When you think of zombies, images of rotten skin and deadened eyes very readily come to mind, thanks to years of horror films and TV shows fleshing out the genre. But what if the undead were literally just… undead? Folks who have recently deceased, only to mysteriously resurrect and try to return to a semblance of their old life. Based on a comic, SYFY’s 2025 Revival does exactly that, set in a small town where the dead return largely intact and just as confused as the rest of us. Instead of a post-apocalyptic wasteland filled with trials of survival, Revival presents a spooky drama that explores the quarantined town’s response, where the ramifications of resurrection fester and take forms we could never anticipate.
‘Revival’ Delivers a Fresh Take on the Zombie Horror Genre
The series begins 35 days after what would be henceforth known as Revival Day, and the CDC has put the town on lockdown, creating a petri dish of animosity and suspicion between “revivers” and the living. If the premise sounds familiar, you may be thinking of The Returned, a 2015 series based on a 2004 French film, which also involves people who have been dead for decades returning to a small town. However, while The Returned focuses on the psychological and emotional implications of this supernatural phenomenon, Revival delivers an action-packed series with a frenetic energy that highlights all sorts of unbidden consequences. It’s a spooky, fast-paced, and often comical binge.
Revival strikes an uncanny balance between realism and absurdity, where some ideas are laughable on the surface until you give them a second thought. For one, the ever-terrifying horror veteran Steven Ogg takes on the role of a sleazy radio host who rallies the townspeople against the “demons” walking around freely, creating a sort of spiritual warfare. His diatribes may seem ridiculous at first, but the ensuing mass paranoia reflects far too many real-life situations to be anything more than absolutely horrifying. Even the idea of a “revived” rockstar cutting himself open during a performance as a flashy stage stunt elicits an unnerving response to how twisted society can become when handed an elusive invulnerability.
There are still emotional scenes inRevivalwhere folks facing the return of a loved one and its implications are explored, but these are paired with just the right amount of dark comedy and violence. With “revivers” that are capable of healing from the most severe of injuries, the show’s capacity for gore and creativity is endless. It makes for a binge experience that runs at a volatile pace and is far easier to get lost in than the atmosphericReturnedis.
‘Wynonna Earp’s Melanie Scrofano Delivers a Sharp Performance in This Twisted Sci-Fi
While one half ofRevivalruns through the countless scenarios that can emerge in the face of the undead, the other half is driven by a plot that centers on police officer and single mother Dana Cypress (Melanie Scrofano). Her plan to resign from the Sheriff’s department is immediately foiled by the chaos of Revival Day, and she is soon tangled in an investigation of a darker crime amid the overarching mystery. Adding a noirish plot with its own twists and turns heightens the intensity and pace of the show, as both thematic halves bounce off one another and build to a tumultuous pace. It constantly demands your attention, especially with Scrofano’s strong, nuanced, and comedic performance leading us through the chaos.
Netflix’s Near-Perfect 8-Part Horror Series Is So Good, You Can Start With Any Episode
Its creator earned the nickname “Maestro of Monsters” for a reason.
Throughout the case, Dana is aided by her strict Sheriff father (David James Elliot), her younger sister (Romy Weltman), and the new CDC scientist in town (Andy McQueen), with whom she has adorably awkward chemistry. Scrofano is at the center of these relationships and bounces off each castmate effortlessly. Her charming chemistry with McQueen brings some levity to the thriller aspects, while the ruptured familial relationships presented through painful arguments with Elliot and Weltman are easily the heart of the show. A small town has never been more simultaneously alive and dead than inRevival.
The show makes for the perfect weekend binge as it strikes the right balance between exploring its premise and delivering a confident plot. We are equally invested in the characters and the larger mystery, asRevival doesn’t allow a moment to go by without providing some kind of horror, comedic, or shock value. The series does its part in reviving the zombie genre, exploring harrowing and bizarre scenarios with just the right amount of fun.
