Doghouse is a fast-paced British horror comedy with zombies. There you go, that’s all you need to know about this movie. We will be following a group of guys who decide to spend a weekend in the countryside partying only to run into a zombie infestation. When you say the words British horror comedy with zombies you immediately think of Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead. And while that was a movie with a general appeal, Doghouse is more of a lad’s movie. The humor is edgy and at times sexist but never crosses the line into misogynistic. It never takes itself too seriously and neither should you.
It’s incredibly important to realize that the movie is actually making fun of this culture, turning it on its head. Granted, in the process of leaning into these stereotypes they might’ve handled some things clumsily. But since this is an over-the-top zombie horror comedy, I think everything can be forgiven. Especially with a cast this strong. We not only have Danny Dyer (Football Factory), but also Stephen Graham (Snatch) and Neil Maskell (Kill List). They all portray familiar characters, average men on the loose in a small town. They might talk and act big but when shit hits the fan…
Just take the scene 15 minutes in when our crew runs into a couple of dead sheep on the road. They all get out of the van and the only one who does something is Candy, the van driver. Once she starts dragging the carcasses Stephen Graham decides to help her as the only half-sensible member of the group. This is why I think comparisons to From Dusk Till Dawn are not that valid although the movies share a relatively similar structure. And you have to remember that Doghouse is also a small production punching way above its weight. It’s also action-packed as after the opening 20 minutes we will spend the rest of the time watching our gang trying to survive attack after attack.
Six friends who keep having trouble with their romantic partners decide they need a break. So, they book a holiday in the beautiful English countryside. They’re preparing for a weekend of heavy drinking, smoking, and fornication, activities they all enjoy. The small town they’re going to, Moodley, supposedly has a ratio of four women to one man. And these classy Londoners will sweep them off their feet. However, when they get there, things will start going in a completely different direction.
Despite the smaller budget, Doghouse is a movie that still looks and feels great. The practical effects were excellent and quite gruesome at times. Moreover, they were believable as the production opted to steer clear of CGI. There will be a lot of nasty scenes, disemboweled people, body parts, and other fun stuff. However, the thing I liked the most about this movie are the zombies. I don’t want to reveal too much but I think you get the picture from the screengrabs. Despite the cheeky premise and sexy zombies, the nudity here was quite subdued and tasteful. This is not one of those cheap and shlocky zombie movies using nudity as its biggest selling point.
Finally, if you’re looking for movies like Doghouse, I recommend you check out Severance. It follows a group of employees on a team building in Eastern Europe but it does not feature zombies. For that type of content, you’ll have to check out Cockneys vs Zombies.
Director: Jake West
Writer: Dan Schaffer
Cast: Danny Dyer, Stephen Graham, Noel Clarke, Terry Stone, Christina Cole, Lee Ingleby
Fun Fact: Most of the movie was shot in West Sussex, a place full of wasps that constantly harassed everybody who was involved in filming this movie.
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IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1023500/
