Ben Wheatley's new zombie drama for Channel 4

Pin it on the pandemic, maybe, but zombies are back in popular culture. And for his take, Ben Wheatley, the director of cult horror films such as A Field In England and Sightseers, draws upon cross-generational tensions.

When an army van carrying a mysterious toxin crashes outside Dambury care home, its inhabitants are suddenly rejuvenated, but with the slightly inconvenient side-effect of a lust for human flesh.

There are themes here about the old metaphorically bleeding the young dry, Brexit, the societal sidelining of pensioners and whether the original generation Z (the under-27s, not the zombies– are equipped for real-world crises, givien their cosseted digital lives. Not that combatting cannibalistic monsters is ‘real’ world, but you know what I mean.

Although he’s 52, Wheatley is more sympathetic to the youngsters than you might expect. Certainly the opening episode sets up a lot of problems they have to bear, such as finding money for further education and being in a blended family where a feckless stepfather has nothing but violent contempt for you. 

The pernicious effect of online life is also addressed, with Lewis Gribben’s Steff falling under the spell of conspiracy theories thanks to being in thrall to a  toxic Andrew Tate-style figure. Though the crossbow he orders off the internet under that influence is, admittedly, likely to come in handy. 

Some of this is a little slow while you’re waiting for the zombie action, and certainly more dramatic and considered than some of the advance publicity promising a darkly comic series might suggest. But when Anita Dobson’s Janine – an obnoxious figure even before she’s infected - turns murderous, the gorily black comedy ramps up, albeit in isolated scenes. The grisly fate of a cockapoo will certainly stay with you for a while.

Meanwhile, Sue Johnson’s Cecily has some pangs of conscience for her bloodlust as she leads a gang of killer pensioners through the woods.

Generation Z seems more thoughtful than many zombie offerings, as it steers clear of too many clichés of the genre, while the young side of the cast deliver convincing performances of believable characters, deeper than two-dimensional stereotypes. 

• Generation Z is on Channel 4 at 9pm tonight, while all six episodes are streaming on channel4.com. Read more about the show here.

Review date: 27 Oct 2024
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett