2000s Zombie War Horror Movie Is An Overlooked Gem, Stream Without Netflix
As the Western powers moved into the 20th century, the mechanization of warfare was accelerated like never before in history. Tanks, machine guns, and chemical warfare were but a few new lethal technologies that were eventually used in WWI between the Allied forces and the Central Powers and again when the Axis Powers attempted to unify all of Europe under Adolf Hitler.
Horrors of War, an overlooked grindhouse horror gem from the 2000s, imagines what would have happened had Hitler been able to use a different kind of weapon in the final years of WWII.
What If Hitler Had Zombies?
Horrors of War follows a platoon of Allied WWII soldiers who are behind German lines in the later years of the war. The Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S.) sent them there to uncover a set of secret weapons that Hitler had begun using against invading forces. In great B-horror fashion, the new weapon that Nazi leaders are pushing are legions of werewolves and zombies that present themselves as an indestructible force.
Gritty And Gruesome On A Budget
Horrors of War‘s ability to reimagine the brutality of the Nazi regime as aided by fictitious monsters is executed masterfully. For a concept that reads with a high level of absurdity on paper, the film’s cinematography and direction combine with the well-chosen settings to make a fantastic concept appear as real as humanly possible.
Inventive Battle Sequences
Some of the battle sequences are filmed in a way that makes them feel like they are from the camera of an embedded journalist rather than through the lens of a filmmaker. This technique lends a bit of realism, giving the audience the sensation that they might be watching a newsreel instead of a scene from a B-movie.
The Director Was Ambitious
The score, grainy flashback footage, and on-par monster makeup give the drive-in feel to an audience from the comfort of their homes. These were difficult to accomplish given the extremely low budget. In an exclusive interview with Horror of War director Peter John Ross, the man behind the film discussed the challenges this presented with Giant Freakin Robot and how it was overcome.
“As an indie filmmaker with a low budget, you’re supposed to use limited cast, fewer locations, etc. We decided to do a period piece with hundreds of extras, a sci-fi World War II Nazi zombie/werewolf movie and shoot in dozens of locations.” Clearly, Ross wasn’t afraid to go against convention when seated at the helm of Horrors of War and was successful in stretching the budget to new levels and yielding a finished product that presents itself as a film far above its production dollars.
Ross, a lifelong fan of B-movies, wanted Horrors of War to “be an homage to the movies we grew up with.” Since the release of Horrors of War in 2006, Ross has pivoted away from grindhouse horror and has served as director of the upcoming documentary Social Media Monster.
Streaming For Free
REVIEW SCORE
To rate Horrors of War properly, it’s important to compare it to others of the same type. Grindhouse films lack the budget, acting, and access to many of the tools that make for great cinema but can still have intriguing storylines and masterful cinematography. A proper Grindhouse film will rivet the audiences to their seats at the start and use excessive violence (and often nudity) and sinister twists to keep them there.
You can stream Horrors of War for free with Tubi.
