Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End (2024) Movie Review: A Fresh Yet Familiar Zombie Survival Tale

In the ever-expanding world of zombie cinema, Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End (2024) arrives as a Spanish-language thriller that blends gritty survival drama with a touch of heart—courtesy of a grumpy cat named Lúculo. Directed by Carles Torrens and adapted from Manel Loureiro’s popular novel by screenwriter Ángel Agudo, this film premiered at the Sitges Film Festival on October 5, 2024, before landing on Prime Video just in time for Halloween. Starring Francisco Ortiz as the isolated protagonist Manel, it’s a slow-burn journey through a collapsing world that’s as much about emotional resilience as it is about outrunning the infected. With a 66% critics’ score and 70% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Apocalypse Z has carved a respectable niche among 2024’s horror offerings. But does it truly stand out in a crowded genre? Let’s unpack its strengths, flaws, and everything in between.

Plot Overview: A Man, His Cat, and a Rabid World

The story opens with Manel (Francisco Ortiz), a lawyer still reeling from his wife Julia’s death in a car accident a year prior. Living in near-seclusion on Spain’s Galician coast with his cat Lúculo, Manel’s life is quiet—until a rabies-like virus, dubbed the TSJ virus, begins sweeping across Europe. News reports echo the early days of COVID-19 (a deliberate nod), with panic buying, lockdowns, and evacuations unfolding in real time. Manel’s sister Belén (Marta Poveda) urges him to join her family on a flight to the Canary Islands, but when a mutant strain turns the infected into fast, ferocious creatures, flights are grounded, and chaos erupts.

What follows is Manel’s evolution from a grieving hermit to a reluctant survivor. Initially, he barricades himself at home, scavenging his upscale neighborhood as society crumbles. But dwindling supplies and a desperate need to reunite with his family force him—and Lúculo—out into the wild. Along the way, he encounters a colorful cast: an elderly neighbor (María Salgueiro), a Ukrainian helicopter pilot named Pritchenko (José María Yazpik), and a fierce survivor, Lucía (Berta Vázquez). Their journey takes them through zombie-infested forests, abandoned towns, and a tense standoff with cannibalistic pirates led by the unhinged Captain Ushakov (Yuri Mikhaylychenko). The film builds to a cliffhanger ending that’s both grim and hopeful, teasing a sequel based on Loureiro’s trilogy (Dark Days and The Wrath of the Just are still to come).

Francisco Ortiz as Manel: A Relatable Everyman

Francisco Ortiz anchors Apocalypse Z with a performance that’s understated yet magnetic. As Manel, he’s not a hardened action hero but a regular guy thrust into extraordinary circumstances. Ortiz nails the quiet despair of a widower who’s lost his moorings—his early scenes, tinkering with solar panels or watching the world unravel on TV, feel achingly real. When the outbreak hits, his resourcefulness shines: crafting a makeshift security system, learning zombie survival tips from YouTube, and risking it all for a can of tuna to feed Lúculo. It’s this grounded humanity that makes you root for him, even when his decisions—like lingering too long in a zombie-riddled house—teeter on the edge of frustrating.

A standout moment comes midway through, when Manel shares a tender exchange with his elderly neighbor, Sor Cecilia. Their makeshift alliance, born of mutual loneliness, adds a layer of warmth to the carnage. Ortiz’s chemistry with the cat, Lúculo, is another highlight—every tense escape or quiet cuddle underscores their bond, making the feline a fan-favorite co-star. By the time Manel’s dirt bike chase through the woods ramps up the action, Ortiz has fully transformed him into a scrappy survivor you can’t help but cheer for.

Supporting Cast: Hits and Misses

The ensemble around Ortiz is a mixed bag, but when it works, it elevates the film. Berta Vázquez brings grit and vulnerability to Lucía, a no-nonsense survivor who joins Manel’s quest. Her backstory—hinted at but never overexplained—adds intrigue, and her action scenes pack a punch. José María Yazpik’s Pritchenko is a scene-stealer, his dry humor and piloting skills injecting much-needed levity into the third act. The pirate captain Ushakov, played with wild-eyed menace by Yuri Mikhaylychenko, is a brief but memorable jolt of chaos, complete with a zombified baby that’s equal parts creepy and absurd.

Less successful are some of the smaller roles. Sor Cecilia (María Salgueiro) charms early on, but her arc feels truncated, while Manel’s sister Belén and her family are more plot devices than fully fleshed-out characters. Still, the cast’s chemistry carries the film through its slower patches, making the human connections feel worth fighting for.

Carles Torrens’ Direction: Atmosphere Over Innovation

Carles Torrens, known for Pet and segments of ABCs of Death 2.5, brings a steady hand to Apocalypse Z. His direction leans heavily on atmosphere, capturing the eerie stillness of a world mid-collapse. The Galician landscapes—rugged coasts, misty forests—are characters in their own right, shot with a muted palette that mirrors Manel’s bleak outlook. Practical effects shine in the zombie design: these aren’t shambling corpses but rabid, sprinting beasts reminiscent of 28 Days Later or World War Z. Their barking howls and frenzied attacks deliver genuine tension, especially in a heart-pounding dirt bike sequence.

Torrens excels in the film’s quieter moments—Manel fortifying his home, the flicker of news broadcasts, the hum of isolation. These beats ground the story in a post-COVID reality, making the descent into chaos feel plausible. But when the action ramps up, his pacing falters. The 112-minute runtime drags in the middle, with detours (like the pirate subplot) that feel more like padding than plot. The third act’s helicopter escape and cliffhanger finale are thrilling but rushed, leaving some threads—like the virus’s origin—dangling. It’s clear Torrens is setting up a franchise, but at times, it sacrifices standalone satisfaction.

Themes: Survival, Loss, and a Feline Lifeline

Apocalypse Z isn’t here to reinvent the zombie wheel—it’s a survival tale with familiar beats, spiced with a Spanish twist. At its heart is Manel’s journey through grief, mirrored by a world mourning its own collapse. His wife’s death haunts him, yet it’s rarely heavy-handed; instead, it fuels his stubborn will to live, even when all seems lost. The film nods to COVID-19 explicitly—news anchors mention it, characters wear masks—tying its outbreak to a shared cultural memory. This realism amplifies the stakes, making Manel’s scavenging runs and close calls hit harder.

Then there’s Lúculo, the cat who’s more than comic relief. He’s Manel’s tether to humanity, a reason to keep going when despair looms. Their bond resonates with pet lovers, turning a standard trope (the loyal animal companion) into something genuinely moving. Broader themes—trust in a lawless world, the fragility of civilization—echo louder in 2025, where pandemics and societal fractures still linger in the collective psyche. It’s not subtle, but it’s effective.

How It Stacks Up in 2024’s Zombie Landscape