Johnny Z Digital Review | Road Rash Reviews

3 star silly but brutal zombie martial arts film.

Johnny Z is a 2023 zombie action horror film written and directed by Jonathon Straiton (Night of Something Strange).

It is available to stream on UK Digital Platforms from 14th August 2023 courtesy of Reel 2 Reel Films.

“Please. His blood is the cure. He is the cure.”

Johnny Z is set in a dystopian future where the world as we know it has all but been destroyed (insert random anti cell phone mumbo jumbo about wi-fi soaking into the ground and creating a virus). This virus has transformed most of the population into slavering flesh eating monsters, but Patient Z (Michael Merchant – She Kills, Science Team) is different.

Only half zombie, his blood has been used by “big pharma” company Nordac to create a treatment that keeps the evil wi-fi at bay. However, Dr. Fisher (Ryan LaPlante – Holy Hell) has made an important discovery, his blood could be used to create a permanent cure, which would be bad for business. He sneaks him out of the medical facility/prison, much to the annoyance of head henchman Frank (David E. McMahon – Silent Echo).

Jonray takes him back to the hideout he shares with his brother Crisanto (Jason Delgado – Killer Campout), where he is put in the basement. Jonray is a Kali martial arts master and when he finds out that Patient Z (or Johnny as he has named him) is also proficient the two decide to team up and take down the bad guys.

“This has been a test of the Emergency Zombie Broadcast System. Brought to you by Nordac, living solutions for a dying world.”

Johnny Z is a very strange combination. The story is ridiculous and really weird and unexplainable things keep happening, for example, why is there a spy wandering around in a field with an I.V. stand? The homoerotic training montage is disturbing too. The acting is also not the best in places, although that could be down to the disjointed script.

Where this film really excels however is in the Kali martial arts sequences which are stunning and also plenty of good practical effects for the blood and gore, which are very effective.

Why they decided to crowbar beautifully choreographed fight sequences into some incoherent wi-fi related zombie nonsense is beyond me. Surely they could have found a better showcase for it?

Overall however, this is an enjoyable film and well worth having a look at if only for the martial arts action.

“We are not friends. Let’s not pretend we are friends. I respect you far too much to insult you like that. Let’s say my prize, my champion, my money printing warrior.”