Fantasia Review: Black Zombie Explores the Psychology, Spirituality, and Heritage of a Horror Touchstone

July 30, 2026 - 16:33

Maya Annik Bedward's "Black Zombie" does more than just take back the zombie from the automatic panic George A. Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" set off. It works to reclaim Vodou itself from the old colonial scare tactics that used it to paint Black people everywhere as a threat. In 2026, it is still a fact that many Haitians are careful about admitting their ties to the tradition, and this film stares directly at that tension.

The movie moves past the simple shambling monster. It looks at the psychology of the person behind the myth, the spiritual weight of the practice, and the deep heritage that Hollywood has often twisted. Bedward uses the horror genre as a tool to explore real trauma and the fight to hold onto identity. The result is a thoughtful piece that asks the audience to unlearn what they think they know. It is a study of how fear gets used to control a culture, and a strong statement on taking that story back.