of the Dead.” It’s a playful peek into drag culture’s nightlife and thriving queer community against the backdrop of a ridiculous zombie apocalypse. It’s not the zombie movie people might be expecting, but it pushes the genre into a fresh, unique direction that frankly has been missing for awhile.

Cast/Director Interviews:

WATCH: Unleashing the Undead Glamour with Tina Romero in ‘Queens of the Dead’
WATCH: Zombie Drag Queens Take Over: Inside the Hilarious Mayhem of ‘Queens of the Dead’ with Katy O’Brian and Riki Lindhome
WATCH: Drag, Horror, and Camp Unite in an Interview with Nina West and Tomas Matos