Throughout “ZombEid” I was pleasantly surprised at how good the makeup and effects were. This is top tier work that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world. Every muscle tear, every blood splatter and every zombie felt real. Technically speaking, Nabeel Qureshi and Fizza Ali Meerza have set a benchmark for production design in Pakistan.
“ZombEid” is about an outbreak of zombies in an upscale gym in Karachi on Chaand Raat. As people fall to the zombies one by one, the survivors and police try to contain the outbreak from spreading to the city at large.
Fahad Mustafa stars as a former Mr. Pakistan who’s trying to rebuild his life as a body builder after suffering an accident. Mehwish Hayat plays a Zumba instructor at the gym and Dodi Khan plays the star bodybuilding instructor.
“ZombEid” doesn’t waste any time getting to the point. 10-15 minutes into the film, we’re at the zombie outbreak and the chaos has begun. This gives the film ample time to let the chaos fester and build. As the outbreak grows larger and police reinforcements are called in to deal with the zombies, the survivors have to get creative to hide and keep the zombies at bay.
Zombie films have been around for nearly 60 years if you count George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” as the genre’s official inception. From then on we’ve seen Sam Raimi’s “Evil Dead”, the “Resident Evil” franchise, the White Walkers in “Game of Thrones”, the Infected in “The Last of Us”, “The Walking Dead”, Danny Boyle’s “28 Days Later”, etc.
The zombie genre does not want for variety or quantity. Yet, there are still innovations like the brilliant “Train to Busan”, the hilarious” Zombieland”, and the tragic “I Am Legend”. “ZombEid” is a great addition to that list.
The Production Design and Makeup Team Deserve All the Praise
I’ll reiterate; “ZombEid” features the best makeup I’ve ever seen in a Pakistani film. Coupled with the set design and visual effects, this makes for a visual treat.
Nabeel and Fizza have chosen a specific visual aesthetic for this film that they’ve kept consistent throughout. Certain scenes look like they’re plucked from a graphic novel or a hyper-realistic animated film.
Even the special effects look great. Building on the experiments they’ve done with films like “Actor in Law” (that aerial shot in the climax) and “Quaid e Azam Zindabad” (the airplane sequence at the end), Filmwala Pictures has delivered some great visual effects shots in “ZombEid” too. Whether it’s an explosion, a headshot, a car crash or a rescue helicopter, the effects complement the visual aesthetic and look top notch.
The high contrast colours, green screen backgrounds and ravenous zombies combine to give this film a particular look and feel that you can’t really compare with other Pakistan films. This suits the film incredibly well, because the tone is established early, and it never falters. The most apt comparisons I can think of are Robert Rodriguez’s “Sin City” and Zack Snyder’s “300”.
Whatever else you can say about “ZombEid”, the special effects and makeup crew deserve all the praise. They hit it out of the park.
Effective Performances Keep Intensity High
Zombie films aren’t complicated. They need scary zombies, blood and gore, and fun. However, what elevates a run of the mill zombie film beyond its genre trappings are the performances. “ZombEid” is elevated by the performances of Fahad Mustafa and Dodi Khan who serve as the primary protagonist and antagonist, respectively.
Fahad Mustafa plays the underdog character he has several times, and his backstory as a former prize-winning body builder gives him depth. His “mind over matter” mantra in the film provides some flashes of brilliance.
Dodi Khan, however, is a standout. This is his most fleshed-out film role. He plays the bad guy with a lot of conviction and embodies the sleaziness of his character with ease. At no point did he seem unconvincing or melodramatic. Kudos to him for understanding that less is more.
The other cast, including Mehwish Hayat, Babar Ali, and Mani, as well as an army of extras all do their job well.
“ZombEid” Features Fantastic Sound Design
I have to point this out because so many Pakistani films feature poor sound design. “ZombEid” understands the potential of great sound design for a horror film where the audio matters just as much as the visuals. You could hear every bone crack and muscle tear in this film and that added invaluably to the experience. Beyond just the blood on the screen, you could feel the zombie horde gnawing on its victims flesh.
Weak Spots
While “ZombEid” doesn’t waste any time getting to the main plot (the zombie attack begins 15-20 minutes in to the film), it does drag in parts. Certain scenes linger for too long, and others could’ve been cut out altogether.
All in all, perhaps 10-15 minutes of the film could’ve been trimmed with quick cut editing to improve the pacing. However, this is a criticism that could be levied on any zombie film. Lingering shots of zombies devouring their victims, breaking down barriers, causing havoc and causing chaos, are features of the genre, not bugs.
One thing, however, which can’t be excused is the poor dialogue in certain scenes; especially for Babar Ali. The veteran is given what could’ve been a meaty role, but is mostly confined to standing around and barking orders, except for one scene. His lines consist of the most generic copy paste from any cop role. Definite room for improvement there.
Another gripe I have, as a Karachiite, is that the Karachi shown here looks incredibly clean and polished. In comparison, Nabeel and Fizza’s previous films like “Na Maloom Afraad”, “Actor in Law” and “Quaid e Azam Zindabad” have shown Karachi warts and all. Showing Karachi’s gritty reality would have only helped “ZombEid”.
At one point a character is shown traveling through what appears to be the Shaheed-e-Millat Expressway. The roads are clear, clean, and pristine. Maybe that was the “special thanks” to Mayor Murtaza Wahab.
Final Verdict
Based on Nabeel Qureshi and Fizza Ali Meerza’s track record, you wouldn’t think they’d go for the zombie film genre. Their wheelhouse is crime capers, social comedies and Karachi-centric stories. However, “ZombEid” is a competently made zombie thriller. It’s not going to outdo “Train to Busan” or “Shaun of the Dead”, but it’s a solid first attempt at a big budget zombie film from Pakistan.
It’s gorey, it’s bloody and it’s fun. That’s what a zombie thriller should be. If you want to watch something different from Pakistani cinema in 2026, go for “ZombEid”. It has laid the foundation for the genre to grow in the country.
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