Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End [2024]

July 22, 2025

What’s the last good zombie movie you saw? To be completely honest, before this one, I did not know the answer to that question. And we’re talking about new releases here, so it’s safe to say that the genre is, once again, dead. Dead but kind of alive at the same time, much like its main protagonists. Based on a popular novel, Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End is an immersive and atmospheric Spanish zombie horror movie. The story focuses on Manel, an introverted lawyer who slowly starts realizing that this new pandemic might be deadlier than he initially thought. I like that the storytelling was done by the book. Both the actual book upon which it is based and the zombie book.

We go through all the familiar stages of a zombie outbreak stopping just when things are about to blow up. Mostly because this is only the first novel in the Apocalypse Z three-part novel series. The sequel, Dark Days, based on the next novel, is currently in production. We can expect to watch it toward the end of 2025. I wanted to mention this early on because the movie has a bit slower but quite deliberate pacing. Something that true fans of not just zombie movies but also post-apocalyptic movies will know to appreciate. I for one am a fan of both of those genres and I really liked it. It’s not quite as slow or desolate as the French The Night Eats The World but it still features just a handful of characters.

Considering the fact that we went through one global pandemic just a couple of years ago, the atmosphere will be quite familiar. And not just the atmosphere but many other things. The panic in the supermarkets, lack of trust, isolation, the whole shebang. Sadly, none of us turned into zombies back then so here’s hoping that the next one does it. The original novels were published back in the early 2010s so you can’t say they’re taking advantage of the situation. I also think you already know what follows the first phase in any zombie movie. It’s time to board up, set up your security perimeter, craft some weapons, and start thinking about looting.

Well, it’s technically not looting but you know what I mean. Especially if you ever played any video games featuring this type of scenario. Dawn of the Dead, 2004 edition, has one of the best zombie outbreak sequences I ever saw. It’s graphic, intense, and incredibly well-directed so if you’re hungry for more of the same, that movie is definitely worth revisiting. That being said, there won’t be a lot of action in Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End. Don’t get me wrong, we’ll get all the classics including a grand high-stakes finale. If I had to guess, I would say that a lot more of that awaits in the sequel. And this isn’t that type of flashy movie.

Speaking of the classics we’ll also be visiting quite a few familiar locations. If you want to visit them in real life, you pop down by Vigo, Spain where the filming of Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End took place. The Rezort, a much bloodier zombie extravaganza was shot on the Canary Islands, much closer to Africa than to Spain. To top off this diversion, I’ll add The Last of Days, another Spanish post-apocalyptic thriller, this time without zombies. The production values and especially the cinematography were excellent. I expected nothing less from the Spaniards who have this distinct visual style at this point.

Since this is more of an atmospheric and story-driven movie, there won’t be much gore or graphic violence. There will be, however, a couple of highly effective and bloody scenes. And that’s all it takes. As I already mentioned, I think that all the action is coming in the sequel. I mean, even if it doesn’t come, this is still a great zombie movie. So, get ready for almost two hours of immersive content.