Handling the Undead

R

Released May 31

1h 37m

Horror

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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for

List

75%

Tomatometer

80 Reviews

48%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

On a hot summer day in Oslo, the dead mysteriously awaken, and three families are thrown into chaos when their deceased loved ones come back to them. Who are they, and what do they want? A family is faced with the mother's reawakening before they have even mourned her death after a car accident; an elderly woman gets the love of her life back the same day she has buried her; a grandfather rescues his grandchild from the gravesite in a desperate attempt to get his daughter out of her depression. Handling the Undead is a drama with elements of horror about three families, a story about grief and loss, but also about hope and understanding of what we can't comprehend or control.

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Critics Consensus

A grounded zombie picture with emotional bite, Handling the Undead shuffles along at a patient pace but succeeds as a poignant and thoughtful addition to the genre.

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Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

Hvistendahl treats the audience with respect, her and Lindqvist’s reworking of the latter’s source material respectful, intelligent, and overflowing in empathy.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jun 9, 2024

Full Review

Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

Composer Peter Raeburn’s beautifully sad soundtrack along with Pål Ulvik Rokseth’s cinematography contribute to creating a tragic mood that’s hard to let go of after the film’s sad conclusion.

Rated: 3/4

Jun 6, 2024

Full Review

Brent Simon

AV Club

The cooking comparison for Handling the Undead would be a sauce that’s broken, its elements having separated. There’s a genuine sense of lived-in sadness here, but this would-be elegy doesn't offer quite enough mesmeric insights to justify its somberness.

Rated: C-

Jun 6, 2024

Full Review

Rich Cline

Shadows on the Wall

The downbeat tone means that this isn't an easy film to watch, and it holds its nerve by never offering much hope.

Rated: 3.5/5

Sep 17, 2024

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

An uneasy and somber atmospheric zombie tale on grief.

Rated: B+

Aug 23, 2024

Full Review

David Griffiths

Subculture Entertainment

Slow at times but a real game-changer in the genre. You don't normally associate a zombie film being thought-provoking and an emotional ride.

Rated: 3.5/5

Aug 17, 2024

Full Review

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Cain M

Really great. Thought provoking. Wonderful acting and directing.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/09/24

Full Review

Audience Member

If there was an Oscar category for the most boring zombie movie ever, this one would win by a landslide. I would rather watch paint dry. If you suffer from insomnia, watch this movie and you'll be cured.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

10/01/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Calling this a horror movie is being very generous with the term “horror”. The director expects us to form an emotional connection with characters that don’t speak and sit in silence over lo by drawn out shots. If you like 30 second shots of people brushing their teeth, drinking wine, or boarding a train I’m sure you’ll enjoy it this very artsy self obsessed film. For everyone else watch the last 20 minutes, you won’t miss anything and you’ll have saved yourself 70 minutes of nonsense.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

10/01/24

Full Review

Audience Member

This deliberately slow paced zombie film is like nothing seen before. More focused on grief and compassion for the families left behind. Artfully crafted! Highly recommend!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/25/24

Full Review

Michael S

This is an extremely morbid movie. Very little dialogue and long shots of a bleak, depressing Oslo. The acting was top notch and the players succeed in showing what depression looks like. It was hard to watch the reanimated corpses as the minimalistic fx were a little too realistic. If the director was looking to create a cold, bleak movie, they succeded.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/25/24

Full Review

Horror fan 4

This is a slow starting movie with very little dialogue. If it wasn't for the third act this would've been a 1/10. Tim Treakle

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/22/24

Full Review

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Thea Hvistendahl

Director

Renate Reinsve

Anna

Anders Danielsen Lie

David

Bjørn Sundquist

Mahler

Bente Børsum

Tora

Bahar Pars

Eva

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Synopsis

On a hot summer day in Oslo, the dead mysteriously awaken, and three families are thrown into chaos when their deceased loved ones come back to them. Who are they, and what do they want? A family is faced with the mother's reawakening before they have even mourned her death after a car accident; an elderly woman gets the love of her life back the same day she has buried her; a grandfather rescues his grandchild from the gravesite in a desperate attempt to get his daughter out of her depression. Handling the Undead is a drama with elements of horror about three families, a story about grief and loss, but also about hope and understanding of what we can't comprehend or control.

Director: Thea Hvistendahl
Producer: Kristin Emblem, Guri Neby
Screenwriter: John Ajvide Lindqvist, Thea Hvistendahl
Distributor: NEON
Production Co: Einar Film
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Norwegian
Release Date (Theaters): May 31, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 18, 2024
Box Office (Gross USA): $19.7K
Runtime: 1h 37m

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