Day of the Dead – Episode 1 – The Thing in the Hole
I probably need to give Syfy more credit than I normally do. The network has long been associated with low-budget science fiction and horror movies of varying quality, many of which have become guilty pleasures in their own right for many. While the quality has always been debatable, Syfy has also produced some genuinely entertaining television shows over the years. Still, adapting Day of the Dead is an entirely different proposition. This isn’t just another zombie property; it’s one of George A. Romero’s most beloved horror classics. Tinkering with it is a risky endeavour, and horror fans are notoriously protective of Romero’s legacy. For many, touching Day of the Dead is like inferring it is the lesser entry in the trilogy, you might not understand why people care so much until you witness the backlash.
The Day of the Dead name has been attached to more unofficial sequels, remakes and spin-offs than most horror films deserve. Producer James Dudelson, whose previous attempts to extend Romero’s universe were often met with scorn, returns once again to the franchise. Surprisingly, this first episode represents one of the strongest efforts to wear the title. Rather than trying to recreate Romero’s 1985 masterpiece scene for scene, the series quickly establishes itself as something different, embracing a faster pace, quirky if modern humour and an ensemble cast that feels more inspired by modern horror television than classic zombie cinema.
What caught me off guard was just how watchable the opening episode is. I went in expecting a train wreck, but instead found a production with respectable production values, decent performances and enough personality to hold my attention. The cast are mostly likeable, the small-town setting works well, the practical gore effects are satisfyingly messy, and there is a genuine effort to create memorable characters before the chaos begins. It certainly isn’t prestige television, but it also isn’t the cheap cash-in I had braced myself for.
Reading through audience reactions afterwards was equally surprising. The series has earned a fairly poor reputation online, and I suspect much of that comes from viewers expecting a faithful continuation of Romero’s film. If your benchmark is the bleak military bunker atmosphere, philosophical themes and unforgettable characters of the 1985 original, then disappointment is almost inevitable. This series isn’t trying to be that film. Instead, it leans into horror-comedy territory, feeling a tad closer in tone to Ash vs Evil Dead than to Romero’s slow-burning social commentary.
One of the episode’s more intriguing ideas is the mysterious zombie kept chained beneath the town. It’s an effective hook that immediately raises questions about what has happened before the outbreak and what secrets the community might be hiding. I was surprised the episode didn’t spend more time exploring that mystery, although it’s clear the writers were more interested in building towards the inevitable bloody finale. Fortunately, that climax delivers plenty of zombie mayhem, with energetic action and some buckets of gore that should satisfy fans looking for entertainment rather than introspection.
My biggest criticism concerns the show’s very first major death. The moment feels oddly unearned, not because of the victim, but because the audience hasn’t yet been properly introduced to the zombie threat. Without enough build-up, the sequence feels slightly disconnected from everything around it. It may well make more sense as the series reveals additional information, but as an opening shock it lacks the impact it should have had.
Overall, the premiere exceeded my expectations. There are occasional signs that the production isn’t operating with the largest budget or the most experienced filmmakers, with a few awkward shots and uneven pacing creeping in. Even so, the first episode is far more polished than many critics give it credit for. Whether the series can maintain this momentum across an entire season is another question entirely, but as an opening chapter it offers enough humour, gore, mystery and surprisingly likeable characters to persuade me to keep watching.
If nothing else, Day of the Dead (2021) succeeds by refusing to spend its entire runtime chasing Romero’s shadow. That decision alone may alienate purists, but it also allows the show to carve out an identity of its own, one that, at least after its opening episode, is considerably more entertaining than its reputation online would suggest.
