Juan of the Dead (2011) User Reviews

Definitely a zombie movie well worth checking out...

[paul_haakonsen · 7/10 · 13 June 2012]

Alright, well this is the first Cuban movie I have ever seen, so it being a zombie movie just made it all the more glorious to watch. I had some initial doubts about this movie, but being a zombie movie, I just couldn't let the opportunity pass me by. And now that I have seen it, I must admit that I am more than pleasantly surprised. This movie was really great.

I assume that it would be the Cuban equivalent to "Shaun of the Dead", probably there the name came from as well. This movie combines humor, political satire and zombies in a very nice mixture, and it just worked out nicely.

The story is about Juan (played by Alexis Díaz de Villegas) and his friend Lazaro (played by Jorge Molina) who get on day by day in a not all that glamorous life, when the living dead start to overrun the city, sending the entire island into chaos and destruction. The story was actually quite good, and it was nice to see this approach to the zombie genre.

The characters in the movie were really nice, and they had very distinct and unique characteristics and personalities, which were nicely portrayed on the screen. So aside from being a zombie movie, the director gave the actors great chances to let the characters grow and develop on the screen. The group of survivors was made up of very different people, each with their own unique characteristics, which was really great, because there was something for almost everyone's liking here; heroic leader, funny sidekick, tough woman, muscular man who is scared of blood, über-gay guy, and much more.

"Juan of the Dead" was actually nicely made. There was a very nice sense of authenticity to the movie, as if you were there in Cuban with the people in the movie. And the zombies were actually quite nicely made as well, in regards to make-up and prosthetics. However, what really made this movie work was the humor, and the way it was used. I was thoroughly amused throughout the movie, and I loved the sense of humor that Lazaro had, he was just beyond cool.

There were some nice new ideas introduced in the movie as well, stuff that haven't been seen in zombie movies before. I especially liked the scene with the pickup truck with the harpoon and the tow cable. That was awesome. I will not give away the detail here, just watch it for yourself.

If you like zombie movies, then you definitely do not want to miss out on "Juan of the Dead", because it is indeed great fun, and with "Juan of the Dead" director Alejandro Brugués has put Cuba on the world map of the zombie outbreak. This movie was even far better than so many of the American produced low budget zombie movies out on the market. So "Juan of the Dead" is really a zombie movie to take notice of. Even if you are reluctant to foreign language movies, then you should sit down to watch "Juan of the Dead" if you like zombie movies, trust me!

Two rotten thumbs up for this movie.

Refreshing Take On Zombie Film

[enigmo69 · 7/10 · 1 April 2012]

I didn't know anything about this film going in to see it, and was very impressed! I'll hold my hand up to being very unfamiliar with Cuban cinema, but horror and zombies especially are my thing. However, in general, me and comedy-horror have had a somewhat checkered past. This film, however, works very well and on a few different levels: Being a ZomCom, the comedy violence works well and isn't overplayed; the characters are parodies of what you'd expect, but again only taken as far as the tone of the film would allow; and as for tone, its where this film really comes into its own and makes it well worth seeing, elevating it above the status of most mid-budget horror. The political overtones are just that, and are meant to be taken as very obvious and tongue-in-cheek, and play well with the general idea that the characters know they are being lied to by the government and just play along, and for the audience it's made quite clear that any political subtext is not meant to override the point of the film as mostly a bit of a laugh. The scatological humour is not frequent but is there and can be taken or left depending on your personal tastes, but some of the jokes are genuinely funny and work well, and the interplay of the two male leads is very similar to Frost/Pegg in it's chummy familiarity and is something that hangs the whole films together nicely. The feel of the movie is very interesting, with a good mix of a Dawn of the Dead (remake) apocalyptic desolation, with Spaghetti Western styling, against a backdrop of 50s styling in both scenery (as you'd expect in Cuba), but also 40s and 50s farce in several places. Alexis Díaz de Villegas plays the everyman hero excellently, and with a style that reminds me of some of the world-weary yet streetwise heroes you might have previously seen in older cinema. Think Charlie Croaker in Italian Job (the original, of course). I wouldn't be surprised to see him crop up again in Western-released films before too long! All in all, it mixes to make a very original-feeling zombie movie and totally worth watching.

Vive la Zombies.

[BA_Harrison · 7/10 · 13 August 2012]

It probably helps to have a degree of familiarity with the troubled socio-political landscape of Cuba to fully appreciate certain aspects of zombie comedy Juan of the Dead, but even if, like me, you don't know your Castro from your Che Guevara, this neat little flick still packs enough decent laughs and scares to make it a fun time for fans of the living dead.

Juan of the Dead's strongest suit is its disparate cast of somewhat shady characters who still manage to be an extremely amiable bunch despite their dubious morality and, in some cases, a general lack of compassion for fellow human beings. The film also benefits greatly from lots of frenetic zombie killing (enhanced by impressive practical and CGI special effects), several outstandingly funny moments that thankfully require no knowledge of Cuba's complex history (the funniest being a 'touching' rooftop scene between Juan and and his 'dying' friend Lazaro), some cool visuals (an underwater shot of zombies on the seabed being my favourite) and a hot heroine in the form of Juan's sexy daughter Camila (Andrea Duro).

The plot might not be anything particularly memorable, offering up the usual gruesome encounters between the living and the flesh-eaters, with the survivors' number steadily dwindling as a result, but it is refreshing enough in its execution to definitely warrant a watch.

6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for the awesome harpoon and cable mass zombie slaughter scene.

Entertaining and laughable Cuban/Spanish co-production about Zombies attacking locals in La Habana

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 1 May 2015]

In this terror/comedy picture there is action , tongue-in-cheek , irony , creepy atmosphere as well as gore , guts and blood . 50 years after the Cuban Revolution, a new Revolution is about to begin , then a bunch of slackers take on an army of zombies . Juan (Alexis Díaz de Villegas) is a botcher vagrant as well as womanizer attempting to reconnect with his daughter (Andrea Duro) , who schemes to rejoin her mummy in Miami . Meanwhile , Lazaro (Jorge Molina) , Juan's friend , is wishing to connect with his own son . They start to notice that citizens are "going crazy" , attacking locals and eating their flesh , and the recently deceased are going back to life . Juan tries to take of advantage of terror created by Zombies , as starts a business to profit off of killing the zombies . Juan forms a misfit squad , as they confront several Zombies starving of human meat and may soon find their own lives at risk .

Funny and refreshing Cuban/Spanish picture including lots of blood and gore . It's a fun and amusing Zombie movie filled with action , thrills , chills , humor and Zombie attacks . It results to be an outstanding horror/comedy movie , it's realized in fast moving and neither boring , nor tiring , but entertaining . From start to finish the action pace is nonstop , including a lot of fights , attacks and twisted situations . Spectacular frames when takes place a creepy head decapitating scene , it was not filmed in Revolution Square as filming there was impossible, so, the Square was digitally added after the sequence had been shot . There some brief critiques to Cuban government , as the media claim that the zombies are dissidents revolting against the government . It was submitted a certain censorship , as freedom of expression remains under siege in Cuba despite the reopening of diplomatic relations .

Juan De Los Muertos was made with the support of the Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematográficas - Icaic, Canal Sur, Televisión Española and the collaboration of Junta de Andalucía, Ibermedia, Cinergia and Universidad De Guadalajara . Thrilling and atmospheric soundtrack by Julio De La Rosa , a notorious composer who has composed successes such as ¨Isla Minima¨ , ¨Primos¨ , ¨Grupo 7¨ , ¨Siete Virgenes¨ and ¨Carne De Neon . ¨Appropriate cinematography by Carlos Gusi -¨Torrente¨ , ¨Box 507¨ , ¨El Niño¨, ¨Take my eyes¨ , ¨Sexykiller¨ , ¨Cell 211¨ - who photographs splendidly the colorful exteriors from La Habana . The motion picture was compellingly directed by Alejandro Bruges and it achieved Goya Award to best Iberoamerican film . Alejandro is a writer and director, known for 2011 Fabula , 2006 Personal Belongings , 2005 Frutas en el café, 2005 Bailando Chachacha , 2004 Tres Veces Dos , 2000 Candela and he has been hired by Hollywood where directed The ABCs of Death 2 and is set to direct the third episode of season two of Robert Rodriguez's From Dusk Till Dawn : The Series .

Nice satirical film about modern Cuba, and partly about zombies

[JvH48 · 7/10 · 10 November 2012]

I saw this film as part of the Imagine film festival (SF/fantasy/horror) Amsterdam 2012. The title of this film may need some explanation (this is not a spoiler). It refers to the name Juan invented for his service offering "Juan of the dead. We kill your beloved ones. How can I help you?", this being the spoken announcement when answering the phone. In your mind you hear the text "(and earn money)" hidden behind this message.

I suspect many things in this film to be intentionally satirical. For instance, TV news often accuses dissidents, paid by US, to covertly causing the reported troubles. On the other hand, I observe several halfway missed opportunities to expose the army (a helicopter crashes on town hall dome), and ditto ridicule the police (a policeman assigned to collect sane people for evacuation, defeats the very purpose by including one visibly affected person). Can it be that satire on civil servants is frowned upon in Cuba?

More on this subject is that we see elevators fail, expired medicine, civilization generally looking outdated, and more such things that may be intentional satire (or not). And finally, we don't see anyone busy with useful work. Instead, we see a lot of alcohol and people doing absolutely nothing.

In case you are not interested in an inside view in Cuba as of today, nor making fun of Cuban society as it is nowadays, you better be on the lookout for a different zombie movie. I don't think that zombies were meant to be the main course on the menu, only a side issue to have some sort of story line. Anyway, Juan can be of help when you want to get rid of an member of the family, be it because seemingly infected with zombie blood, or can better be eased out of the way for other reasons.

All in all, the humor and the satire (intended or not) make this film to what it is, not the zombies nor the special effects. Far from perfect, but it makes us aware of a film industry presence in Cuba that we neglected until today. This film ranked 7th for the audience award, with an average score of 8.25/10.

This is not a zombie movie, but a movie about Juan fighting C.I.A backed dissidents!

[ironhorse_iv · 6/10 · 24 March 2013]

I did get a kick out of the way the Zombies were being identified by the Cuban media government spokesman in the film as being 'dissidents' revolutionists, degenerates who were being funded by America to undermine Cuban society. I like zombie movies that think of cleaver ways of calling the undead. Juan of the Dead score some funny points off of U.S-Cuban relations, the Cuban culture, and human nature in general. Even though I'm not a Cuban I think I got the basics of some of the jokes they threw into the film. Juan (Alexis Diaz de Villegas) is a loser with no future in harsh life communist Havana. Down on his luck in a land that has little to offer, he's taken to doing odd jobs in order to make the occasional buck. However, what he wants most is to reconnect with his young daughter Camila. When the island would suddenly be overrun by zombies and his socialist world collapsing around him. What does he do? He goes for capitalism and establishes a business where killing zombies is their business for a price. Will this idea be a success, or will the job of killing a nation full of dissidents be too much for the task? The acting by Mr. de Villegas is awfully bad with all the deadpan delivery of lines but thank God, he surrounded with some of the most impressive assortment of goof balls that serve up a handful of respectable laughs. There is his friend Lazaro, a sick sex-craze borderline psychopath who tends to accidentally harpoon the living. He would be unlikeable if only the fact that what he does is just so outrageous funny. Then there is Vladi California, a laid back surfer dude who serves as Juan's daughter love interest. There is the huge, muscular guy Primo who faints at the sight of blood and so, has to be led around blindfolded so he doesn't faint at the sight of bloodied zombies, but he fights them off through the instructions of his flaming gay transgender lover La China. The choice of weapons for each character matched their personality, from the paddle that Juan use to the slingshot of La China that gives the character its own identify. Still, the movie suffers from deep silliness. The matrix type fighting was just bad. There is also a lot more of the film that veers toward slapstick, or at least broad comedy, which some viewers will appreciate and others won't. As a zombie picture, it's clearly flawed, but as a comedy it's probably worth the chuckles. The low budget special effects are laughably bad of helicopter and buses crashing. Special effects are about on par with an Asylum film production. In one scene, a zombie get taken out by a CGI shark that looks out of place. The editing is not that good. In one scene the characters were complaining about a building blocking out the sunset. Only to see that the government blow up the building a minute later. It fades to night, where the building is back on screen. The movie works best with English sub-titles, but sadly not all the version out there has it. Disappointed that English sub titles end when the Australian in film was talking. I couldn't understand a word, he was saying. Then it picks up, after that. Unfortunately, the ending isn't satisfying as well. Being Cuba's first real horror movie, Juan of The Dead comes as a Latin take on zombie comedy flicks, reminiscing Shaun of The Dead. The zombie slacker film pioneered by Simon Pegg in Shaun of the Dead was, in the beginning, a great twist on a concept starting to grow cold, but just a little, as this movie has its own unique dimension. Can't wait until they make a Chinese version, Wong of the Dead. There's nothing wrong with being a middle of the road horror comedy and, on that level alone, Juan won't win accolades but may win over its share of fans with its exotic setting and subtle geo-political satire along with its walking dead. Zombie junkies should check it out, but keep your expectations down.

Cuba the way Oliver Stone never saw it.

[fedor8 · 28 December 2012]

No major spoilers here. It's a friggin' zombie film!

This refreshing Cuban-Spanish zombie comedy will definitely annoy every McDonalds-munching day-dreaming couch-potato Western-Marxist hypocrite, for it does not glorify the mankind-loathing decadence of rabid Communism or its psychopathic coffee-mug iconic perpetrators – as 95% of all movies with a political message do. In fact, JOTD is an obvious bashing of Castro's Cuba and its 60 year-long downward spiral, marked by poverty, misery and brainwashing. Speaking of which, brainwashed liberals/avatards and nerdy left-wing film-students, so spoiled by decades of watching only their political views being represented in movies, will be quite surprised to know that the image of Che Guevara – for once – isn't used on the big-screen to symbolize freedom.

Havana is in the midst of a zombapocalypse, and the tyrannical regime is incompetent to deal with it. What they are marginally successful in is launching a media campaign whose objective is to portray and label the zombies as "imperialist dissidents", part of a US ploy to destroy the country. Hence the word "zombie" is used only once, by the Bible-hugging foreigner; instead, the living dead are referred to jokingly by the survivors as "dissidents". "Forget America, this time we have a real enemy."

Unlike what you'd normally expect from a horror comedy, nearly all of the funny moments are dialog-related. As a result, JOTD has most of its highlights in the first half-hour, much of which isn't dominated by zombies. The second half-hour sees a quality-drop of sorts, since that is when most of the cartoon violence takes place; after all, there are only so many ways in which you can kill a zombie, and the majority of those we've already seen in many other such movies. Although, to be fair, JOTD does provide moments of zombie-slashing/physical originality as well, with some rather fun gore, and can outshine nearly every zombie comedy with ease. The last half-hour is a marked improvement over the middle, with a lot more dialog again, hence more of those wonderful quips by the two male leads.

The characters, even though just part of a silly zombie flick, appear more real than most characters in your typical American dramas. They are not morally perfect; in fact, they have many flaws, and aside from Juan's daughter all of them are a bit dodgy, to put it mildly. This too is a refreshing approach, steering well from the American/British clichés of the morally squeaky-clean (hence absurd/unreal) hero.

Speaking of what's real and what isn't, JOTD has another essential thing going for it: it does NOT look like a modern Western horror film at all. What I mean by this is that JOTD doesn't have that computer-software-ruined mono-colour filtered/plastic downbeat/depressing look that we've been cursed with in the past decade or so when it comes to American, British and French horror films. (Kudos to the rare exceptions.) JOTD looks very refreshingly real, the colours are stark, vivid, vibrant, and most importantly - they are all there: it's not just green or blue or yellow. That way, the movie serves as a nostalgic reminder of what Western horror films (more-or-less) used to look like once upon a time back in the 70s and early 80s, at a time when a movie's look wasn't decided on some idiot's laptop, but by the quality of the cinematographer and the director.

If anyone is worried that a Cuban movie might be a little lacking in the special-effects department, have no fear: the effects are great, as are the distant shots of Havana burning.

The fact that the female cast is both beautiful and sexy (Andrea Duro and Blanca Rosa Blanco) is just the icing on the cake.

Forget "Shaun of the Dead", this is the one to watch.

Buena Vista Zombie Extermination Club!

[Coventry · 6/10 · 26 April 2012]

I don't remember too much about the supposedly funny zombie-comedy "Zombies of Mass Destruction" except for this: zombie action and political satire don't mix. Only the almighty George A. Romero successfully pulled off a combination of these two contradictory styles in his original trilogy of the dead; exclusively because his satire was subtle and intelligent. "ZMD" wasn't subtle and it most definitely wasn't intelligent. So when I first heard about another allegedly clever and witty political zombie satire, I was really skeptical. And then especially because this particular 'zomedy' even dares to jokingly refer to Romero's genre milestone in its title. The only film that tried this and actually got away with it is "Shaun of the Dead". Pardon me to assume from beforehand that "Juan of the Dead" won't be a terrific as "Shaun of the Dead" and most definitely not as the original "Dawn of the Dead". But anyway, so far for skepticism, because this turned out a pleasantly surprising and satisfying little Cuban horror flick. I wouldn't rank it anywhere near the top ten of greatest horror (or even zombie movies) ever accomplished, but it's definitely one of the more worthwhile efforts in a sub genre that has literally been killed by an overflow. Perhaps it's worthwhile solely because of the fact it's a Cuban zombie flick… How often do you encounter any of those? The scenario, penned down by director Alejandro Brugués himself, is unmistakably Cuban - and therefore unique – full of political undertones, satire, bizarre but strangely charming patriotism and loads of astounding Havana scenery. Juan, terrifically depicted by Alexis Díaz de Villegas, and his closest friends always had to battle against professional and personal issues in their lives. So when Havana suddenly gets overrun by insatiable flesh-eating zombies, Juan and his posse don't even react all that surprised or petrified. Quite the contrary, Juan exploits the virus (or dissident plague, like the media and authorities refer to it) and starts up his most successful company to date! The sequences of Juan's zombie extermination business are wildly outrageous, fun and quite often even ingenious; - what I certainly don't expect to see anymore in a zombie flick. Sometimes the script and the ensemble cast tries to be a little too funny and imaginative, but you'll gladly tolerate the lesser amusing scenes. Besides, the part with the truck compensates for ALL the shortcomings. The make-up effects are very good, the soundtrack is stimulating and – for once – it's a zombie flick full of amiable characters (at least the living ones). Fiesta!

Zombiepocalypse Gold

[lizzyshinn · 8/10 · 5 June 2012]

Burdened only by a cheesy name, Juan of the Dead is zombiepocalpyse gold. When zombies infest Cuba, Juan, Lazaro, and company see a business opportunity. To give you an idea, Juan answers the phone, "Juan of the dead, we kill your loved ones." For squeamish people like me, rest assured that the zombie violence is comically creative instead of gruesome. Two words: flatbed truck. If for no other reason, see the movie for that HILARIOUS scene. The legitimately funny, light social commentary of Cuban lifestyle is unexpected and makes this movie special. Zombie-run public transportation is "no different than usual," and there are constant cracks about rafting to Miami, but "only as a last resort." The lead actor Alexis Diaz de Villegas oozes charisma and charmed me in the first five minutes. If you're a fan of how Dawn of the Dead mixes zombies and politics, definitely check out this movie.

"We Kill your Family for a Price"

[jessicacoco2005 · 6/10 · 5 October 2017]

A metaphor on the denigration of socialism in Cuba: You can't maintain socialism when government bureaucrats are incompetent and the population is predatory and out for themselves. Juan is a down and out loser. He hustles money here and there in whatever way possible. His daughter, Camilla is stopping over in Cuba before rejoining her mother in Miami. Her mother had taken her to Spain with her to start a new life after leaving her husband, Juan.

All Juan thinks he wants is to desperately reconnect with his daughter, who looks down on him as a selfish, self-centered loser. However, an epidemic of Zombieism takes places and as all Hell breaks loose, Camilla is forced to stay. As Juan sees the island of socialism he lives in degenerate and collapse, he turns to capitalism for salvation and begins his new business: Juan of the Dead, "we kill your family for a price." Along with Lazaro, the local pervert, California the thief, La China, the transsexual along with her Big, buff boyfriend, they all try to make money in the chaos. Will Juan reconnect with his daughter? Will Juan and his compatriots realize that there are things more precious than money? Are the Zombies really dissenters? Does the government really have everything under-control.

Not horrible but close

[Douglobacki · 4/10 · 22 September 2012]

I read some reviews that made this movie seem just as good as it's English counterpart "Sean of the Dead" and went into it expecting something pretty good. It started off solid but quickly got worse and worse as the movie went on. Why people enjoyed this movie is beyond me.

The bad: Poor CGI, all of the CGI was just utter crap, I've absolutely seen worse but wow; they should have just cut all of those scenes out, it was just unnecessary. The plot was my biggest problem, nothing made sense. I don't want to spoil anything but the things they say/do completely contradict the plot, even the plot contradicts the plot! Acting was bad, the zombies made very fake noises, and the background screams are the same scream over and over I've heard before in a video game. The dialog was stupid and sometimes even contradicted the plot. The charters had no depth to them, they bring up certain things that leave you with a feeling that it will become a large role in the movie but it never comes up again. The humor was not very humorous and mostly lost on me. Almost everything about this movie was bad, not horrible but just plain bad.

The good: There was a nice pair of boobs at one point but only for a minute or two. There were a few brief moments of actual humor.

Conclusion: I must have seen a different movie than everyone else but this is a bad movie. Only watch it if you really enjoyed "Sean of the Dead" and are extremely bored. Otherwise just don't. I gave it a 4 because I've seen worse, this movie is watchable and it didn't kill me but "Sean of the Dead" is a 9/10 compared to this.

WHO SHOULD WATCH IT: Sean of the Dead fans? Ehh maybe. Zombie Fans? Ehh maybe. Action fans? I'd advise against it. Comedy fans? No. Anybody else? NO.

Silly and political at once

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 31 May 2012]

The movie tries to combine serious matters (of political nature and I'm guessing there are even more stabs at the current political situation hidden in the dialogue if you understand it), with some very silly antics (almost slapstick territory). The lead actor will not be to everyones taste and the obvious comparisons to Shaun (of the dead) might do the movie more harm than good. But this is still a very decent effort/stab at comedy zombie movie.

I liked the performances and quite a few of the bits (and pieces, if you'll excuse the pun) in the movie. One particular "dance" scene was quite nice. Also the very first encounter of Juan and ... the other "group" (as named in the title) is quite funny (at least I thought/felt so). It might be uneven at times, but it's a fun ride that you can enjoy

Juan de los Muertos. We kill your relatives.

[boris_unanimate · 7/10 · 7 December 2019]

Yeah, instead of shamelessly copying Shaun of the Dead, JOTD did its own schtick and made it work, fabulously at that. Definitely one of the best zombie comedies, and helluva good story. It's very touching, relatable and hilarious. Support original content instead of vapid remakes and sequels to boring movies.

Boring

[Stevieboy666 · 4/10 · 19 November 2020]

Zombies, the most done to death sub genre in (horror) cinema. Well here is yet another zombie apocalypse movie (yawn). I will give it some credit for being set in Cuba - queue palm trees, lovely old cars, Latino beauties and some cool music. Sadly I found the character of Juan flat and uninteresting, his sidekick Lazaro was more entertaining. The effects are mainly crap looking CGI, obviously this movie is a play on Shaun of the Dead, a far, far better film. Highlight for me was Sid Vicious on the soundtrack singing "My Way" at the end. The underwater water scene with zombies on the sea bed was quite good too.

Social commentary Zomedy

[amesmonde · 18 October 2013]

During a zombie apocalypse Juan, a hustling Cuban, sets up a business with a couple of unlikelies and charges Havana's local residents for cleaning up their undead problem which clashes with winning his daughters respect.

Director Alejandro Brugués delivers a comedy injected zombie affair, which subtexts the political and social issues of Cuba and highlights the irony of the zombie mythos, including a stab, fast and slow walking dead films. It reminiscent in part of Rec (2007), Shaun of the Dead (2004) in tone and The Dead (for distinctive atmosphere).

Alexis Díaz de Villegas is not your stereotype looking hero and plays the everyman Juan perfectly. Jorge Molina is Lazaro his overweight sidekick who steals some of the scenes. Notable is Andros Perugorría as the hero type who is also the love interest of Juan's zombie kicking daughter Camila(Andrea Duro).

There are some homages thrown in to other virus flicks. The special make-up effects are excellent but the digital ones are a mixed bag, that said, the collapsing tower block and the helicopter crash are worthy of note.

It captures the unscrupulous, non-sequential social issues - especially murders, this may turn some viewers off as the characters can be quite unsavory at times. Nevertheless Juan de los Muertos is a Spanish language film (and writer Alejandro Brugués even manages to jibe at the language differences in an amusing underground car park segment)which has it's own identity and atmosphere due to real locations captured wonderfully by cinematography Carles Gusi which gives it its own feel.

Those looking for social commentary in the vein of Romero's dead films will be overloaded. If you're looking for plenty of blood, decapitations, head bashings and zombie comedy action this also ticks all the boxes.

As a side note keep watching for the comic credits that finish off the narrative. Overall, Juan of the Dead will have you thinking about Cuba long after the credits roll.

Imperialist zombies

[mario_c · 6/10 · 4 March 2012]

JUAN DE LOS MUERTOS is the traditional zombie slasher film but with one (very!) curious particularity: it's also the first "political zombie" movie I ever remember to watch! Of course it's all made in a parody style, being the political and capitalist references just a form to create fun and let no doubt where this movie comes from: Cuba!

The type of action and humor are the usual, but there're some real good jokes; some related to political themes (as said) and some to sexual themes; there is some sloppy humor too.

When the zombies' attack begins JUAN has an idea that seems quite funny: he and his friends create a small business to kill zombies and earn some money with it! "Juan de los Muertos, we kill your beloved ones" is the slogan! So, it's the way they find to kill those "dissidents of the regime", as the Governmental TV station calls them!

JUAN is the hero, the resistant and faithful son of Cuba that never will leave his beloved island, and so he does it

Fun but a missed opportunity

[philipfoxe · 6/10 · 3 February 2019]

Standard zombie fair with the added backdrop of poverty and cynicism in Cuba. Like many zombie movies it loses its pace. Could easily have developed plot lines but just drops them.

not enough

[Sorpse · 6/10 · 5 November 2013]

the characters are good, the gore/kills are all good, they use different cool weapons but the movie is still missing that something it needs to become a good movie. I don't feel it was a waist of time or that it is a bad movie it just didn't quite do it for me. There is lots of tongue and cheek humour and a couple memorable moments but it never really made me laugh out loud or have anything over the top cool (the under water zombies were pretty cool though). It was kind of stupid humour but not quite crude enough for adults so it seems kind of lame. juan of the dead was OK and I could see if there are people out there who would enjoy it more than I did.

Slightly better than average zombie flick

[gkell-404-995484 · 6/10 · 23 June 2012]

Cuban comedy zombie flick, has its merits but not a classic. Humour doesn't translate 100% but few smirks still to be had. Likable lead Juan is a Cuban Del Boy, dodgy with a good heart. Making the best of a dire situation he assembles a crew to dispose of undead loved ones for cold hard cash. Paddle in hand, Juan leads his posse through the throngs of walking dead with deadly aplomb. Along the way he reunites with his estranged daughter and, well, does nothing much else other than bashing zombies heads in. Not entirely memorable but has some original quirks of comedy and action that will linger for a few days. A poor man's Sean of the Dead, although some Havanians may argue otherwise. 6/10

Outstanding achievement

[abisio · 9/10 · 17 June 2012]

The Cuban / Spanish production "Juan de los Muertos" is one of those pleasant surprises every day more difficult to find in the entertainment world. For those familiar with the Cuban regime and people, the movie is a very hard critic to both. In fact it seems the movie was only show on cinema festival but was never released in Cuba. For the rest, this is "SHAWN OF THE DEAD" style comedy / satire with some elaborated special effects and surprising production and technical values. Without any explanation Zombies appears in La Habana, Cuba and start eating people. Juan, a lazy fisherman; a "survivor" on his own words finds a way to make money, charging people to kill next of kin that became undead. With the help of his best friend and son, his daughter and a gay couple start a business called "JUAN DE LOS MUERTOS" or "JUAN OF THE DEAD". Obviously things get more complicated than them or the Cuban government expect. The language could be a limitation for not Spanish speakers; some puns are almost impossible to translate; even worse not knowing Cuban idiosyncrasy. In one of the most celebrated jokes, Juan is asked to kill a cow but he refuses because it is too dangerous. In Cuba killing a cow is worse crime than killing people. The other problem with the movie is that attempting to mock every dramatic cliché in movies (like daughter hating father, friend about to die, farewell , even MATRIX style fights) drags the pace down for some moments. Behind the comedy there is serious critic to the Cuban regime (the zombies are call "DISSIDENTS" , the news are always accusing USA of an attack and stating that everything is controlled even when nothing is being done). However the worst criticism goes to the Cuban society main defects; their selfishness (nobody helps anybody and less for free), their arrogance ("we are invincible" is stated many times), laziness and lack of interest in fighting (let's take a boat and move to Miami seems to be the only solution). In brief; if you are Cuban or with Latin roots; you must see it; if you are not, give it a try; will not be disappointed.

Not great but a decent zombie comedy worth checking out

[KineticSeoul · 6/10 · 1 August 2012]

After "Shaun of the Dead" now comes "Juan of the Dead". No it isn't as good as "Shaun of the Dead", but it's still a zombie flick worth checking out. The zombie chaos happens in Cuba this time around, in fact this is probably the first Cuban zombie movie I seen probably. Unlike "Shaun of the Dead" the remaining survivors are not really likable and a bit inhumane at times. But it's passable since that is one of the elements that add to the humor of this movie. Yes, this is a zombie comedy. It isn't hysterical but there is humorous bits and pieces. The plot is simple and there really isn't anything to it but the execution is what makes this movie entertaining. It's about a group of survivors acting like mercenaries and going around killing zombies for money and than thinks about escaping later on. Although you can tell this flick lacked budget it did a good job of not making it seem like some cheap zombie flick. And it does have creative moments when it shows Juan and the group killing zombies with there own signature weapons. Overall this isn't a memorable zombie flick but it's a good way to pass the time if your in the mood for some zombie massacres.

6/10

Heartfelt Cuban zombie comedy that lacks suspense

[stroggos · 5/10 · 18 September 2017]

Havana is infected by zombies! A group of unlikely heroes fights back. JUAN OF THE DEAD is a zombie flick with a distinctly Cuban twist, making fun of stereotypes surrounding the attitude of the country's people, as well as the political situation.

The Cuban aspect is, to me, what makes this movie stand out from many other zombie comedies. Unfortunately, I have a problem with sluggish and lazy heroes... because they usually make for slow plots that just trod along without an inherent goal or a sense of conflict. Moreover, if your heroes don't seem to feel fear, then the audience doesn't usually feel it either. The movie's demise is its lack of purpose, with a story that only cares about creating opportunities for jokes.

Lovers of the Z genre will like some of the depictions of the devastated streets, which are pretty darn cool. The gore factor is moderate with some CGI, as well some practical effects. A few deaths are hilarious but other than that the movie focuses on jokes and its (relatively lovable) characters. This movie has a heart, but it's bogged down by its lack of a good script and a genuine sense of suspense.

Epic zombie movie

[seularts · 9/10 · 28 June 2012]

This one goes into the top 10 zombie movies done so far. I would consider this "Shaun of the dead" on steroids plus some epic fighting scenes resembling the ones the game called "Dead island". Lots of fun moments also some drama but overall a very well written and directed movie.

There were some flaws here and there but I would consider them minor. The GCI isn't 100% credible and even the zombies are not all that well done (some of them), but the way they directed the movement and behavior of the zombie actors, turned it into a very realistic horror type plot.

The best part of this movie is the very ending that makes the story look like more than it is and not just another zombie movie with a predictable sorrow ending of the human race.

I give it a 9 out of 10 since I am a fan of the zombie movie types and I can appreciate more the depth of the story than the special effects.

Cuba's Entry Into the Zombie Genre

[noah-65732 · 7/10 · 7 November 2023]

Juan of the Dead isn't just the first Cuban Zombie movie, it's also the first horror movie from Cuba and there's some great footage of inter-city Havana. The social commentary is strong and blatantly obvious, but clever nonetheless. Juan is basically a slacker 40 year old trying to make it in Havana. His daughter is leaving to live with her mother in Miami, he sleeps with a married women and just so happens to come across a zombie while fishing with his friend Lazaro. Once the outbreak grows in scale, Juan teams up with his daughter and friends to fight off the undead. The zombies are well done and there are a couple of creative zombie kill scenes, most notably a baseball right down the middle of a zombie's skull, other than that the gore effects are minimal and the zombie kills are really more comical than they are gruesome. Overall this was a decent zombie film, nothing too exciting or innovating but entertaining nonetheless. I recommend seeing Juan of the Dead if you like Zombie movies, I have the feeling some people may like it more than I do.

Characters lacking personality. Ok movie, but nothing above any other average zombie movie.

[imseeg · 5/10 · 14 February 2019]

"World War Z" with Brad Pitt is still my favorite serious zombie movie. "Juan of the Dead" is meant to be comical, but isnt really, to be honest. Maybe for spanish speaking viewers it might be a reasonably enjoyable zombie movie, but my biggest complaint would be that the main characters lack charisma or wit. They just are rather average, just like the suspense. It just doesnt get really spooky. It isnt hilarious either. Watch "Shaun of the Dead" instead of this one if you want to laugh your head off.

"Juan of the Dead" is definitely not a bad movie, but it just lacks that extra bit of wit and energy to rise above all the other average zombie movies.