“When the dead come for you, there’s no place left to run.”

Most zombie films tend to be average at best, often falling into outright mediocrity. Because this subgenre is relatively easy to create, many aspiring filmmakers believe they can produce the next standout hit with just an HD camera, a modest budget, and a cast drawn from friends and family. Naturally, this formula has led most zombie movies to occupy the low end of the horror genre in terms of quality. However, every so often, a truly exceptional film emerges. Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead became an instant classic by blending horror with comedy, and Zack Snyder’s remake of Romero’s Dawn of the Dead delivered intense, action-packed thrills.

The 2009 French horror film La Horde—directed by Benjamin Rocher and Yannick Dahan—leans toward Snyder’s style. It strips away societal commentary, opting instead for raw action and relentless gore. This might suggest a mindless movie, but La Horde proves to be as engaging and nihilistic as Snyder’s film, perhaps even more so by its conclusion.

The directors spare no time on exposition, diving straight into the plot. The story follows a group of French police officers—most likely narcotics agents—who plan to take revenge on a Nigerian crime lord responsible for killing one of their own. Their chosen battlefield is a dilapidated high-rise apartment complex in a crime-infested district of Paris. However, their operation quickly unravels when the ambush goes disastrously wrong. What begins as a gritty crime thriller transforms abruptly into an apocalyptic battle for survival, as the police and rival gang members are forced to join forces against a sudden zombie outbreak sweeping through Paris and possibly beyond.

Once the zombies arrive, the film shifts into high gear. The action and gore come fast and furious, skillfully choreographed and unflinching. Secondary characters are swiftly dispatched, leaving only the most capable to fight their way through a tenement overrun by fast, aggressive zombies akin to those in Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead or Boyle’s 28 Days Later. Though some purists might balk at sprinting zombies, they fit perfectly with the film’s frantic pace. Notably, the film does not attempt to explain the outbreak’s origin, leaving audiences as disoriented as the characters, glimpsing only fragmented news reports for context.

The remainder of the film is an intense descent through the building, with the survivors battling floor by floor in search of an exit and safety at a nearby military base. Choosing characters familiar with violence—cops, criminals, and a hardened local survivor—grounds their fierce will to survive in realism. Even the lone resident they encounter brings useful skills born from a violent past.

While La Horde does not offer complex character development, its finely tuned action scenes keep the audience fully engaged, masking the story’s simplicity. By the film’s end, viewers are likely to forgive any flaws, having been thoroughly entertained. A few characters, such as the composed officer Oussme (Jean-Pierre Martins) and the crime lord Markudi (Eriq Ebouaney), achieve extra depth, but most are archetypes serving the survival narrative. Still, this works well given the film’s focus on high-stakes survival.

Though La Horde never secured a major U.S. release, it gained attention on the international genre festival circuit starting in 2010. While it may primarily appeal to zombie and horror aficionados, it also offers plenty for action fans. Its brutal, relentless energy earns it a strong recommendation as an exhilarating experience from start to finish.