‘Zombie Strain’ Review: A Light and Silly Zombie Comedy

There aren’t as many zombies or “strains” as you might expect, but it’s a fun comedy regardless.

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Zombie Strain began streaming on January 24, 2025.

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What is Zombie Strain About?

Zombie Strain (2023)
Zoe looks into the box containing the glowing zombie strain.

Zombie Strain is a pseudo-documentary-style zombie movie with relatively few zombies.

The story happens over the course of a night when zombies begin attacking people. Most of the movie is set within a low-budget sound stage where a small crew is making a Christmas-themed adult film. The film crew, other staff members, the owner of the sound stage, and a few interns all become trapped inside the studio when they realize the danger they’re in. They spend the night filming themselves as they do their best to survive when zombies find their way inside the building.

Zombie Strain was directed by Michael Seabolt and written by Gregory M. Schroeder. Starring as the people trapped in the sound stage are William Mann, Cameron Vitosh, India Jasiri, Chandni Shah, Emily Ashby, Thomas Dagnino, Alexander D. Vogt, and Jim Belden.

Zombie Strain Review

Zombie Strain (2023)
Maybe “zombie strain” refers not just to the weed, but also the strain the zombies put on the people trapped inside the sound stage.

First off, the movie might not be exactly what you’re expecting judging it solely by the title. “Zombie strain” does refer to a strain of marijuana that makes the smoker essentially invisible to zombies. As in, the smoker is so high that the zombies think the smoker is a zombie. But the zombie-immunity weed is only a minor plot thread which affects a single character for most of the movie. No other character is interested in it. So, despite everyone getting high on normal weed for a few minutes and then sobering up, this movie isn’t really about the “zombie strain.” So if you’re waiting for everyone to get high and walk through a horde of zombies unscathed (like I was waiting for), you’re not going to get that. You will, however, be treated to a rather straightforward zombie comedy.

Zombie Strain (2023)
Charlie and Zoe share a moment.

As a zombie comedy, Zombie Strain is pretty good. The characters are all distinct, and most of them are suitably ridiculous for the style of absurd comedy employed by the movie. Some characters are definitely more wacky than others. Nate (Cameron Vitosh) is the serious guy who feels like the default protagonist, and Aaliyah (India Jasiri) is also one of the more serious characters who understands the grave danger of the situation. Everyone else is zany in their own way. Standouts are Zoe (Chandni Shah) who is high for nearly the entire movie and is always funny, and Charlie (William Mann) who is inexplicably arrogant in a way that is both amusing and infuriating.

Zombie Strain (2023)
Zombie Strain is a Christmas movie. Sort of.

In many ways, the movie feels like improv comedy. The scenes tend to be done with long takes, and the found-footage style of filming gives the movie a relaxed tone a lot of the time. Those factors contribute to giving the banter between the characters a sense of spontaneity, which is a lot of fun to watch.

Zombie Strain (2023)
Some of the characters are way into fighting zombies.

Zombie Strain does feel a little long overall. It’s about 98 minutes long, but some parts of the movie feel like they drag a bit. Part of this could be because the zombies never really feel like a threat. They get into the building at a certain point, but scenes with characters interacting with the zombies are few and far between. The film is really more about the arguing between the characters, which can feel a little redundant after a while. Pacing nitpicks aside though, Zombie Strain is a fun little comedy.

Zombie Strain Rating and Recommendation

Zombie Strain (2023)
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Star Rating: 3 out of 5

Zombie Strain is for fans of goofy zombie comedies that focus more on characters and dialogue rather than blood and gore. There are a few zombie attacks and bloody moments, but this isn’t a movie to watch for the eating of flesh. It is, however, a movie to watch for something silly and light.

Zombie Strain is currently streaming on TVOD platforms including Fandango at Home.

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Meet The Author

Chris has a degree in film studies at Temple University’s campus in Tokyo, Japan. He is a renowned expert on horror cinema.