‘Skater Zombies: The Villain’ Short Film Review
Stars: Richie Jackson, Jacques Grimbeek | Written and Directed by Eileen Yaghoobian
In a post-apocalyptic world only populated by skateboarders, a quietly spreading synthetic drug is transforming female users into skater zombies. Following on from the 2022 short Skater Zombies that offered a taster of this world, Skater Zombies: The Villain changes gears to shine a light on a character that identifies himself as The Villain – as played by celebrity skateboarder Richie Jackson.
Within a junkyard, the eccentrically dressed villain chases after a skater named Kris (Jacques Grimbeek). The swooping shots dynamically convey a sense of scale to this location, as the vehicular graveyard marks the death of the commonplace transportation within this world where the skateboard reigns supreme.
While Jackson’s role could have merely been a case of stunt casting in lesser hands, this short sees him provide an effective portrayal as the titular antagonist who fully believes in his anarchic actions. What drives this figure is a disdain for what skateboarders have become, wishing to reintegrate the rebellious feeling into what he believes are now “corporate sponsored buffoons.” His plan involves offering a choice between a purple vial and an orange vial, offering either “the greatest trip of your life, or death.”
Credited as writer, director, producer, and editor, Eileen Yaghoobian uses this six-minute short to deliver a proof-of-concept for a future feature. What is offered brings to mind 2015’s Turbo Kid, a feature where the anarchic sense of style made for a unique take on life after the apocalypse, only with more skateboard tricks and use of the board as a weapon. Skater Zombies: The Villain offers promise for the intriguing sounding and fascinating feature that Yaghoobian hopes to make, so be sure to look out for that in the future.
*** 3/5
Skater Zombies: The Villain will premiere at the London Short Film Festival at the Rio Cinema on January 27th.
