Anna and the Apocalypse
A Christmas musical zombie film set in Scotland.
Anna and the Apocalypse is a 2017 British film that blends Christmas, musical, and zombie genres. John McPhail directed it, with a screenplay co-written by Alan McDonald and Ryan McHenry, based on McHenry's 2010 BAFTA-nominated short *Zombie Musical*. The cast features mostly unknown young actors, including Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Sarah Swire, Christopher Leveaux, Marli Siu, and Ben Wiggins, alongside Mark Benton and Paul Kaye. The film debuted at Fantastic Fest on 22 September 2017. It came out in the UK via Vertigo Releasing and in the US via Orion Pictures on 30 November 2018, earning generally positive reviews that praised the acting, songs, and character development.
The story takes place during Christmas in Little Haven, Scotland. Anna Shepherd, about to finish school, wants to travel for a year before university, upsetting her widowed father Tony. Her friends face their own troubles: best friend John secretly loves her, filmmaker Chris struggles with a class project, transfer student Steph tries to report on social issues despite the oppressive vice principal Mr. Savage, and Anna's one-night stand Nick complicates things. During the school Christmas show, while Anna and John work at the bowling alley and Chris and Steph film at a homeless shelter, a zombie infection begins. The next day, Anna and John head to school unaware of the chaos, and Anna decapitates a zombie snowman with a seesaw. At the school, adults including Chris's grandmother, Mr. Savage, Tony, and Lisa argue over whether to save others or lock down, with Savage prevailing after a military broadcast. Anna and John go to the bowling alley, meeting Steph and Chris. Steph learns of an army evacuation at the school, but after killing a zombified janitor, they fight off zombie bowlers and realize reaching loved ones will be hard. The next morning, they find the army has turned, so they head to school anyway. Nick and his friends rescue them from a horde, and Anna tells John she still plans to travel, implying she knows his feelings but doesn't share them. At school, Savage tries to maintain control. The students are ambushed; Nick's friends die, John is bitten and sacrifices himself to save Anna. The survivors reach school, where Savage has let zombies in. Anna and Nick search for Tony; Steph and Chris find keys but Chris and Lisa are bitten.
- Release year
- 2017
- Director
- John McPhail
- Screenwriters
- Alan McDonald and Ryan McHenry
- Based on
- Ryan McHenry's 2010 short Zombie Musical
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Genre
- Christmas musical zombie film
- Runtime
- 93 minutes (US theatrical), 97 minutes (UK theatrical), 108 minutes (director's cut)
Lore & Background
The film originated from a 2009 idea by Ryan McHenry while attending Edinburgh College of Art, inspired by High School Musical. McHenry wrote and directed the short Zombie Musical in 2010 at Dumfries High School, which won Best Producer (Short Form) at the British Academy Scotland New Talent Awards and received two additional nominations. Black Camel, a Glasgow-based production company, expressed interest in developing a feature-length film, with McHenry directing and Naysun Alae-Carew producing. McHenry co-wrote the screenplay with Alan McDonald. Development halted in 2013 when McHenry was diagnosed with osteosarcoma; after remission he returned to work, but died from cancer in May 2015. The film was dedicated to him. By 2016, John McPhail took over as director, with McDonald as sole screenwriter, though McHenry received co-writer credit. Roddy Hart was hired in 2014 to write the film's songs in collaboration with Tommy Reilly. Principal photography took place over five weeks between 16 January and 22 February 2017 in and around the Inverclyde area near Glasgow, primarily at the former St. Stephen's High School in Port Glasgow. The film was produced by Blazing Griffin Pictures, Black Camel Pictures, Parkhouse Pictures and Creative Scotland.
Reader's Guide
Anna and the Apocalypse is notable for blending the Christmas musical genre with zombie horror, a combination that earned generally positive reviews for its performances, musical numbers and characterisation. The film's development was marked by the death of co-writer Ryan McHenry from cancer two years before release, which influenced the script's tone; an initial darker draft was later revised to rediscover joy. Director John McPhail cited influences including West Side Story, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Breakfast Club, and the Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode, as well as zombie films such as Night of the Living Dead and Shaun of the Dead. The film premiered at Fantastic Fest on 22 September 2017 and had its European premiere at Sitges Film Festival on 5 October 2017. It was picked up for North and Latin American distribution by Orion Pictures and released in the US on 30 November 2018. The film debuted to $52,588 from five cinemas. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 77% approval rating based on 127 reviews. The film's soundtrack of 13 songs was released on 23 November 2018, with deleted songs available on vinyl and Blu-ray releases.
Did You Know?
- The film is based on Ryan McHenry's 2010 BAFTA-nominated short Zombie Musical.
- Ryan McHenry died from cancer in May 2015, two years before the film's release.
- The director's cut includes roughly ten minutes of footage absent from the theatrical version.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Anna and the Apocalypse?
It is a 2017 British film that fuses a Christmas-set musical with a full-blown zombie outbreak in a small Scottish town. The story centers on a high-school senior who must weigh her dream of becoming a pop star against staying to help her friends survive the undead.
Who directed and wrote Anna and the Apocalypse?
John McPhail helmed the project, and the screenplay was co-written by Alan McDonald and Ryan McHenry. The feature grew directly out of McHenry's 2010 BAFTA-nominated short called Zombie Musical.
What is the basic plot of Anna and the Apocalypse?
On Christmas Eve, a zombie plague sweeps through Anna's Scottish hometown just as she is preparing to leave for a career-making audition in London. She spends the night juggling musical-number set-pieces with helping her family and friends fight the horde, all while trying to make it to her big singing chance.
How does Anna and the Apocalypse end?
Anna stays to help her friends and family battle through the zombie attack rather than abandoning them for her audition. After the town survives the night, she still makes it to London and performs, finding that the two goals were not mutually exclusive.
Why is Anna and the Apocalypse considered a landmark in musical horror?
It proved that three very different genres—Christmas, musical, and zombie horror—could be stitched together into a single, coherent, and genuinely fun narrative. Its 2017 Fantastic Fest debut and 2018 wide release helped clear the path for a wave of genre-mashup musical-horror projects that followed.
More in Musical horror films 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced