Cinematography of Army of the Dead (2021)

Army of the Dead has hit Netflix and now I feel like it's free range to discuss everything! 

First things first, here's my non spoiler review!

Next, my Spoiler Talk!

Now let's get to the shots. Firstly, I LOVE how the movie was photographed. The blurred background gives a dream like mirage feeling that's not only fitting for the desert setting, but also the time loop theories out there; And no, those theories are not a stretch (see video at the bottom).

Did you spot the UFO lights??

Some people weren't a fan of this but imo, it makes every frame of the film interesting. I just don't think this shot would look as cool had the depth been different. 

I love when a frame has enough detail to craft a story from it. This looks like utter chaos and the view let's you know there's ALOT more coming. 

The silhouette of nightmares. I don't think this is something you ever wanna be on the other side of. Another shot that is heavily effected by depth perception. 

This was released in a promo shot but just that idea of zombies consciously overlooking a city to attack is terrifying. Not to mention this is a beautiful shot.

Another promo shot but man does it tell a story after you watched the movie. This is Zeus' first look at the building he made Zombie headquarters. It's also where he got his clothing inspiration and weapon of choice. Also love how the perspective switches once he's over ran Vegas.

What a shot. Again, great Cinematography tells a story in a single frame. I love how chaotic this still shot looks. Incredible blocking to create a mood. 

These shots here smh so f***ing genius. The mind of Zack to have these in the film and placed where they are, is brilliant. I really dig this because it let's us know, these are regular people who HAD to step up and fight. They became soldiers because of the zombie apocalypse. The artsy nerd in me gushed at these shots.

Another promo shot but it's such a good one. Small aesthetic choices can make scenes look drastically different. The smoke could've been the typical white or gray color but they made the sequence pop just by making it purple.

Just a great shot to remind you of the setting. I like how the scene is lit personally.

The framing and silhouettes give me a comic panel vibe. When I look at this shot, I see, "back down the rabbit's hole," or, "back into the darkness," because of how much of the screen the shadows overtake.

These are the, "Tig is a cool mfer," shots. Especially the one in front of the helicopter.

Another promo shot but I still love it. Could be me but the sun also looks alot like the explosion a nuke creates. 

This entire introduction creeped me out but what I love is how heroic and mythical the Alphas feel in this movie. The Queen is damn near doing a spiderman pose. 

Another one that feels heroic. Zeus is pretty much the Batman of the zombie world. The idea of a zombie staring down on you is terrifying in it's own right. 

HARDEST introduction to a zombie ever! The tarp flap to reveal him is so 🔥🔥🔥. It looks way better in motion but had to show it love.

Sometimes, the best way to get a great shot in a natural light, is to frame it fantastically with your blocking. I'm sure there were slight lighting manipulations here but it doesn't look like alot was contributed.

Talk about hardcore. A zombie in a bulletproof helmet is metal af but also scary because he's well aware of how his species is killed. It makes me wonder how much harder it would be to deal with the Alphas if they ALL had these helmets. 😬😬😬😬😬

The Alpha and The Omega. Pretty straightforward but I like how the scene is lit.

Another promo shot that works better in motion but again, had to show it love. When the score kicks in and the guns start blazing in slow motion, it is such an immersive moment of the film.

Zack really put a Zombie in a Gotdamn cape and it is 🔥🔥🔥. Never thought I'd ever see zombies placed in a heroic view like this. Solo or with the squad, you can't escape.

The dream lens works so good here. It really adds to the haze she's in after the crash. The movie feels totally different at this moment.

This gives me big se7en vibes and yes I know countless other films have framed a shot like this but se7en did it the best, sue me. I just love how reminiscent it is to the death of her mother.

THIS SHOT...  THIS SHOT... OMG I almost drooled when I first saw this. I don't even need to explain how gorgeous this is! The vfx are impeccable but even without them, this would look beautiful. 

This just looks cool to me and raises SO MANY question. I'm not sure if a post apocalyptic world is what Zack is going for in sequels but I can definitely see him using this look of infinite darkness. 

So these are all my favorite shots from Army of the Dead. Please Excuse the quality because I know they aren't super HD. I took screenshots while watching the movie and I wasn't on WiFi. Anyway, what were your favorite shots? You have any outside of these? 

Also, I was able to speak with Zack and ask him a theory about the movie. Check that out below and thank you for reading/watching!