Yummy is a 2019 Belgian horror film about a plastic surgery clinic filled with zombies.
Directed by Lars Damoiseaux from a screenplay co-written with Eveline Hagenbeek, based on their 2016 short Patient Zero, the movie stars Maaike Neuville, Bart Hollanders, Benjamin Ramon and Clara Cleymans.
Plot:
A young couple journey to a shabby Eastern European hospital for plastic surgery. The young woman wants a breast reduction. Her mother comes along for yet another face-lift.
Wandering through an abandoned ward the boyfriend stumbles upon a young woman, gagged and strapped to an operating table; she is the result of experimental rejuvenation treatment.
He frees her but does not realise he just caused the outbreak of a virus that will change doctors, patients and his mother-in-law into bloodthirsty zombies…
Review:
There are various social, political and sexual subtexts in Yummy, although the focus is definitely on dark comedy, gore, wild zombie action and the typically mad doctor (“I just wanted to make people happy!”) that created the problem in the first place. Meanwhile, the soundtrack is agreeably electro, the dark hospital is claustrophobic and lit in horror hues and the leading characters are well-drawn enough for us to care what happens.
Yummy doesn’t move zombie movies forward per se but it’s a stand-out stylishly and thematically when compared to soap opera brain dead fodder such as the terminally dull Walking Dead series and its offshoot. Even the (non-zombie) title tells you it’s something different and also references the ‘yummy mummies’ who seek plastic surgery in their desperation to stay young.
Adrian J Smith, MOVIES & MANIA
Other reviews:
“Yummy does not try to reinvent the zombie genre, rather it uses what we already know in its favor to secret a fun gore galore. It has a few comedy moments but never loses from perspective that it is a horror movie most and foremost. Its interesting characters and great practical effects make “Yummy” a yummy movie for gorehounds.” 10th Circle
” …too often the story coasts on clichés like struggling with euthanizing an infected loved one, a bitten person hiding his wound, and other setups that have been standard since Night of the Living Dead. Yummy doesn’t come across like a completely pointless movie made entirely of recycled materials. But with that much familiarity floating in the air, Yummy could use a sharper knife to cut out its own unique niche.” Culture Crypt
“In terms of zombie fare, Yummy feels years behind the curve. In other words, there’s nothing here that makes Damoiseaux stand apart from the rest or make it memorable in the wake of so many zombie films before. It is, however, an irreverent crowd-pleaser full viscera, entrails, nudity, and a super fun title sequence that’ll make you smile.” Bloody Disgusting
“The problem here is that this film is about 5 or 10 years late since the zombie craze really is past its peak. Nonetheless, I really really really encourage flicks like this being made in my home country, especially since it’s mainstream and highly ambitious with Belgian A-list actors, and it’s still gory as f*ck without toning it down for a big audience. Also really funny.” Eppulf
“Harmless and gloopy fun, Yummy is great for an evening’s entertainment, but fails to add enough originality to get us really excited.” The Hollywood News
” …the clever screenplay from Damoiseaux and Eveline Hagenbeek affords the director the opportunity to play with well-written dialogue and fresh gore gags. He has an obvious passion for and knowledge of zombie fare, and his expertise shows. The practical effects and makeup crew members deserve a great deal of praise for their work, because the zombies, kills, and various aftermaths all look terrific.” Horror Fuel
“While Yummy is not a genre-defining new classic or a paradigm-shifting take on the zombie genre, it is exactly what it wishes to be. It is a film that succeeds in all that it strives to do. It tells a memorable story with all the twists and turns that viewers did not know that they wanted to see. At times shocking and disgusting, Yummy is always entertaining…” Killer Horror Critic
“There are some real gory scenes in this, accompanied by some pretty fun zombie kills. Sure, the acting is over the top, complete with Belgian actors speaking English with a very bad Russian accent, the story is just an excuse for mayhem and gore and the humor doesn’t always land but Yummy works really well as a genre exercise.” Matthias Bruneel
“Despite its setting having great potential for comedy, the movie still has a rotten sense of humor that it mistakes for being dark and biting. Just like its few obvious scare moments (like inserted security camera footage), Yummy is far too lazy in setting up its gross-out gags, like the way it builds to a guy’s penis being lit on fire.” RogerEbert.com
“Seasoned horror fans who like a more serious approach and are looking for groundbreaking originality are likely to go hungry with Yummy. But for an hour and a half of thoughtless fun, this can certainly count. The film is a well-made crowdpleaser that could well do well abroad.” Shockkend Neiuws (translated from Dutch)
Choice dialogue:
Patient: “I saw a man… eating a man.”
Release:
Yummy was released in Belgium on 18th December 2019. It will be available for streaming via Shudder from June 25th 2020 onwards. You can enjoy a seven-day Shudder trial via Amazon.com
In the USA, Yummy will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on October 6, 2020.
Cast and characters:
Maaike Neuville … Alison
Bart Hollanders … Michael
Benjamin Ramon … Daniel
Clara Cleymans … Janja
Annick Christiaens … Sylvia
Eric Godon … Doctor K.
Joshua Rubin … Yonah
Taeke Nicolaï … Oksana
Tom Audenaert … William
Noureddine Farihi … Cleaner
Dimitri ‘Vegas’ Thivaios … Dodgy surgeon
Louise Bergez … Patient Zero
Stijn Van Opstal … One-eyed zombie
Isabelle van Hecke … Chemical peeling woman
Hannelore Vens … Half intestine zombie woman
Technical details:
96 minutes
