Anna and the Apocalypse was one of our highlights of Arrow Video FrightFest back in August. The quirky comedy musical combines zombies with Christmas to create a unique experience that delivers scares, laughs and plenty of emotion. Centring on the town of Little Haven, the film tells the story of Anna (Ella Hunt) and her friends as they try to fight their way through a zombie apocalypse at Christmas time. It doesn’t sound like it would work but it does, and it’s fantastic!
As music is key to the film, it’s no surprise that the soundtrack has been released so that fans of the film can relive all of the music over and over. The release features 13 songs from the film and they actually work really well without having the visuals. Of course if you’ve seen the film, it’ll help you understand where they fit in, but if you haven’t you can enjoy them in isolation. The soundtrack opens with Shonagh Murray’s uplifting and joyful festive song Christmas Means Nothing Without You. It sets the tone and is also worthy of being added to your holiday playlists too!
After that the soundtrack digs into the songs that feature throughout the film. Break Away is sung by stars Ella Hunt, Sarah Swire and Malcolm Cumming and it’s a perfect example of just how good the music is on this soundtrack. These songs are professional, polished and catchy as hell. Just one listen and you’ll be singing your head off for hours, trust me. Hollywood Ending, one of the film’s standout tracks, is an absolute earworm and it’s a bit like Busted crossed with Glee.
My favourite moment on the soundtrack comes on the sultry ballad It’s That Time of Year, which packs in more double entendres than you can keep up with. Marli Siu does her best Santa Baby impersonation and it works an absolute treat. I remember laughing-out-loud several times while watching this in the film and it’s just as hilarious listening to the audio.
Elsewhere on the soundtrack Human Voice is a call-to-arms for the film’s colourful characters, Solider at War by Ben Wiggins adds a rockier edge, and I Will Believe performed by Ella Hunt and Mark Benton will bring a tear to the eye of anyone who has seen the film. The soundtrack ends with two versions of What a Time to Be Alive, one sung by Ryan Joseph Burns and an orchestral version by the cast.
Anna and the Apocalypse has a fantastic soundtrack and this collection of songs crafted for the film demand repeated listens. The film is so good and the music is a big part of that. I always think that if you can listen to a film soundtrack in isolation and enjoy it as much as you did the film, it’s the sign of a cracking soundtrack. That’s definitely the case here and the film’s cast and creative talent have created a fantastic collection of songs.
Track list: 1. Christmas Means Nothing Without You (Shonagh Murray) 2. Break Away (Ella Hunt, Sarah Swire and Malcolm Cumming) 3. Hollywood Ending (Full Cast) 4. The Fish Wrap (Roddy Hart, Tommy Reilly and John McPhail) 5. It’s That Time of Year (Marli Siu) 6. Turning My Life Around (Ella Hunt and Malcolm Cumming) 7. Human Voice (Full Cast) 8. Soldier at War (Ben Wiggins) 9. Nothing’s Gonna Stop Me Now (Paul Kaye) 10. Give Them a Show (Ella Hunt and Paul Kaye) 11. I Will Believe (Ella Hunt and Mark Benton) 12. What a Time to Be Alive (Ryan Joseph Burns) 13. What a Time to Be Alive (Full Cast) Released by: Polydor Release date: 23rd November 2018 Buy the Anna and the Apocalypse Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
