It didn’t take long for one of Prime Video’s most anticipated movies of the year to find success on streaming. Released on Oct. 30, the military action thriller serves as a sequel to one of Amazon’s biggest hits ever, so it’s no surprise that it has quickly become the most popular movie on the platform, even if critics haven’t been kind to it.
Prime Video’s Latest Hit Combines Military-Style Action With Zombie Horror
Set in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by zombie-like creatures, Apocalypse Z: New World draws its inspiration from Manel Loureiro’s popular novel series. However, where the first movie, Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End, was a character-driven story about one man’s attempt to survive, the sequel adopts a more ensemble-driven approach, making it feel bigger, bolder, and definitely more action-heavy.
Set six months after the events of the first movie, Apocalypse Z: New World finds the survivors living in the Canary Islands, which have become one of Europe’s last remaining safe havens. However, with supplies running low, a special expedition is organized to travel to the mainland in search of resources.
Joining the mission is Roberto, a man whose questionable motivations threaten to complicate an already dangerous situation. As such, it isn’t long before the military-style operation turns into a desperate fight for survival as the group encounters massive hordes of infected and growing tensions among its own members.
Jam-packed with intense firefights, desperate rescue missions, and enormous hordes of fast-moving infected, Apocalypse Z: New World has managed to take Prime Video by storm. After just a couple of days, it has officially claimed the No. 1 spot on both the U.S. and global Top 10 charts, solidifying its status as a streaming smash.
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Is ‘Apocalypse Z: New World’ a Sequel Worthy of the Original?
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Featuring the return of José María Yázpik as Pritchenko, Berta Vázquez as Lucía, and everyone’s favorite cat, Lúculo, Apocalypse Z: New World also stars Carlos Alcaide as Roberto. Clocking in at almost two hours, the film may not feel as intimate as its predecessor, but what it lacks in depth it more than makes up for in action.
However, while that might be enough for some people, New World hasn’t been everyone’s cup of tea. Though the film doesn’t have enough reviews to give it a score on Rotten Tomatoes, the ones it does have from critics go so far as to call it “boring.” It’s only positive review comes from Miguel Ángel Romero of Cinemania, who writes:
“Apocalypse Z: New World expands its scale with larger hordes of zombies and greater technical complexity thanks to its masterful practical effects and the use of multiple camera crews and drones.”
Audience reviews for the film have also been mixed, as Apocalypse Z: New World has been called by viewers everything from “derivative” to “a really cool zombie movie.” One user noted that although it is a foreign film, they were “fully engaged from beginning to end.”
As of right now, there’s no word on if the franchise will continue beyond a second movie, but there’s no shortage of source material to draw from. Loureiro’s novel series spans three books, so the potential is definitely there for more. As we wait to find out what comes next, be sure to stream both Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End and New World on Prime Video.
Release Date
October 4, 2024
Runtime
119 minutes
Director
Carles Torrens
Writers
Ángel Agudo
Producers
Adrián Guerra
José María Yázpik
Pritchenko
