The Valley Of The Dead is a Spanish Language film titled “Malnazidos”. Its original theatrical release was delayed because of the pandemic. Thankfully Netflix swooped in, bought the rights, and dubbed it to English for those of us without Spanish Language skills to enjoy.
The material is probably not as familiar to Americans, as it takes place during the Spanish Civil War. The movie synopsis doesn’t actually cover this, so if you are like me, you probably assumed the time frame was one of the World Wars until it was a bit further in.
Months after bloody combats leave behind thousands of dead in the trenches. Jan Lozano, Captain of the Fifth Brigade has fallen prisoner by an opponent’s platoon along with a young driver while carrying out a mission that has been entrusted to him. The possibility of dying executed will soon be overtaken when a new unknown enemy arises. Both rival sides must unite and set their mutual hate aside in order to survive.
-Telecinco Cinema
Spoilers Below
The Valley Of The Dead kicks off as a standard war movie. Our unwilling “hero” Jan, played by Miki Esparbé, is given a mission which has little chance of success. Jan is sent to recover a downed pilot. Unfortunately for Jan, he and his driver are captured shortly after thier mission begins. This finally introduces us to our first Zombie. Why do I say finally? Because that first zombie doesn’t actually appear until twenty minutes in.
It isn’t long before Jan and his captors join forces to fight a common enemy. One of my favorite scenes is when they took down a lone Zombie only to realize they pulled every Undead within earshot down on their heads. This may seem obvious but so many movies have people blowing away undead without accounting for the fact it would pull every biter around them down on their heads.
I would describe The Valley Of The Dead as a fun, but formulaic movie. Don’t expect new ground to be covered here. Don’t get me wrong. The Valley Of The Dead is enjoyable to watch. The visuals and special effects are first rate. The cast was well chosen and each of them plays their part well. It all comes together nicely.
The Valley Of The Dead Scoring
So why is The Valley Of The Dead scoring a respectable 70/100? It makes The Valley Of The Dead Worth Your Time, but just barely. There were a good number of Zombies, but I would have loved to see a horde versus a machine gun. There was plenty of action, I just wanted something a little more. The other main reason is that the story. There just wasn’t anything new there. It was enjoyable, but it needed something to make it pop just a little more to get that score up a little more.
Let me know what you think in the comments.
| Review | Year | Score | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| #Alive | 2020 | 100 | Action / Infection |
| Dawn Of The Dead | 1978 | 100 | Action / Horror / Classics |
| Night Of The Living Dead | 1968 | 100 | Action / Horror / Classics |
| World War Z | 2013 | 100 | Action / Infection |
| 28 Days Later | 2002 | 100 | Action / Infection |
| Train To Busan | 2016 | 100 | Action / Infection |
| Zombieland | 2010 | 100 | Comedy / Action |
| Flesh And Blood | 2018 | 99 | Shorts |
| Serenity | 2005 | 99 | Action / Sci-Fi |
| The Girl With All The Gifts | 2016 | 95 | Action / Infection |
| Land Of The Dead | 2005 | 94 | Action / Horror |
| Resident Evil: Apocalypse | 2004 | 93 | Action / Infection |
| Resident Evil | 2002 | 92 | Action / Infection |
| Rampant | 2018 | 91 | Action / Infection / Mid Evil |
| Day of the Dead | 2008 | 90 | Action / Infection |
| Cooties | 2014 | 89 | Comedy / Action |
| The Return of the Living Dead | 1985 | 85 | Comedy / Action |
| Night of the Comet | 1984 | 85 | Comedy / Action |
| Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula | 2020 | 84 | Action / Infection |
| Zombieland: Double Tap | 2019 | 83 | Comedy / Action |
| Fido | 2006 | 82 | Comedy / Action |
| Shaun Of The Dead | 2004 | 81 | Comedy / Action |
| Zombie | 1979 | 80 | Action / Horror |
| The Evil Dead | 1981 | 80 | Classic / Action |
| I Am Legend (2007) | 2007 | 80 | Action / Infection |
| 28 Weeks Later | 2007 | 80 | Action / Infection |
| Infection | 2019 | 79 | Action / Infection |
| It Stains The Sands Red | 2016 | 79 | Action / Infection |
| Overlord | 2018 | 79 | Action / Horror |
| A Little Bit Zombie | 2012 | 78 | Comedy / Action |
| Plan Z | 2016 | 78 | Action / Infection |
| Wyrmwood: Apocalypse | 2021 | 77 | Action / Infection |
| Day of the Dead | 1985 | 77 | Action / Horror / Classics |
| Dead Rising: Endgame | 2016 | 77 | Action / Infection |
| Freaks of Nature | 2015 | 76 | Comedy / Action |
| The Dead | 2010 | 76 | Action / Infection |
| Cockneys Vs. Zombies | 2012 | 75 | Comedy / Action |
| Here Alone | 2016 | 75 | Suspense / Infection |
| The Battery | 2012 | 74 | Drama / Infection |
| Shed of the Dead | 2019 | 74 | Comedy / Action |
| Alone | 2020 | 73 | Action / Infection |
| Survival Of The Dead | 2009 | 73 | Action / Horror |
| State of Emergency | 2011 | 73 | Action / Infection |
| Remains | 2011 | 72 | Action / Infection |
| Dawning of the Dead | 2017 | 72 | Action / Infection |
| Dance of the Dead | 2008 | 72 | Comedy / Action |
| The Rezort | 2015 | 72 | Action / Infection |
| The Army of the Dead | 2021 | 71 | Action / Infection |
| Witness Infection | 2021 | 71 | Comedy / Action |
| Daylight's End | 2016 | 71 | Action / Infection |
| The Valley Of The Dead | 2021 | 70 | Horror / Infection |
| Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead | 2014 | 70 | Action / Infection |
| Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse | 2015 | 70 | Comedy / Action |
| Resident Evil: Afterlife | 2010 | 70 | Action / Infection |
| Night of the Living Deb | 2015 | 70 | Comedy / Romance |
| For A Few Zombies More | 2015 | 70 | Action / Infection |
| Zombie Night | 2013 | 70 | Action / Infection |
| Dead Rising: Watchtower | 2015 | 70 | Action / Infection |
| Zombie Hunter | 2013 | 70 | Action / Infection |
| The Dead 2: India | 2015 | 70 | Action / Infection |
| Among The Living | 2022 | 69 | Suspense / Horror |
| Exit Humanity | 2011 | 69 | Action / Infection |
| Bird Box | 2018 | 69 | Action / Horror / Possession |
| Republic Z | 2018 | 68 | Action / Comedy |
| Blood Quantum | 2019 | 68 | Action / Infection |
| Ravenous | 2017 | 68 | Action / Infection |
| Quarantine | 2008 | 67 | Infection / Horror |
| Forget Everything And Run (F.E.A.R.) | 2021 | 67 | Suspense / Horror |
| The Night Eats The World | 2018 | 67 | Suspense / Infection |
| Ultimate Zombie Feast | 2020 | 66 | Shorts/ Action |
| How To Kill A Zombie | 2014 | 66 | Action / Comedy |
| Cargo | 2017 | 66 | Suspense / Infection |
| Trench 11 | 2017 | 66 | Action / Horror |
| Dead County | 2021 | 65 | Drama / Horror |
| Zombie Town | 2007 | 65 | Action / Horror |
| Zoombies | 2016 | 65 | Awesomely Bad |
| The End? | 2017 | 64 | Horror / Infection |
| Quarantine 2 | 2011 | 64 | Action / Infection |
| Zombie Apocalypse | 2011 | 64 | Action / Infection |
| Red Spring | 2017 | 63 | Action / Infection |
| Virus:32 | 2022 | 62 | Horror / Infection |
| Resident Evil: Extinction | 2007 | 62 | Action / Infection |
| Resident Evil Retribution | 2012 | 61 | Action / Infection |
| Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead | 2023 | 60 | Comedy / Action |
| Resident Evil: The Final Chapter | 2016 | 60 | Action / Infection |
| Life After Beth | 2014 | 59 | Comedy / Action |
| Diary Of The Dead | 2007 | 58 | Action / Horror |
| Revelation Trail | 2013 | 57 | Action / Horror |
| Eat Brains Love | 2019 | 56 | Comedy / Horror |
| My Mates vs. The Zombie Apocalypse | 2015 | 56 | Comedy / Action |
| Deadsight | 2018 | 55 | Suspense / Infection |
| Anna And The Apocalypse | 2017 | 55 | Musical / Infection |
| Amigo Undead | 2015 | 54 | Comedy / Horror |
| Bong of the Living Dead | 2017 | 54 | Action / Infection |
| Black Friday | 2021 | 53 | Action / Horror |
| The Dead Undead | 2010 | 53 | Action / Infection |
| Redcon-1 | 2018 | 52 | Action / Horror |
| Deadheads | 2011 | 52 | Comedy / Romance |
| Dead Don't Die in Dallas | 2019 | 51 | Action / Infection / LGBTQ |
| Day of the Dead: Bloodline | 2018 | 51 | Action / Infection |
| Road Wars | 2015 | 50 | Action / Infection |
| Disaster L.A. | 2014 | 50 | Action |
| Zombie Strippers! | 2008 | 49 | Horror / Comedy |
| Within the Woods of Undead County | 2016 | 49 | Action / Infection |
| Day Zero | 2023 | 48 | Horror / Infection |
| Rise of The Zombies | 2012 | 48 | Action / Infection |
| I Am Alone | 2015 | 48 | Action / Infection |
| Valentine DayZ | 2018 | 47 | Action / Infection / Awesomely Bad |
| Lethal Virus | 2021 | 46 | Action / Horror |
| Savageland | 2015 | 46 | Horror / Drama |
| Zombie Warz: Falls The Shadow | 2011 | 45 | Action / Horror |
| Infected | 2019 | 45 | Shorts |
| Bridge of the Doomed | 2022 | 44 | Horror / Infection |
| Block Z | 2020 | 44 | Action / Infection |
| Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City | 2021 | 43 | Action / Horror |
| The Dead Don't Die | 2019 | 43 | Spoof / Drama |
| The Plague | 2006 | 42 | Action / Horror |
| Strain 100 | 2020 | 42 | Action / Infection |
| Infected | 2021 | 41 | Action / Horror |
| Before Dawn | 2013 | 41 | Drama / Action |
| When the Fever Breaks | 2019 | 41 | Suspense / Infection |
| Zombie Undead | 2010 | 40 | Action / Infection |
| Hostile | 2017 | 40 | Action / Infection |
| Dead Before Down | 2012 | 39 | Horror / Supernatural |
| Gangs Of The Dead | 2006 | 38 | Action / Infection |
| Zombies | 2017 | 37 | Action / Infection |
| American Zombieland | 2020 | 36 | Comedy / Infection |
| Cannon Fodder / Battle Of The Undead | 2013 | 35 | Action / Horror |
| Zombie Diaries 2 | 2011 | 35 | Action / Infection |
| Dead Trigger | 2017 | 35 | Action / Infection |
| Deadlocked | 2020 | 35 | Action / Infection |
| Another World | 2014 | 35 | Action / Infection |
| Evilution | 2009 | 34 | Action / Horror |
| KL24: Zombies | 2017 | 34 | Action / Infection |
| Re-Elected | 2020 | 33 | Comedy / Suspense |
| Antisocial 2 | 2015 | 33 | Action / Infection |
| Aquarium of the Dead | 2021 | 32 | Comedy / Horror |
| Antisocial | 2013 | 32 | Action / Infection |
| By Day's End | 2020 | 31 | Suspense / Infection |
| Dead 7 | 2016 | 31 | Action / Infection |
| Pandemic | 2016 | 30 | Action / Infection |
| Attack of the Southern Fried Zombies | 2017 | 29 | Comedy / Action |
| Zombie Hood | 2013 | 28 | Action / Infection |
| The Dustwalker | 2019 | 27 | Action / Parasite |
| Day of the Dead 2: Contagium | 2005 | 26 | Action / Infection |
| Solar Impact | 2019 | 25 | Action / Horror |
| Anger Of The Dead | 2015 | 25 | Action / Infection |
| The Last Hope | 2017 | 24 | Action / Infection |
| The Day of the Living Dead | 2014 | 23 | Drama / Detective |
| Zombie Road | 2018 | 22 | Shorts |
| Zombie Wars | 2007 | 21 | Action / Infection |
| Army of Thieves | 2021 | 20 | Heist / Horror |
| Last Rites Of The Dead | 2019 | 20 | Drama / Thriller |
| The Mad | 2007 | 19 | Comedy / Infection |
| The Living Dead | 2020 | 18 | Horror / Drama |
| Zone of the Dead | 2009 | 17 | Action / Infection |
| Killer Weekend | 2018 | 16 | Comedy / Not Zombies |
| G Zombie | 2021 | 15 | Drama / Infection |
| Quarantine L.A. | 2013 | 14 | Action / Infection |
| Driven | 2020 | 13 | Drama / Suspense |
| The Hive | 2014 | 12 | Demonic Possession / Horror |
| The Horde | 2016 | 11 | Action / Gore |
| Rebirth | 2020 | 10 | Action / Horror |
| The Last Starship | 2017 | 10 | Action / Infection |
| Rising Undead / Rise of the Undead | 2005 | 9 | Action / Horror |
| Rise of the Zombie | 2013 | 9 | Drama / Action |
| Plague | 2014 | 8 | Suspense / Drama |
| Flu | 2013 | 8 | Infection / Not Zombies |
| Red Days | 2016 | 7 | Action / Infection |
| The Returned | 2013 | 6 | Drama / Romance |
| Apocalypse Nerds | 2012 | 5 | Comedy / Action |
| Zombie with a Shotgun | 2019 | 4 | Infection / Drama |
| Soon Enough | 2018 | 3 | Action / Drama |
| Army of the Dead | 2008 | 2 | Action / Horror |
| Range 15 | 2016 | 2 | Comedy / Action |
| Nazi Undead | 2018 | 1 | Paranormal / Horror |
| Pandemic | 2009 | 1 | Drama / Action |
| Eyes Of The Dead | 2015 | 1 | Action / Infection |
| All My Friends Are Dead | 2021 | 0 | Horror / Not Zombies |
| Curse of the Blind Dead | 2020 | 0 | Horror / Not Zombies |
| Carriers | 2009 | 0 | Drama / Not Zombies |
| Afflicted | 2013 | 0 | Drama / Infection |
| Broadcast Dead | 2018 | 0 | Horror / Thriller |
| Dead End | 2003 | 0 | Horror / Thriller |
