Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End

When a rabies-like infection sweeps the globe, turning ordinary people into violent, animalistic threats, Manel locks himself inside his apartment with only his cat for company. He survives by improvisation, rationing, and staying silent, but supplies run low and the city outside becomes a maze of danger. Reluctantly, Manel and his cat set out to find food and safer shelter, moving through abandoned streets, rafts of debris, and makeshift boats. Interpersonal encounters are brief, dangerous, and often reveal how fragile civilized rules are when hunger and fear take over. The film keeps its focus tight, favoring short, tense scenes over large-scale spectacle. The cat functions as an emotional anchor, while makeshift sea crossings heighten exposure, unpredictability, and human fragility increasingly.

Directed by Carles Torrens and created by Manel Loureiro, Ángel Agudo, and Ignasi Moreno, the 2024 film adapts contemporary horror sensibilities into a Spanish-language survival story. It stars Francisco Ortiz, José María Yázpik, and Berta Vázquez, and Spanish coastal locations are prominently featured.

Detailed box office figures were not widely publicized; the film's exposure appears mixed, with festival screenings and streaming likely contributing more to its audience than theatrical grosses, and international distribution varied by market. Some markets favored early digital release strategies.

While too new for mainstream franchise status, the movie has been noted by genre fans for its intimate scale, seaside set pieces, and bleak tone. It resonated with pandemic-era anxieties and has been discussed on genre forums and social media, especially for its quiet, survivalist approach, and sparked thinkpiece discussions.

Viewer ratings average 6.727/10 based on 1185 votes, reflecting mixed to favorable opinion. Critics praised the tense atmosphere and Francisco Ortiz's restrained performance, while some noted uneven pacing and familiar genre beats. The film addresses survival ethics, isolation, resource scarcity, and how ordinary people adapt when society breaks down, viscerally.