Army of the Dead (2021)
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A group of mercenaries must navigate a zombie-infested Las Vegas to pull off a high-stakes casino heist before a nuclear strike.
The story
Following a military failure to contain a zombie outbreak, the government quarantines Las Vegas. Six years later, a casino owner and his associate hire a mercenary, Scott Ward, to recover $200 million from a casino vault before a planned nuclear strike. Ward assembles a team of specialists, including a safecracker and a pilot, to infiltrate the city. The group must navigate the dangerous streets and the interior of the casino, facing both the undead and the ticking clock of the impending explosion.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After a military convoy's cargo—a zombie—escapes and infects Las Vegas, the city is quarantined. Six years later, Scott Ward is hired by casino owner Bly Tanaka to retrieve $200 million from a vault before a nuclear strike. Ward recruits a team including Maria Cruz, Vanderohe, Marianne Peters, Ludwig Dieter, and Mikey Guzman. They are joined by a smuggler, Lilly, and Ward's daughter, Kate. Upon entering the city, they encounter a zombified tiger and 'Alphas' (intelligent zombies). The team reaches the Olympus casino while a countdown to the nuke begins. Amidst the chaos, various members are betrayed or sacrificed: Mikey Guzman is killed by a zombie horde, and Ludwig Dieter sacrifices himself to let Vanderohe reach the vault. While the team faces the Alphas, it is revealed that the casino owner only wanted a zombie head to create an army. In the final moments, the team members are separated; Ward and Kate find each other as the nuke detonates, killing many and leaving Ward as a zombie. Vanderohe escapes with the money to Mexico City, only to discover he has been bitten.
- First release year
- 2021
- Runtime (minutes)
- 148
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Zack Snyder
- Writers
- Zack Snyder · screenplay; Shay Hatten · screenplay; Joby Harold · screenplay; Zack Snyder · story
- Cast and characters
- Dave Bautista · Scott Ward; Ella Purnell · Kate; Omari Hardwick · none; Ana de la Reguera · Cruz; Theo Rossi · none; Matthias Schweighöfer · Ludwig Dieter; Nora Arnezeder · none; Hiroyuki Sanada · none; Tig Notaro · Marianne Peters; Raúl Castillo · none; Huma Qureshi · none; Garret Dillahunt · none
- Genres
- zombie; heist; action
- Themes
- survival; sacrifice; family
- Tone and mood
- action-packed; gory; humorous
- Premise and plot tags
- zombie; heist; post-apocalyptic
- Source material / true-story basis
- Original story by Zack Snyder
- Reception
- Critics praised the film's humor but criticized its plot and runtime. It was described as an ambitious, over-the-top mashup.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 57 · scale: 100 · review count: 43; PostTrak · score: 83% · scale: percentage
- Awards and nominations
- Oscars Fan Favorite · Academy Awards · win
- Production trivia
- The film is a spiritual successor to Dawn of the Dead.; The production used a custom-made 'Red Monstro' camera system.; The film's opening scene took five weeks to shoot to capture natural light.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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