As Hollywood continues to play it safe, European filmmakers are stepping up to offer genre fans much-needed sanctuary with superior films like The Orphanage, [Rec] and Let The Right One In. And now it’s the turn of French directors Dahan and Rocher to bring the continental chills, with apocalyptic zombie horror, The Horde.
When their colleague is murdered, a group of detectives seek revenge against his gangland killers. Tracking them to an abandoned tower block, bloodshed ensues, but they soon realise that there is something far worse coming over the horizon…
As with all the best horrors it’s a simple premise, and it’s executed in a fittingly exuberant, balls-to-the-wall style. That the zombies arrive without explanation, together with a claustrophobic location and shaky truce between the cops and robbers, ensures an intense atmosphere that’s peppered with some moments of suitably schlocky gore. As much a study of fear as a zombie movie, The Horde more than earns its place on the genre must-see list. 4 stars

Nikki Baughan