I Watch Films: Little Monsters
As a lyricist, Taylor Swift may be one of the cleverest and wittiest working in pop, or at the very least the one who is most able to get interesting and ironic turns of phrase in front of a mass audience. That’s not why Shake It Off appears so prominently in this film; it’s because kids like it as a fun song to sing.
Drawing my idiosyncratic interpretation into an analogy, Little Monsters is also not interested in zombies as a metaphor or as a specific literal threat. They’re there because the film needs a threat and they’re fun and everyone recognises them.
That recognition goes into the text in grace notes. Miss Caroline assure the children zombies don’t exist, and as proof has Felix* point out that they are in the shooting game. The US soldiers on the perimeter ask if these are slow zombies or fast ones. And the general declares he can’t kill children... again. (Also at the end before talking to parents he asks “Is this the good news room?”) We know about zombies, and the details are... unimportant.
So what is important? Music, growing up, looking after children, tractors and Hanson. The band***. Mmmbop.
Watch This: Because it is a fun film to watch
Don’t Watch This: If taking a bunch of Australian 5 year olds to Pleasant Valley Farm for a trip and having it ruined by zombies, but maybe someone growing and learning a little on the way sounds not like fun
* The film has a small blond boy named Felix as the nephew of a slacker uncle**. I feel seen.
** A slacker uncle who has been the extra adult on a school trip. I feel seen.
*** As someone who knows adult Hanson fans I feel seen.