Film

Army of the Dead

Name: Army of the Dead
Genre: Crime, Action, Horror
Released: 2021
Cast: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera, Theo Rossi

Zack Snyder's Las Vegas zombie heist film is a gleeful, explosive mess that loves itself completely. Two-and-a-half hours of elaborate setpieces, terrible jokes, and genuine visual imagination, held together by Dave Bautista's surprising warmth. It's aggressively confident in its own ridiculousness, which works until it doesn't.

TMDb rating

3.1

If you liked this

The Ocean's 11 Story2001

The DNA is identical: charismatic crew, impossible job, elaborate planning sequences, witty banter, betrayals. Soderbergh's original proved heists thrive on charm and momentum over logic, which Snyder learned and amplified.

But Moves at a completely different pace—crisp, elegant, restrained. If you want Snyder's bloat and bombast, this will feel slight.

Dawn of the Dead2004

James Gunn's remake shows how zombie action can be both savagely fun and genuinely tense. It understands that the genre's appeal is visceral, not intellectual, and executes with style and dark humor.

But Tighter, meaner, and more straightforward. It doesn't try to be a heist film or juggle as many tones, which some find more satisfying.

The Losers2010

Ensemble action film that prioritizes fun and chemistry over sense. Ridiculous, colorful, knows exactly what it is. Captures that 'committed to the bit' energy that makes Army of the Dead occasionally work.

But Genuinely silly in ways that can feel exhausting. If you want stakes or realism, you won't find them here.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Army of the Dead

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Godzilla1954

Both films channel disaster and urban destruction into visual spectacle. Army of the Dead borrows Snyder's compositional grandeur; Godzilla shows how to use scale to make something matter emotionally, not just aesthetically.

The original Japanese Godzilla is catastrophe as spectacle but also as allegory—destruction that's beautiful, terrible, and carries weight. It proves monster action can be art without losing visceral impact or visual grandeur.

But Slow by modern standards, deliberately serious in tone, and structured around dread rather than excitement. The dubbed American cut is inferior; subtitles required.

Kingsman: The Secret Service2015

Matthew Vaughn's stylish action-comedy that commits fully to excess and spectacle. Lavish setpieces, self-aware humor, and an enthusiasm that's almost childlike. Proves that audacity can carry a film.

But The tone is anarchic and almost aggressively arch. Some of the humor reads as juvenile, and the plot is deliberately thin.

Red Notice2021

Heist film with three charismatic leads and no pretensions to depth. Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot riff for two hours in exotic locations. Pure entertainment logistics, zero weight.

But Exhaustingly light and formulaic. If you want a heist film with actual stakes or surprises, this won't deliver.

Baby Driver2017

Edgar Wright's stylish crime film is a heist-adjacent ensemble piece where the technical execution and visual flair matter more than character. Proves spectacle and rhythm can substitute for depth.

But The emotional core feels manipulative and thin compared to the technical brilliance. Some find the style overwhelming.

The Italian Job2003

Colorful, sunlit heist film with an ensemble cast, practical ingenuity, and a deliberate lightness of touch. Shows what happens when you prioritize charm and fun over cynicism.

But Deliberately fluffy. It doesn't reach for anything beyond entertainment, which some find forgettable.

Free Fire2017

Ben Wheatley's kinetic, contained action film about criminals in a single warehouse. Captures that scrappy, improvisational chaos that makes Army of the Dead's best moments sing.

But Low-budget and claustrophobic rather than epic. The humor is more deadpan and less crowd-pleasing.

Jungle Cruise2021

Dwayne Johnson adventure film that embraces camp and spectacle without apology. Knows it's not serious, commits to the tone, and delivers setpieces. Pure escapism without irony.

But The camp can feel exhausting over two hours. If you want something with edge or real stakes, this won't provide it.

Ghostbusters II1989

Both films are sequels attempting to build elaborate action-comedy mythologies in familiar spaces (Vegas quarantine zone, New York). Both succeed by committing fully to their own logic and never winking at the audience.

Underrated sequel that embraces cartoonish excess and doesn't apologize. Bill Murray mugging at the camera, outrageous practical effects, and a tone that's comedic while treating its own absurdity as genuine world-building.

But Widely considered inferior to the original. The humor is broad and relies on slapstick in ways that feel dated and sometimes cringe.

The Gentlemen2020

Both assemble morally flexible characters pursuing impossible objectives in compressed spaces. Both prioritize visual flourish and momentum over character depth, but Ritchie shows how narrative complexity can elevate what Army of the Dead sometimes mistakes for depth.

Guy Ritchie's crime ensemble piece is pure virtuosity: fractured storytelling, rapid-fire dialogue, and visual trickery that never pauses. A masterclass in chaos as craft. Proves that overlapping agendas and moral ambiguity can feel exhilarating.

But Deliberately convoluted and aggressively stylized. If you don't love the style immediately, it becomes exhausting. Requires active attention.