Fido

'œJust when you thought there was no way to spin a fresh zombie story, along comes Fido,' said Peter Travers in Rolling Stone. This strange little Canadian movie borrows plenty of zombie tropes from flicks such as Shaun of the Dead, but also satirizes 1950s conservatism in a fashion familiar from Pleasantville. Fido has an amusing premise: The zombie wars are over, and living humans have come to terms with the presence of the undead, using electric collars make zombies into obedient pets and slaves. But when housewife Helen (Carrie-Anne Moss) purchases a zombie companion named Fido for her household, it occurs to her that the lumbering monster might have more vigor than her workaholic husband. As Fido, Scottish comic actor Billy Connolly 'œgives one of the best silent performances since the advent of talking pictures,' said John Anderson in Newsday. His grunting sensitivity is heartwarming, and his latent bloodlust hilarious. Moss, too, is surprisingly good in her sly comedic role. But Fido doesn't have much to say, said Manohla Dargis in The New York Times. Sure, it skewers the placid image of the suburban nuclear family, but to what purpose? The filmmakers don't follow through on themes of slavery and sexual repression. Instead, they 'œremain content to graze and nibble, skimming the surface rather than sinking in deep.'

Rating: R