Review of Black Sheep (2006)

[Here is a review of one of my favorite zombie movies.]

Sheep have more personality than most animals. They’re like big dogs, but way more awkward and totally aware of it. A huge flock of those puffballs chasing down screaming humans is an unforgettable sight. In Black Sheep they’ve all become zombies, and a weresheep is thrown in, just for good measure. This New Zealand-made zombie comedy is original, funny and wonderfully weird, making it my favourite zombie movie to date.

New Zealand is one of the biggest wool producers in the world. Black Sheep begins with little Henry, a farm boy who loves herding the flock with his farmer father and living in the idyllic New Zealand countryside. After a terrible prank by his brother Angus, and the ill-timed accidental death of his father, Henry is left scarred for life and terrified of sheep. Fast forward 15 years to Henry’s first visit back since he was a kid, a short and simple visit on which he’s to sell off his half of the family farm to Angus. But Henry will have much more on his agenda than signing papers – Angus has gone into agricultural science to genetically engineer sheep, but the experiments went horribly wrong. Now the sheep are infected and attacking everyone, forcing Henry to face his fear in both horrific and hilarious ways.

Black Sheep really is one of the best “zombie” movies I’ve ever seen. We’ve been overwhelmed with traditional zombie media this last decade, so zombie sheep instead of people is thoroughly refreshing. The animals are as adorable as they are terrifying, and the gorgeous backdrop of rolling green hills is perfect for this gory comedy. Speaking of gore, the special effects are top notch, thanks to Weta Workshop, the company that also worked on The Lord of the Rings.

You’ll get many more laughs than screams from this film, so it’s a horror film that shouldn’t be missed if you enjoyed Shaun of the Dead or Zombieland.