🧟‍♀️Queens of the Dead (2025) – When Brooklyn’s Drag Scene Meets the Apocalypse: Cast, Plot, Release Date & Where to Watch

Boxofficehype
Oct 7
3 min read

💋 “Lipstick, lashes, and lots of blood.”

The end of the world has never looked this fabulous. From director Tina Romero — daughter of the legendary George A. Romero — comes Queens of the Dead, a dazzling horror-comedy that blends glitter, gore, and guts in equal measure. Set against the neon lights of Brooklyn’s underground nightlife, the film transforms a zombie apocalypse into a fierce, chaotic drag showdown that’s as funny as it is ferocious.

🪩 Plot: When the Undead Crash the Party

It’s supposed to be the wildest warehouse party of the year. The drinks are flowing, the beats are pounding, and the queens are slaying — until the dead start crashing the runway.

When a mysterious outbreak sweeps through the crowd, turning dancers into brain-thirsty zombies, a group of misfits — drag queens, club kids, and rivals — must bury their drama and fight for survival.

Katy O’Brian leads the charge as Dre, a fierce performer with a no-nonsense streak, alongside Riki Lindhome as Lizzy, Jack Haven as Kelsey, and Shaunette Renée Wilson as Tiger. Together, they bring fire, humor, and high heels to a genre that’s long overdue for a glow-up.

“The apocalypse might be messy,” Dre quips as she wipes blood off her sequined jacket, “but my contour stays flawless.”

💀 Meet the Queens & the Chaos

Character	Actor	Description
Dre	Katy O’Brian	The fearless performer turned zombie slayer.
Sam	Jaquel Spivey	The heart of the crew, trying to keep everyone alive — and on beat.
Lizzy	Riki Lindhome	A sharp-tongued queen with killer one-liners.
Kelsey	Jack Haven	A rival performer who becomes an unlikely ally.
Jimmy	Cheyenne Jackson	The DJ who keeps spinning as the dead close in.
Pops	Margaret Cho	A legendary drag mother who refuses to die quietly.

Also starring Shaunette Renée Wilson, Eve Lindley, and Karan Brar, the ensemble bursts with energy — a cast clearly having as much fun as the audience.

🎥 Tina Romero’s Legacy and Vision

Following in her father’s footsteps while breaking her own ground, Tina Romero directs with equal parts style and subversion. She crafts a world that’s vibrant, hilarious, and surprisingly heartfelt. Beneath the glitter and gore lies a story about chosen family, resilience, and self-expression — a theme that hits hard even as heads are literally rolling.

Romero co-wrote the screenplay with Erin Judge, infusing campy one-liners and sharp social satire into every bloody sequence.

“This isn’t just survival,” Pops declares. “It’s performance art.”

🔊 Soundtrack, Style, and Slayage

With music by Blitz//Berlin, the soundtrack pulses with club anthems and dark synth beats that keep the film’s heart racing. Shannon Madden’s cinematography captures the chaos in hypnotic color — ultraviolet lights reflecting off blood and sweat, sequins shimmering amidst carnage.

Every frame of Queens of the Dead feels like a music video gone wrong in all the right ways.

🧠 Tribeca Buzz & Critical Praise

Premiering at the Tribeca Festival 2025, Queens of the Dead earned glowing early reviews for its originality and fearless tone. Critics hailed it as a “genre-bending triumph” and a “love letter to queer culture wrapped in zombie guts.”

The film was lauded for giving space to LGBTQ+ representation in a genre long dominated by straight-male leads — proving that even in the apocalypse, diversity slays.

“Tina Romero reinvents her father’s zombie legacy with color, camp, and courage.” — The Wrap

🧟‍♀️ QUEENS OF THE DEAD

🎬 Directed by Tina Romero

⭐ Starring Katy O’Brian, Riki Lindhome, Jack Haven, Shaunette Renée Wilson

📅 In Theaters October 24, 2025

💀 Distributed by IFC Films & Shudder

🎭 Final Verdict: A Fierce Fight for Survival

Queens of the Dead is outrageous, emotional, and unapologetically queer — a film that proves horror can be as inclusive as it is inventive. It’s Shaun of the Dead meets RuPaul’s Drag Race, served with blood, glitter, and a message that hits home: