‘Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead’ review: a lively and life-affirming zombie comedy

Just a month after the vibrant anime adaptation of Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead debuted to rapturous praise, a live-action movie version, directed by Yusuke Ishida, has arrived on Netflix. Based on Haro Aso (Alice in Borderland) and Kotaro Takata’s acclaimed seinen manga, this light-hearted comedy-horror follows Akira Tendo (Eiji Akaso) – an exhausted and burnt-out corporate worker beaten down by his exploitative bosses. The film opens with a flashback to one year ago, when Akira is elated to join a major production company.

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Before long, Akira’s enthusiasm is drained when his dream job becomes a nightmare. He’s forced to work for days on end in the office, he’s constantly berated by his superiors, he’s clocked hundreds of hours of unpaid overtime, and he’s even unable to use his annual leave. Fatigued and lifeless, Akira becomes a shell of his former happy self… a zombie one could say. That is until one day, an actual zombie apocalypse hits Japan. While being chased by hordes of undead, Akira suddenly realises that he won’t ever have to go to work again! Rather than grieving the end of the world or dreading his safety, Akira is filled with utter relief and joy.

For so long, he’s been mindlessly doing what other people want. It’s high time that Akira gets to do what he wants for a change. To that end, his vacation begins by writing down his bucket list – 100 things to do before becoming a zombie. The entries range from mundane (clean his room, dye his hair), to relatable (ride a motorcycle, confess his love to a girl), to the improbable (become a superhero). Notably, Akira seems resigned to becoming a zombie eventually, so security isn’t a primary concern. Sure, he’ll defend himself when he has to or help when others are in danger – but the priority is to live his life to the fullest on his own terms, in whatever time he has. The contrast between Akira’s carefree nature and everyone else’s panic is a running gag that never gets old.

As he goes around ticking things off his bucket list, he rescues his old buddy, a goofy jock named Kencho (Shuntarô Yanagi), and befriends loner survivalist Shizuka (Mai Shiraishi). Together, they stock up on supplies and drive around Japan in an RV, bonding by doing all the fun things that Akira wants to do. From its salaryman comedy first act to its buddy road trip second act, Zom 100 relies heavily on Akaso’s ability to convey upbeat positivity even under the most grotesque circumstances, and the main cast’s likeable performances. On both spectrums, this trio of actors do well to keep the audience invested just based on their winsome chemistry. Unfortunately, some of the humour does wear thin after a while, and the supporting characters feel flimsy because this 129-minute movie doesn’t have time to properly flesh-out Kencho and Shizuka’s personalities, motivations and backstories.

The film’s bonkers third act is likely to be very divisive as well. On one hand, it gives us the movie’s most emotional moments by bringing the narrative’s themes full circle. Upon finding sanctuary, does Akira value the safety of working a monotonous, soul-crushing job again? Or does he risk it all to find personal fulfilment and autonomy? On the other hand, the climax does present the most outrageously absurd monster in the history of cinema. Whether you find this last part to be hilarious or ludicrous – you have to give Zom 100 props for delivering one of the most singularly original visuals you’ve ever seen.

Is this movie on par with the manga or anime? Nope. Does it rank up there with other great zombie comedies like Shaun of the Dead or One Cut of the Dead? Not even close. But taken on its own merits, the live-action Zom 100 is a pretty fun time – a consistently amusing adventure that makes up for its slightness with an abundance of silliness.

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is now streaming on Netflix.

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