The Undead Are as Fabulous as They Are Fierce in Queens of the Dead (2025)
Title: Queens of the Dead
First Non-Festival Release: October 24, 2025 (Theatrical Release)
Director: Tina Romero
Writer: Erin Judge, Tina Romero
Runtime: 101 Minutes
Starring: Jacquel Spivey, Katy O’Brian, Tomas Matos
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
People find community in many people, organizations, and places. Queer people, however, have to be more intentional with how they seek out support systems, especially those who are cut off from past loved ones. Finding solace, safety, and salaciousness in other queer people, the true richness of their chosen relationships portends a much stronger bond. Queens of the Dead explores this through a zombie apocalypse.
It’s yet another Yum Party night and Dre (Katy O’Brian) is stressed. Famous drag queen Yasmine (Dominique Jackson) pulled out of their show leaving Ginsey Tonic (Nina West) to perform solo. Barback Nico (Tómas Matos) volunteers to fill in as this would be their stage debut as Scrumptious, much to bartender and owner Jimmy’s (Cheyenne Jackson) chagrin. Across the city, Dre’s wife Lizzy (Riki Lindhome) is working with former drag queen Sam (Jaquel Spivey) with a patient named Jane (Eve Lindley) who has issues with doctors. Lizzy decides to fix two other of Dre’s problems by sending Sam off to perform and redeem himself for a past choice and sending her brother (Quincy Dunn-Baker) to fix the toilet. The party just might be saved after all! Too bad the zombie apocalypse starts right at showtime.
Funny, freaky, and fierce, Queens of the Dead is an absolute blast of a zombie film that holds just a bit too much back preventing it from achieving greatness.
Finding comfort in familiar zombie story beats, Queens of the Dead takes a familiar approach to the end of the world. Slow creeping zombies mix with humor to satisfy the campier sensibilities of its audience. There’s less focus on the horror of their situation and more on the necessity of working together to meet the challenge head-on. Standard zombie tropes live without question, conveniences line up at nearly every moment the stakes raise, and the survivors bicker amongst one another instead of making a solid plan. It’s still fun as hell despite this. Queens of the Dead showcases how queer people respond to danger differently.
Its story takes a backseat to its character’s individual journeys and their shared backstories revealing the richness, beauty, and nuance of queerness. Each character, no matter how small, feels important and real thanks to intentional story beats and dialogue. Overlapping histories and newfound alliances allow them to grow as they adapt to their situation. It’s in this way in which Tina Romero frames solidarity that makes Queens of the Dead so special. There’s no demand for perfection but of a willingness to do right by others that defines family here. A queer concept in its own right, Queens of the Dead demonstrates how sticking together despite differences and beefs isn’t just helpful, it’s survival. Showing up isn’t everything, but it’s a great and welcome start.
Queens of the Dead lives and dies by its comedy, so if the humor doesn’t land for you, it will be rough. For those that embrace camp, however, Queens of the Dead has plenty of laughs to go around. Relying on queer humor, the pace and intensity at which Queens of the Dead delivers is rapid-fire. Homing in on the ultra-specific, the garish, and the ironic, the sense of humor employed by Queens of the Dead is as light and airy as its breezy zombie action. The absurdity of its characters leans into its campier tone too. With a ridiculous cast of talented performers playing some of the funniest archetypes within the community, Queens of the Dead nails the vision like a perfectly executed death drop.
Dan Savage said, “during the darkest days of the AIDS crisis, we buried our friends in the morning, we protested in the afternoon, and we danced all night.” It’s in this idea that the most important element of Queens of the Dead: its steadfast commitment to elevating queer resilience and joy. For those unaware of this reality, it might be strange to see the characters of Queens of the Dead relying on makeovers and partying to save the day. In the face of danger, beefs are squashed, people step up and looks are served as much as some gnarly and hilarious zombie kills. What’s the point of living if there’s nothing to live for? Joy, love, and solidarity are as much, if not more, important than any “practical” tools of survival.
It may be sillier than one might like but Queens of the Dead is a warm embrace of queerness and horror that goes beyond its zany zombie carnage. Its colorful cast of authentic, fully fleshed out queer characters captivate with their hilarity and camaraderie alike making for a particularly heartwarming experience. Sure, it isn’t the scariest zombie film, and it can drag during some of its lulls, but Queens of the Dead remains solid undead filmmaking. Sashay – don’t run – to catch Queens of the Dead on Shudder. It’s one death drop you won’t forget.
Overall Score? 7/10
