(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
Attack Of The Corn Zombies:
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“In 1969, contaminated corn causes a zombie outbreak in a small Midwest town. Isolated and surrounded, a group struggles to survive the hordes to live another day.”
Now, there’s low budget; and then there’s no budget.
The truth – so far as it truly matters – is that one need not know how much was spent on a motion picture to appreciate what it does or can do; but the prevailing evidence continues to show that when little to nothing is spent on a project the cast and crew have to understandably work much harder to convey a story worth listening to. The mechanics of world-building don’t require an investment of capital; and yet such an expenditure usually means that watchers will have it easier to seeing why a certain flick is worth their own time and effort.
Okay. This brings us to Attack Of The Corn Zombies (2023).
Corn Zombies is the – ahem – love child of Acrostar Films, an award-winning independent company out of the great American Midwest (Chicago, I believe); and – on one level – it shows. The feature is the kind of fast and loose entertainment that comes out of the bread box of the United States’ backyard; and I say this as one who grew up in the great state of Illinois myself. It may not have the Right or Left Coast spit and polish – the kind of glitz and glamor usually attributed to pictures that come from territories long held to be intellectually and artistically superior; but that doesn’t mean this nifty li’l 60+ minute Chiller isn’t worth a look.
Essentially, it’s a bare bones story about what happens when a zombie outbreak – apparently tied to consumption of a crop of corn fertilized with some all-new chemical combination – runs reasonably wild in some small backwoods town. Audiences should brace for the fact that they’re not going to be overwhelmed with hordes upon hordes of lumbering walkers hellishly devouring their friends and neighbors; instead, there’s a basic gang of rather ordinary-looking folksy types – most likely the crew of irregulars from the nearby community theater – reaching out to touch and chew their fellow men, women, and children. This isn’t high art. This isn’t anything new. It’s been done before – maybe not on this budget – but it is what it is.
That said, make-up effects are … erm … good enough to work but likely won’t be receiving any citations come awards season. Screenwriter Steve Herman – who co-directs with Ashley Hefner – posits a story of the village’s quick and sudden turn into zombified cannibalism, and he offers very little padding for things like characterization, social commentary, and visual exposition. Granted, all of this might’ve worked a bit better had all involved decided on which zombie archetype was preferred and stuck with it – the film weirdly combines the slow-marching Romero version (from his earlier efforts) along with the 28 Days Later kind that has vastly superior motor and cardio skills – but I rarely nitpick indie fare.
Tonally, Attack is a bit of a mess, though, and that may be my most brutal observation.
Attack Of The Corn Zombies:
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“In 1969, contaminated corn causes a zombie outbreak in a small Midwest town. Isolated and surrounded, a group struggles to survive the hordes to live another day.”
Now, there’s low budget; and then there’s no budget.
The truth – so far as it truly matters – is that one need not know how much was spent on a motion picture to appreciate what it does or can do; but the prevailing evidence continues to show that when little to nothing is spent on a project the cast and crew have to understandably work much harder to convey a story worth listening to. The mechanics of world-building don’t require an investment of capital; and yet such an expenditure usually means that watchers will have it easier to seeing why a certain flick is worth their own time and effort.
Okay. This brings us to Attack Of The Corn Zombies (2023).
Corn Zombies is the – ahem – love child of Acrostar Films, an award-winning independent company out of the great American Midwest (Chicago, I believe); and – on one level – it shows. The feature is the kind of fast and loose entertainment that comes out of the bread box of the United States’ backyard; and I say this as one who grew up in the great state of Illinois myself. It may not have the Right or Left Coast spit and polish – the kind of glitz and glamor usually attributed to pictures that come from territories long held to be intellectually and artistically superior; but that doesn’t mean this nifty li’l 60+ minute Chiller isn’t worth a look.
Essentially, it’s a bare bones story about what happens when a zombie outbreak – apparently tied to consumption of a crop of corn fertilized with some all-new chemical combination – runs reasonably wild in some small backwoods town. Audiences should brace for the fact that they’re not going to be overwhelmed with hordes upon hordes of lumbering walkers hellishly devouring their friends and neighbors; instead, there’s a basic gang of rather ordinary-looking folksy types – most likely the crew of irregulars from the nearby community theater – reaching out to touch and chew their fellow men, women, and children. This isn’t high art. This isn’t anything new. It’s been done before – maybe not on this budget – but it is what it is.
That said, make-up effects are … erm … good enough to work but likely won’t be receiving any citations come awards season. Screenwriter Steve Herman – who co-directs with Ashley Hefner – posits a story of the village’s quick and sudden turn into zombified cannibalism, and he offers very little padding for things like characterization, social commentary, and visual exposition. Granted, all of this might’ve worked a bit better had all involved decided on which zombie archetype was preferred and stuck with it – the film weirdly combines the slow-marching Romero version (from his earlier efforts) along with the 28 Days Later kind that has vastly superior motor and cardio skills – but I rarely nitpick indie fare.
Tonally, Attack is a bit of a mess, though, and that may be my most brutal observation.
Setting the tale as he did in the last 1960’s, I suspect Herman was attempting an homage (or sorts) to the aforementioned Romero who signature Horror picture – Night Of The Living Dead – first terrified audiences in 1968. Going so far as to give his key actors and actresses clothes and – ahem – hairstyles and/or wigs to constantly remind viewers that these were kinder, simpler days ends up giving the entire piece a comic underlay. Given that I’ve seen nowhere that Attack was intended as a Horror/Comedy though very much feels (at least to this viewer) as if I wasn’t supposed to take it seriously in any respect tells me what was sought and what was delivered is out of sync.
Frankly, I would’ve gone and stuck with the humor as – given the budgetary restrictions – I think even greater laughs could’ve elevated this one beyond feeling like a bargain basement DVD effort to the level of maybe a regional Cult(ish) surprise. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it otherwise, except the blatantly obvious inexpensive veneer. The onscreen talent stayed in character – so far as it mattered – even with some barbs and quips that needed greater distinction. Sure, it ain’t Hollywood … but it never tries to be anything greater than what it is.
Disagree if you like, but I’ve always said there’s some nobility in that.
Plus, young Magdalena Conway steals every scene she’s in. Having married my Midwestern sweetheart, I’m a sucker for one every time I see ‘em.
Return Of The Corn Zombies (2025):
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“In a world ravaged by a corn virus that creates zombies, a band of survivors embarks on a perilous journey. Their destination: Homestead, a sanctuary that promises safety amidst the chaos. As they battle the undead, hope drives forward.”
As a sequel to 2023’s Attack Of The Corn Zombies, Return is a vastly, vastly, VASTLY different film. Naturally, there’s good and bad with that. Given the kinda/sorta goofy and off the beaten path appeal of the original, I went in expecting something different than the overlong, dry, retread of storylines already brought to life on AMC’s The Walking Dead which this film seems to be recreating. Why? Why go all-in in what seems both a new direction from the predecessor as well as thematically copy what’s been done before – if not to death (pardon the pun) – in zombie pictures? It just seems like a big miss.
While not perfectly spelled out, the sense here is that Return is set in the same universe a good number of years after Attack; and there are no crossover characters. (That makes sense given the survival rate of the first, but I digress …) There are some crossover talent – in different roles as well as likely behind-the-scenes – so perhaps it’s better to think as the two films as spiritually-related as opposed to direct sequels if that kind of thing matters to you. (I know it does to me, and that’s the only reason I bring it up.) But tonally these pictures are worlds apart.
Return is far more the old-fashioned tale of survival story that creeps its way into perhaps every traditional undead flick. It’s written for and about those who come after the Apocalypse happens, and the leftovers – the good, the bad, and the ugly – aren’t so much picking up the pieces of civilization as they’re left to scavenge what’s usable amongst them. With small towns being rural enclaves on the outskirts of what passes for livable humanity, there isn’t much; and that’s the central force this crew is up against. Because we’ve seen all of these prototypes before, there’s just no freshness to any of it.
In fact, I’d honestly argue that Return – while a more interesting story – could’ve stood up on its own two feet by making its band of travelers grubbier. Everything is far too neat and clean in here, and there’s no functioning aesthetic which makes audiences believe that civilization has come and fallen … other than the fact that we’re basically told such is the case. This kind of exposition – even when delivered softly as it is here – just never works unless the visuals convince us of what’s to be expected. It never does – nor do the performers really distinguish themselves – and it’s the lesser picture despite being more serious than the original.
Frankly, I would’ve gone and stuck with the humor as – given the budgetary restrictions – I think even greater laughs could’ve elevated this one beyond feeling like a bargain basement DVD effort to the level of maybe a regional Cult(ish) surprise. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it otherwise, except the blatantly obvious inexpensive veneer. The onscreen talent stayed in character – so far as it mattered – even with some barbs and quips that needed greater distinction. Sure, it ain’t Hollywood … but it never tries to be anything greater than what it is.
Disagree if you like, but I’ve always said there’s some nobility in that.
Plus, young Magdalena Conway steals every scene she’s in. Having married my Midwestern sweetheart, I’m a sucker for one every time I see ‘em.
Return Of The Corn Zombies (2025):
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“In a world ravaged by a corn virus that creates zombies, a band of survivors embarks on a perilous journey. Their destination: Homestead, a sanctuary that promises safety amidst the chaos. As they battle the undead, hope drives forward.”
As a sequel to 2023’s Attack Of The Corn Zombies, Return is a vastly, vastly, VASTLY different film. Naturally, there’s good and bad with that. Given the kinda/sorta goofy and off the beaten path appeal of the original, I went in expecting something different than the overlong, dry, retread of storylines already brought to life on AMC’s The Walking Dead which this film seems to be recreating. Why? Why go all-in in what seems both a new direction from the predecessor as well as thematically copy what’s been done before – if not to death (pardon the pun) – in zombie pictures? It just seems like a big miss.
While not perfectly spelled out, the sense here is that Return is set in the same universe a good number of years after Attack; and there are no crossover characters. (That makes sense given the survival rate of the first, but I digress …) There are some crossover talent – in different roles as well as likely behind-the-scenes – so perhaps it’s better to think as the two films as spiritually-related as opposed to direct sequels if that kind of thing matters to you. (I know it does to me, and that’s the only reason I bring it up.) But tonally these pictures are worlds apart.
Return is far more the old-fashioned tale of survival story that creeps its way into perhaps every traditional undead flick. It’s written for and about those who come after the Apocalypse happens, and the leftovers – the good, the bad, and the ugly – aren’t so much picking up the pieces of civilization as they’re left to scavenge what’s usable amongst them. With small towns being rural enclaves on the outskirts of what passes for livable humanity, there isn’t much; and that’s the central force this crew is up against. Because we’ve seen all of these prototypes before, there’s just no freshness to any of it.
In fact, I’d honestly argue that Return – while a more interesting story – could’ve stood up on its own two feet by making its band of travelers grubbier. Everything is far too neat and clean in here, and there’s no functioning aesthetic which makes audiences believe that civilization has come and fallen … other than the fact that we’re basically told such is the case. This kind of exposition – even when delivered softly as it is here – just never works unless the visuals convince us of what’s to be expected. It never does – nor do the performers really distinguish themselves – and it’s the lesser picture despite being more serious than the original.
Attack Of The Corn Zombies (2023) was produced by Acrostar Films. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Bayview Entertainment. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can still assure you that one probably couldn’t have a budget lower – except for wigwear. A great deal of the action both looks and sounds like the family camera was used: even though that may not have been the case, there’s really no escaping that milieu. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Sadly, there ain’t a one!
Return Of The Corn Zombies (2025) was produced by Acrostar Films and Stag Mountain Films. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Bayview Entertainment. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can attest that Return both looks and sounds better than the original. I’m thinking that as this one is credited as being a co-production that perhaps better equipment was available (???). Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Again, there ain’t a one!
Alas … only Mildly Recommended.
As I’ve written before about my affinity for indie filmmaking, I’ve no problem saying that neither Attack Of The Corn Zombies (2023) or Return Of The Corn Zombies (2025) approach the level of quality most living and breathing folks expect from their pictures; and yet I still found some modest entertainment in both of them. Folks scrolling through their preferred streaming platform queues might stumble and them and give them a chance, but – gasp! – ordinary folks might be taken aback by just how dispensable so much of them remain. Regardless, I’ve no doubt that amongst those who made these offtrack chillers that they’re held in respectably high esteem. Though they’ll likely always lack real breakout potential, I’ll still give praise – and reflective criticism, good and bad – for the effort being expended. These are not for everyone … but fans of real indie fare might take a shine to ‘em.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Bayview Entertainment (via Allied Vaughn) provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Zombie Double Feature (2023’s Attack Of The Corn Zombies & 2025’s Return Of The Corn Zombies) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Return Of The Corn Zombies (2025) was produced by Acrostar Films and Stag Mountain Films. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Bayview Entertainment. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can attest that Return both looks and sounds better than the original. I’m thinking that as this one is credited as being a co-production that perhaps better equipment was available (???). Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Again, there ain’t a one!
Alas … only Mildly Recommended.
As I’ve written before about my affinity for indie filmmaking, I’ve no problem saying that neither Attack Of The Corn Zombies (2023) or Return Of The Corn Zombies (2025) approach the level of quality most living and breathing folks expect from their pictures; and yet I still found some modest entertainment in both of them. Folks scrolling through their preferred streaming platform queues might stumble and them and give them a chance, but – gasp! – ordinary folks might be taken aback by just how dispensable so much of them remain. Regardless, I’ve no doubt that amongst those who made these offtrack chillers that they’re held in respectably high esteem. Though they’ll likely always lack real breakout potential, I’ll still give praise – and reflective criticism, good and bad – for the effort being expended. These are not for everyone … but fans of real indie fare might take a shine to ‘em.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Bayview Entertainment (via Allied Vaughn) provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Zombie Double Feature (2023’s Attack Of The Corn Zombies & 2025’s Return Of The Corn Zombies) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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