What is Outside about? Netflix’s new “nail-biting” horror movie explained

Chris Tilly
The family in peril from zombies in Outside.

A new horror movie that puts a fresh spin on the zombie sub-genre has just dropped on Netflix, so here’s what to expect from Outside.

George Romero is the godfather of the zombie genre, changing the face of horror with Night of the Living Dead in 1968, and following that with a series of films that took the undead in interesting and unexpected directions.

His zombies were slow, while Zack Snyder’s were fast in his Dawn of the Dead remake, as were Danny Boyle’s “infected” in 28 Days Later and its sequel.

But Netflix movie Outside delivers a new breed of zombie, which is born in the Philippines.

What is Netflix zombie horror movie Outside about?

Outside revolves around a family fleeing from a deadly zombie outbreak to a secluded farmhouse in the countryside. While there, however, they discover they are far from safe.

What makes Outside different from the average zombie movie is that the undead are able to speak a little, and still have some semblance of humanity.

Speaking at a screening of the movie in Manila – as reported by GMA News – writer-director Carlo Ledesma said: “There had been films where we see zombies talk, but I wanted to put a bit more backstory into all the zombies that I had, in the sense that whatever their last memory was before they were bitten is the last words that they say.

“I didn’t want them just to be mindless monsters. I wanted everyone in this film to still have emotions to still process.”

Early reactions to that approach – and the movie itself – have been positive, with one viewer writing: “The film didn’t disappoint me. It’s nail-biting and brutal.”

Speaking of those emotions that Ledesma mentions, another writes: “The film literally brought tears to my eyes. I highly/strongly/definitely recommend the film.”

While a third calls Outside “an outstanding drama,” and “a new zombie genre by itself.”

Outside is now streaming on Netflix. To read about Dexerto’s favorite zombie flicks, check out our list of the best horror movies of all time. Alternatively here’s some ideas for scary movies to show your kids.