Four teenage orphans form a kick-ass band to express their emotions and end up taking the world by storm in this visually dazzling triumph from first time director Nagahisa Makoto.
Nagahisa delivers a visual tour-de-force, careening wildly through an unimaginable array of arresting shots.
Screened as part of NZIFF 2019
We Are Little Zombies 2019
A self-described super musical adventure RPG movie, this riotous cinematic explosion from noted music video and commercial director Nagahisa Makoto draws heavily from his love for retro video games, as well as featuring the catchiest Japanese teen pop tracks since Linda Linda Linda (NZIFF06).
Four orphans meet outside a funeral home. Their parents have all suddenly died and the foursome bond over their shared lack of emotion. At 13 years old and alone in the world, they impulsively decide to run away together and form a kick-ass band. Dispassionately anointing themselves the Little Zombies, it’s not long before their addictive music takes the world by storm. “So Emo!!!” Just make sure to stick around all the way through the end credits.
“A rainbow-colored scream into the abyss, Nagahisa’s story of a quartet of orphaned tweens who start a chiptune rock band is as rigorous in its exploration of grief as it is stylistically exuberant… The film sends you out bopping along to the Little Zombies’ adorable four-on-the-floor dance-rock theme song, but also feeling as if you’ve been on a tough, honest-to-goodness journey of personal growth.” — Emily Yoshida, Vulture