Retro Horror Review: ‘Fido’ The 50’s are Alive with the Sound of Chewing

Fido is now streaming for free on TubiTV. Reader Beware Spoilers!!

Horror has always been deemed a form of ‘lowbrow’ entertainment in the eye of the public. However, horror has often used the genre to satire or critique social institutions, public behavior/ race relations and political discourse. Invasion of the Body Snatchers in 1956, though on the surface is an alien invasion taking over a small-town sci-fi tale, the underlying context being the threat of the ‘Red Scare’ of communism that gripped the populace in the 50s.

The late George A. Romero’s classic Night of the Living Dead became a commentary on the civil rights movement and race relations in America due to its casting of Duane Jones as the lead. Whereas Dawn of the Dead was a satire on consumerism disguised as another zombie picture as even in death, Americans need to go shopping. 

In setting his horror-comedy Fido in the Leave it to Beaver type town of Willard, in an alternate reality 1950s, director Andrew Currie could use the backdrop of a post zombie War to satire the social economical divides, woman’s rights, segregation and even a bit of the McCarthyism era perceived communist threat around every corner. But with Zombies.

Opening with a black and white educational short, we get brought up to speed with the world we’re about to be introduced to. Due to the earth passing through some space dust, the dead rose and thus began the Zombie War (no WW2 in this reality).

After the uprising was put down and “polite” society (suburbs) was sectioned off from the “wild zone”, the company known as ZomCom came up with a revolutionary device to harness the zombies for societal benefits. Which is good because, any potential deceased are viewed as a threat, like your grandparents or a sick neighbor.

The town of Willard is an idealist 50’s town full of houses the colors of a box of crayons, flawless lawns and flower beds and surrounded on all sides by a huge fence separating them from the roaming zombie heard or “outsiders”.

The ZomCom collar renders the intown zombies “harmless”, that is, if the blinking red lights don’t go off. Because they are controlled, they are now used for menial tasks, butlers, milkmen, paper boys and any other task no one wants to do. There are also special funerals one can receive where the head is removed and buried separate from the body to prevent reanimation. But it will cost you.

Young Timmy Robinson (K’Sun Ray) has no friends and asks too many questions. His mother Helen (Carrie-Anne Moss: The Matrix trilogy, Memento), a repressed and ignored housewife, is worried what the neighbors think of her because they do not have a zombie of their own.

Bill (Dylan Baker: Road to Perdition, Spider-Man 2), his father, is not only terrified of zombies due to a childhood trauma, but would rather golf than spend a minute with his family. When Helen decides to go behind her husbands back and get a zombie of their own, who will eventually be given the name “Fido” (Billy Connolly: Muppet Treasure Island, Mrs. Brown), it causes some tension within the household.

[Related] ‘Eight Legged Freaks’ Spiders Equal Trouble For Prosperity

When fido’s collar malfunctions due to the town grouch Mrs. Henderson, she becomes an unwitting snack and Timmy must cover it up to protect his new pet and his family. Only thing is when he goes back to clean up the mess, Mrs. Henderson is not where he left her, and she is hungry. As anyone who has ever watched a zombie movie knows, it only takes one bite to create another walking dead.

Fido intercuts between two stories for the better half of the narrative. One of Timmy and his mother Helen living their lives with the addition of their very own zombie, trying to stay off the radar as they come into their own.  The family also gets a few new allies in next door neighbor Mr. Theopolis (Tim Blake Nelson: O’ Brother Where Art Thou) and his zombie girlfriend Tammy as he fixes Fido’s collar after a malfunction in a rainstorm. 

And two, recently moved into the neighborhood head of security for ZomCom, Mr. Bottoms (Henry Czerny: Ready or Not, Mission: Impossible), as he investigates the missing Mrs. Henderson and outbreak of new zombies. Slowly moving closer to finding the culprit, it is clear he is becoming a threat to Timmy and his family, and they’ll need all the help they can get to keep from being thrown into the ‘Quarantine Zone’, becoming lunch for the inhabitants there.

Visually I really liked how they paid homage to NOTLD with having all the zombies in a grey tone mimicking the black and white feel of the original. The contrasting surrounding landscape reminds me of the technicolor of Edward Scissorhands, with the vivid pastels and lush greenery. 

Playing on classic television troupes of the era (I laughed at the “what is it boy” nod to Lassie) and paying homage to the zombie films that came of the time as well, Fido takes the genre to a unique and satirical place that’s incredibly entertaining. Peppering in some life lessons on what’s most important to finding happiness, you’ll find yourself rooting for the very same thing that if the red light goes off would just as quickly have you as snack, than serve you one. 3.5/5

★★★★

You can check out the trailer below and Fido is now streaming on TubiTV. Be sure to follow ScaryNerd for more of all things horror, sci-fi and more.

About Post Author