Apocalypse Z: New World Review
Director: Carles Torrens
Date Created: 2026-10-30 18:41
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Apocalypse Z: New World Review: Directed by Carles Torrens, Apocalipsis Z: Nuevo Mundo is the Spanish post-apocalyptic action thriller starring Carlos Alcaide as Roberto, alongside José María Yazpik as Pritchenko, Julia Martínez as Marina, Berta Vázquez as Lucía, Tamara Casellas as Comillas, Santiago Vaca Narvaja as Core, Mario Mayo as De Luna, and Pedro Hernández as Guzmán. The film also features Javier Godino and Mónica López. The movie is the sequel to Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End.
Apocalypse Z: New World Review
The setting of Prime Video’s Apocalypse Z: New World is in a world where the TSJ virus has turned most of the human population into infected beings, thus making it hard for the few survivors to live safely anywhere. It so happens that the Canary Islands have remained one of the last havens for survivors, yet living there means doing more than just avoiding the infected. Roberto, who has a lot on his mind and is desperately looking for answers regarding his father, joins other military men on a risky quest. These military men have been tasked with searching for supplies that will enable humanity to survive. But as they go about their quest, things become increasingly difficult for them.
It is fair to say that the Spanish film Apocalypse Z: New World failed to impress me in a good way. There are definitely some scenes in which the movie delivers the suspense that one would expect from a zombie horror movie, and there are definitely some interesting scenes as well because of the bigger scale of the action. However, as I continued watching the movie, the more I realised that the movie lacked something. The movie has everything that could be needed for an interesting plot: a dangerous world, a bunch of characters fighting for survival and a protagonist with his own motives.
Among my most prominent issues is Roberto himself. In his introduction, we are presented with a character who doesn’t necessarily make us feel sympathetic right away. He is self-centred; he has his own interests, and he cares more about securing his position than about other people’s needs. The search for his father is a significant motivating factor in Roberto’s life. This is particularly true given his father’s role in the dissemination of the TSJ virus in Spain. It is rather ironic to see a personal issue of the main character – he lives in a devastated world because of a problem associated with his own family.
The thought of developing a main character in the sequel that is not right off the bat heroic appealed to me because it provides for a unique character arc, especially when Roberto starts hanging out with Marina and the others. Slowly but surely, his actions will change his perception of survival. But the way this is carried out fails to bring the right amount of emotion into the transformation process. I was able to get what the movie was trying to do with him, but it was a far cry from being engaged.
There was also a lot more that could have been done with Marina. Having such a character provides Roberto with someone who questions his approach to life, and the developing relationship between the two of them is meant to play an important part in his development. However, there is more that can be expected from their relationship. Although the movie does provide us with moments of emotionality in the relationship, not enough effort has been put into creating the relationship itself. Thus, some of the scenes that should have been important end up being rather mundane.
The soldiers’ team also presents some exciting possibilities. In this case, Pritchenko plays a particularly significant role within the film, specifically since the individual interests of Roberto come into play. Here, issues of loyalty, accountability, and how much one would be willing to give up in order to survive arise. I really enjoyed the fact that the zombies are not the only threat for the characters in the movie; sometimes, the people meant to work as a team can prove to be as troublesome as well.
Unfortunately, the supporting characters are not given enough focus to give them unique personalities. We see quite a few different people from the team, but there were very few times when I felt that I understood them enough to care about what was happening to them. Once there is a threat looming, the movie wants you to be concerned about all of them, but there has been nothing done to make these relationships significant. It is especially apparent in the more exciting moments of the movie.
However, there is also the matter of González Escalona’s politics, which further complicates the issue. In a world where any kind of authority has basically broken down, a person trying to create control over desperate survivors is quite an interesting path to take. González Escalona’s character symbolises the fact that even if humanity manages to solve one problem, there will be others. Indeed, there are some people who would use a tragedy in order to grab power, and this is something that works well for the setting. The only thing that is rather disappointing is the lack of background on his intentions.
The areas in which the Prime Video Spanish movie Apocalypse Z: New World succeeds are in terms of the action aspect. It is evident that the movie strives to work on a grander level, and the inclusion of more zombies provides for some scenes that are entertaining to watch. The movie takes advantage of the presence of the zombies, and the fact that the military is involved, to make the action seem different. There are some bloody scenes that will entertain those looking for an intense zombie movie.
This is where my dissatisfaction with the film really shows up. I am not saying that all films with zombies should contain a story that touches your heart, but what I really want is something that at least makes you remember the story. The former one had a personal touch to it; the way the film centred around Javier and his cat, Lúculo, added a personal touch to the survival story. Here, with the bigger scale, there is less personal touch to it. This film is so busy showcasing how dangerous this world is that it fails to make you care for the people surviving here.
Prime Video Apocalypse Z: New World Review: Summing Up
Overall, the 2026 Apocalypse Z: New World movie is not entirely a waste of time, yet it is definitely a disappointment as a sequel. I am glad to see that they tried to continue developing the franchise from another angle; however, no matter how big the action scenes are, it is impossible to overlook the lack of character growth and emotion. Roberto’s character development had a chance to be good, and Marina deserved to be developed more. Politics could bring something fresh into the story.
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