Review
Little Monsters (Horror, Comedy) (2019)
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Director: Abe Forsythe
Writer: Abe Forsythe
Stars: Alexander England, Lupita Nyong'o, Josh Gad, Diesel La Torraca
While a kindergarten class is on a petting zoo field trip, a nearby military facility housing zombies experiences a containment breach and a sizeable horde shambles towards the children with only their teacher and chaperone to protect them.
Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, Abe Forsythe's original feature sees a kindergarten class amid a zombie outbreak. Filmed entirely in Sydney with a limited release, "Little Monsters" was produced by Screen Australia, Protagonist Pictures, Snoot Entertainment and Made Up Stories while being distributed by Neon and later additionally released on Hulu.
In the midst of a break-up with his girlfriend, Dave (Alexander England), a washed-up musician with little purpose in life after his band God's Sledgehammer split. Moving in with his elder sister Tess (Kat Stewart), it isn't long before his poor example affects his 5-year-old nephew Felix (Diesel La Torraca). Forced to help out the household, Dave agrees to bring his nephew to school—where he meets the alluring kindergarten teacher, Ms. Audrey Caroline (Lupita Nyong'o). Feeling affection for her and finding out they need a chaperone for an upcoming field trip, he doesn't hesitate to volunteer to the hesitation of Ms. Caroline herself. During the expedition to a petting zoo, a ravenous horde of the living dead escape coalesces at the children's location due to negligence at a nearby military research lab. It becomes the priority of Dave and Ms. Audrey to keep the children safe, thinking of anything to rescue their young flock and survive the incident.
As a comedic departure from other zombie media, Abe Forsythe presents a foul-mouthed horror comedy reminiscent of "Cooties". However, this time, the children are to be escorted safely, which presents some good-hearted absurdity.
If life seems tough, and you're finding downsides and confrontation around every corner, then take a look at England's Dave. Breaking up with his girlfriend after a string of arguments, his band parting ways and moving in with his sister, who seems to lose her patience due to his very own antics rapidly. It isn't too hard to see why things aren't going swimmingly; although oblivious to his own faults, the poorest luck imaginable could lead to rediscovery as volunteering to chaperone a field trip due to having the hots for a kindergarten teacher presents a path to redemption. With brain-hungry zombies surrounding the poor bloke, together with Nyong'o's Ms. Caroline, they safeguard these children and "Little Monsters" proves that it's always the outcasts that are positively affected by the rest of the world going to hell. 
Redemption is looming, as the intent and motive for Forsythe's zombie comedy, initially tough to stomach through a choppy introductory act, the trainwreck, which is Dave's relationship, is soon in our rearview. Once Nyong'o enters the picture with a bubbly and positive influence on the children, a fun yet obvious dynamic begins and the changes within her demeanour lift the whole of "Little Monsters" and the sometimes lacking Alexander England. Keeping the children safe, and the sheer contrast between the innocence of the kids and everything happening around them is the ticket, even if not always correctly handled. Moments of Nyong'o averting their eyes and dressing up the rotting masses with her unlikely prowess against these adversaries she hadn't bargained for is creative. While the romantic sub-plot isn't the reason to see the film, it serves the eventual conclusion in a way that would've been difficult to achieve otherwise.
Whereas Australian cinema holds a special place in my heart, this dark comedy just cannot stand against "Cooties". There's ample opportunity to rise above the mediocrity it establishes itself as with Gad's tailor-made role of being a children's TV host and Nyong'o's caring yet unrelenting zombie-slaying heroine; the intermittent moments make the whole work even just slightly.
Verdict
Little Moments.
6,0
