This review was originally posted in November 2011 following the Leeds International Film Festival screening of Juan of the Dead. The film is now on limited release in cinemas accross the UK.

Arguably one of the most anticipated films of the festival and certainly one that’s been grabbing a lot of attention, Juan of the Dead is proud of its status as Cuba’s first ever zombie movie. But perhaps more impressively, it can also boast that its the first independently produced feature to come out of the country in 50 years. Tonight, for its second screening at the Leeds International Film Festival, there are a horde of slowly shuffling punters queuing right around the block – and they look hungry.

Once we had all managed to pack into the delightful little Hyde Park Picture House, we were introduced to director Alejandro Brugués, who encouraged us all to get into the spirit of the film and break with our typically English way of chuckling politely in favour of raising the roof. Being from Cuba, he explained, he’s a little more comfortable with a carnival atmosphere and, as an extra incentive, he asked us to cheer like we would if Leeds had just scored against Manchester. Unfortunately, he didn’t specify which particular Manchester team he meant and, as this would have a very particular impact on my response, I decided to stay silent.

It is, of course, difficult to settle down in front of a film named Juan of the Dead and not compare it to Shaun of the Dead. Yes, this is mainly because of the title, but also because the film slots into the ever-more crowded sub-sub-genre of zombie horror comedy. The trouble is, Edgar Wright’s 2004 rom-zom-com is pretty much my favourite film of all time, so I would have to try very hard to judge it purely on its own merits. Happily though, this turned out to be a lot easier than I had imagined.

Juan (Alexis Díaz de Villegas), unlike his British counterpart, is a confident man with a lust for life. His days are spent hanging out with his tubby comical sidekick Lazaro (Jorge Molina), drinking heavily and climbing into the bedrooms of married women for a bit of afternoon delight. Of course, this idyllic existence can only last for so long and, when a zombie outbreak hits the town, things get much more complicated. Like Shaun though, Juan knows how to step up to the plate when faced with a crisis and will do everything he can to lead his friends and loved ones to safety.

Rescuing his estranged and insanely attractive daughter Camila (Andrea Druro), Juan takes to the streets with Lazaro and his son Vladi, as well as a transexual called China and gentle man mountain by the name of El Primo. Before long though, our anti-hero spots an opportunity. With the undead posing such a troublesome problem for the local population, there appears to be a gap in the market for a team of killers who can dispose of the ‘dissidents’ in exchange for a tidy fee. In times of difficulty, Juan explains, what Cubans do best is make money, but its clear he hopes his actions will also go some way in restoring his damaged relationship with Camila.

There’s certainly a lot to enjoy with Juan of the Dead that genre fans will be delighted by. The movie has some innovative ideas and real moments of originality that shine through, including a moment involving a mini harpoon and an old couple early on that really made me sit up and realise we could well be on to a winner.

Elsewhere, its important to give credit to the sheer ambition of the project. When the dissident uprising (or zombie invasion) becomes a reality, we’re taken around the ravaged streets in a scene that could be lifted right out of a modern blockbuster. Sure there’s some low budget effects involving buildings being destroyed, but by then you’ll already be so charmed that it’ll feel pretty unimportant.

While there are certainly culture barriers with one or two of the jokes that are served up, these pass pretty quickly and if anything, give the film a little bit more of its own identity. That said, there were one or two people in the theatre who were keen to force out a laugh at these moments to prove how intelligent and worldly wise they were, which I have to say was more than a little irritating. But, as Hyde Park Picture House appears to be at the epicenter of Leeds’ student population, I suppose it was to probably to be expected… and only made me feel like beating someone to death with a cricket bat on a couple of occasions.

The rest of the time though, there are moments of universally hilarious comedy that line up next to genuinely touching scenes. One particular section to look out for involving Juan and Lazaro sharing what they think might be their final moments together is an absolute joy – and had everybody roaring with a healthy mixture of laughter and sheer disbelief.

As I say, its difficult not to make comparisons to films like Dawn and Shaun when talking about Juan, but while there are some small similarities and quite deliberate shot references to enjoy, it would be a mistake to think that Juan de los Muertos is just some second rate knock off. Over all, this is a skillfully directed, excellently performed and genuinely charming movie with loads of heart and plenty of laughs.