Fewhorrorsubgenres are as popular as the seminal “zombie apocalypse.” These movies usually see some (hopefully) endearing group of characters band together in the face of an undead horde, creating some unique version of these beings that always reduce them to one key trait:a hunger for human flesh. There are countless films in this subgenre, each trying to instill this well-practiced concept with something distinct. And from this race to come up with the most bizarre plots out of the zombie formula, we were giftedZombeavers.
Directed byJordan Rubin— and currently streaming onTubi— this creature feature focuses on the titular zombified critters stalking a group of college students as they spend a weekend at the lake. Initially, it feels like the movie is trying to be bad on purpose; schlocky scary movies don’t tend to have the highest production value, with filmmakerstrying to craft the next camp classic (without understanding what camp really means). However, even with its initially generic introduction, audiences will be shocked by just how creepy this film becomes. The monsters' torment,and a surprisingly subversive approach to this genre’s most tired tropes create an intriguing plot.There have been many zombie movies, but with its ingenious plot and astoundingly campy concept, there has truly never been one likeZombeavers.
The Zombies are Coming to Get You, Barbara
Long beforeZombeavers, viewers have always found a deep terror in the thought of zombies. And no wonder why; the idea of having the people around you die and then come back to some facsimile of life, desperate to use their blood-soaked teeth to rip apart anyone they see, is inherently horrifying. Films have long tried to portray the terror of this scenario, with classics likeDay of the Deadshowing the visceral, emotional terror of seeing the world turn against you in the bloodiest way possible. As time has gone on,filmmakers have tried to push this concept beyond its usual parameters, with many positing a meaningful question:what’s the wildest thing we can turn into a zombie? From sharks to elves, to clowns, the subgenre has a whole segment within itself focusing on the most irreverent takes on these historically petrifying creatures, a segment that includesZombeavers.
For all of its inventiveness, the beginning ofZombeaversis a setup that fans have seen many times before. The film focuses on Mary (Rachel Melvin), Zoe (Cortney Palm), and Jenn (Lexi Atkins), a trio of college students retreating to a lake-side cabin to help Jenn recover from finding out her boyfriend was cheating on her. They spend their day lounging in nature, eventually having their peace disrupted by each one’s boyfriend — even Jenn’s unfaithful one – arriving to get in on the fun.
Unbeknownst to all of them, right next to their messy drama, a truck dropped a barrel of toxic chemicals into the lake, turning a dam-full of beaversinto a legion of ferocious, flesh-eating monsters hungry for humans. It’s a typical horror first act, the film following almost every clichéd beat of the genre’s least experimental films and having their cast fulfill the same archetypes that have filled this medium for generations. Whether it be Mary perfectly portraying the pure “final girl,” her boyfriend being the spitting image of every other bad partner in horror, or Zoe’s crass language and early nudity cementing her as your typical first victim, the movie’s first act doesn’t do anything to set itself apart —which is what makes the latter half’s depth so shocking.
‘Zombeavers’ Is More Than Just Beavers and Blood
WhileZombeavers’setup may seem typical, the strangely interesting carnage it creates is anything but. The film shocks audiences by having Jenn, the person who’s been set up as its heroic survivor, be the first to succumb to the titular monster’s toxic bite. Watching her turn into a twisted hybrid with grotesquely protruding buck teeth and a huge tail is comically sickening and adds an extra level of disgusting body horror to the film. This fear is only heightened when audiences realize that they’ve lost the person they’re meant to root for,revoking the usual comfort viewers can find in their horror protagonistsas she dies and everyone around her lets their panic take over. This leads to countless terrible decisions, yet as the chaos sets in,one character rises above and gives the genre a final girl like they’ve never seen: the loudmouth, sex-loving Zoe.
Sharktopus, Zombeavers & More Crazy Mutant Movie Creatures
Unholy B-Movie crossbreeds and mutants.
In any other film, Zoe would be an early addition to the body count; her tendency to rave about intimate topics and speaking crassly being the hallmarks of your usual first kill in these kinds of movies. Instead,Zombeaversshows her fighting back against these zombified animals, with Palmer portraying Zoe’s horror at watching those she loves die while recognizing that she’ll do anything to survive. It’s a surprisingly pleasant twist in a genre that seems so focused onkeeping its central women firmly within archetypes that were developed decades ago. It’s unfortunate how rarely audiences get to see a true horror hero who is proud of their sexuality. With Zoe, fans finally have the truly rebellious heroine. they’ve have been waiting so long for.
You’ve Never Seen a Movie Like ‘Zombeavers’
For all of its experimental elements, there are many aspects ofZombeaversthat viewers may be rightfully annoyed with. Many of its special effects could have used some retooling, and while horror is a genre filled with harsh humor, this film’s approach to dirty dialogue tends to undercut its scares. It isn’t a perfect movie, but it manages to stick out in what has become a thoroughly saturated zombie subgenre. The plot takes every part of itself seriously, establishing genuinely high stakes as you care about the characters' fates. This is mainly thanks to Zoe,a character who not only stands as a subversively badass final girlin a genre obsessed with archetypes but grants this film the nuance it needs to become a legitimately scary movie. There’s a lot you can say aboutZombeavers, but with this character and how the plot utilizes her to elevate the stakes, there’s one absolute truth any watcher can agree on:you’ve never seen anything like it.
Zombeaversis available to watch on Tubi in the U.S.
WATCH ON TUBI
Zombeavers
