‘It’s the end of the world… and James feels meh.’
As We Know It is a 2023 American romantic comedy horror set in the ’90s. Slacker James Bishop is dealing with a complicated breakup with the help of his best friend while trying to finish his book before the impending zombie apocalypse.
Directed and co-produced by Josh Monkarsh from a screenplay co-written with Brandon DePaolo and Christopher Francis. Also produced by Daniel Cummings, Joshua Fruehling and K. Asher Levin.
The Buffalo 8-Traffic City Productions movie stars Taylor Blackwell, Mike Castle, Oliver Cooper, Pam Grier, Danny Mondello and Chris Parnell.
Reviews:
“While Chris Parnell and Pam Grier appear on the poster art like they are core characters, each is only onscreen for maybe five minutes […] Ultimately, As We Know It isn’t a terrible film. But it doesn’t do any one thing particularly well. The slow pace and lack of zombie action or quality comedy make this effort an unfulfilling viewing experience.” ★★ Dread Central
“The film is kind of a 90s American slacker reworking of Shaun of the Dead, with a tone similar to Jim Jarmusch’s The Dead Don’t Die, but without some of the film’s more bizarre moments. A fun and mildly funny trip down memory lane with some likable characters who take center stage over the zombies. Monkarsh does a nice job with the material…” Fears magazine
” …As We Know It serves up a poignant and humorous look at love and friendship against a backdrop of a zombie outbreak. If that sounds appealing and low-key humor with a few dashes of 90s nostalgia are your thing, you’ll be just fine checking this out.” The Good, the Bad and the Verdict
” …the talented cast holds your attention throughout. As We Know It is a highly enjoyable comedy that treads lightly on the horror elements, making it accessible to a broader audience. It’s akin to watching a fantastic skit show like SNL parodying a zombie film, and that’s precisely the vibe As We Know It exudes.” ★★ Horror Movies Uncut
“In some ways, As We Know It definitely feels like a throwback to the 1990s. Had it been released back then, it would have garnered a monster cult following. However, anyone who saw a half dozen or so of the zombie comedies that came out post-Walking Dead will find pleasant, but somewhat familiar.” J.B. Spins
“The pace moves briskly, the zombie make-up looks believable enough, and the violence/gore is kept at a minimum without becoming excessive or trying to shock the audience. At a running time of 1 hour and 24 minutes, As We Know It is a delightfully zany, funny and witty zombie comedy.” The NYC Movie Guru
“By humanizing the humans and paying less attention to hyper-aggressive zombies, As We Know It is able to get at the most basic of horror questions. What would you REALLY do in a zombie outbreak? The question is eventually answered, but not before a silly ending that rivals the equally silly premise. ” The Scariest Things
” …more than a zombie comedy this is a character comedy, as the undead decidedly take a backseat in this one as the film concentrates much more on the interplay of its three protagonists, giving each their own arc in the process – and thanks to clever writing and poignant dialogue this approach works very well.” Search My Trash
” …I found As We Know It (2023) highly infectious. It properly hits many of the comic beats of like-minded fare (i.e. regular Joes both confronting and surviving the apocalypse in their own special way), and it feels as if it could exist in the same universe as Zombieland (2009), Warm Bodies (2013), or Cooties (2014), albeit with vastly less blood and tension and with measurably more introspection.” Sci-Fi History
Trailer:
Release:
As We Know It premiered in Canada at the Pendance Film Festival on May 13, 2023. The movie was shown at the Big Apple Film Festival and Screenplay Competition, the Montreal Independent Film Festival and Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival before being given a limited theatrical release in the US on November 10, 2023,
Filming locations:
Hollywood, California
Filming dates:
July 21, 2022 – August 5, 2022
Technical specs:
1 hour 24 minutes
