White Zombie (1932)

Directed by Victor Halperin. Starring John Harron, Béla Lugosi, Joseph Cawthorn, Robert W. Frazer, Madge Bellamy, Brandon Hurst, George Burr Macannan, Clarence Muse.

Not long after arriving in Haiti to marry fiancé Harron, Bellamy is given a potion that turns her into a zombie under the influence voodoo master Lugosi (who goes by the name of Murder, so it’s not like anyone should be surprised). First zombie feature film is only of interest to genre completists and early-horror aficionados. The methodology is murky, the acting ranges from stiff as a board to ripe as a squishy melon, and the atmosphere is inconsistent, a far cry from the Val Lewton-Jacques Tourneur collaborations to come. Decent climax could have been better with a more stylish director in charge. Followed by a sorta-sequel in 1936: Revolt of the Zombies.

42/100