Queens of the Dead Review: A Bloody, Gay Blast [Tribeca 2025] – Dread Central

Zombie Gaming June 12, 2025 No Comments 26 views News, Dawn of the Dead

I kicked off my first Tribeca Film Festival with Tina Romero’s debut feature film Queens of the Dead, and it was a blast! The film follows a group of drag queens and party-goers who defend themselves against glittery undead ghouls at a drag show in Brooklyn. The authenticity, comedy, Horror nods, and performances make this film a unique undead delight that I highly recommend catching as soon as it hits the streets!

Tina Romero, daughter of George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead (1968), Dawn of the Dead (1978)), makes a distinctive splash in the subgenre by injecting it with queer culture and humor. During the Q&A after the Tribeca premiere, she mentioned that Queens of the Dead was a way of responding to our current climate, with hopes of bringing joy and levity to the community at a much-needed time. Horror has always been a vehicle to respond to the world around us. George A. Romero wasn’t a stranger to using film for that purpose. Tina stated that she’s proud to carry that torch and extra proud to make it Gay.

One of the elements that makes Queens of the Dead so much fun to watch is the characters. Zombie films are often formulaic (which isn’t always a bad thing), so they need strong characters or an interesting backdrop to set them apart from the horde. Tina’s experience as a DJ in the club scene helped to make the characters feel real, which made them easier to root for. Each character felt distinct, thanks to a solid script from Erin Judge and Tina Romero. This made their dialogue and banter more entertaining, paired with good comedic timing.

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Individual motivations and beef with other characters made for interesting interactions, which are supported by fun performances. The cast is stacked, and many of the actors already have experience in the genre. Katy O’Brian (and her arms) graced the screen in Love Lies Bleeding, Z Nation, and The Walking Dead. Jack Haven was just in I Saw The TV Glow, and their performance in Queens of the Dead is hilarious. I wasn’t expecting so many laughs from their character. We don’t spend a lot of time with Margaret Cho’s character, but she makes her screentime count! Tomas Matos steals the show with his charisma every time he’s on screen.

But, one of my favorite characters is Sam (Jaquel Spivey). He has the range to jump from humorous to heavy in one scene to the next. I also appreciate that Jaquel Spivey played a heroic role. At the Q&A, he spoke about how he is typically typecast as a sidekick or comic relief, but he was able to break out of that box with this role. It is rare to see Black leads in Horror, full stop. Leads who are fat, Queer, and Black are even more difficult to come across. I love that Tina started on her father’s path by choosing a Black lead, but she took it a step further by selecting an actor who shatters the status quo.

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The humor in Queens of the Dead made me laugh out loud in the theater, which is rare. Horror-comedy can be a hard sell for me, as many movies have trouble finding the right balance of giggles and gore. But Queens of the Dead found the sweet spot. Part of the reason why the humor worked for me, is because some of it was inherently Queer and Black. Some of the funniest moments were simply expressive looks in response to something happening or non-verbal movements.

An example is an early scene where Sam’s supervisor is on his case, and when she turns her back, he bucks at her. This drew audible laughter from me (and the theater). Many of the mannerisms felt familiar and could easily have come from people I know. The script is packed with quotable lines, and the comedic relief comes in the form of the token straight character, a refreshing inversion of how queer and/or POC characters are relegated to such a role.

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While there are plenty of laughs to be had, there are also heavy moments that touch on issues like drug use, excessive attachment to social media, queerness and religion, and navigating healthcare. These topics are not deeply explored, but there’s no expectation for that. I expected a campy, gay zombie flick, and Queens of the Dead exceeded those expectations. There are also plenty of nods to the zombie subgenre and horror overall. Audiences can expect to hear classic lines from horror classics and an iconic cameo. One zombie (you won’t miss her) feels like a nod to Bub from Day of the Dead (1985).

It’s also impressive what the production team was able to accomplish on a tight budget: I have seen movies that cost more and look worse. They were able to make this happen in a warehouse in Jersey. Queens of the Dead is proof that a film doesn’t need a big budget to be successful; it needs heart. The characters bring plenty of heart to the script. The charm is tangible from the screen, which helps to increase the rewatch value. This is a great Saturday night movie and pairs well with other horror movies about drag culture like Slay, Death Drop Gorgeous, or Satranic Panic. It’s undeniably fun!