World War Z | What to Watch

Breaking from horror tradition, the zombies in this apocalyptic action film move at breakneck speed rather than the familiar living-dead shuffle

Breaking from horror tradition, the zombies in this apocalyptic action film move at breakneck speed rather than the familiar living-dead shuffle. That's quite a shock for UN investigator Brad Pitt and family, who are stuck in traffic when the zombie epidemic strikes with stomach-lurching suddenness. But Pitt is no slouch, either. And he's soon looking for answers to the plague, a frantic mission that takes him to South Korea, Jerusalem and - brace yourselves - Wales. (Look out for future Doctor Who Peter Capaldi, who in a bizarre coincidence plays a World Health Organisation or WHO doctor.)

In terrifying scenes of chaos the zombies surge through gridlocked city streets and a tide of them overwhelms Jerusalem. The relentless pace means little time for subtext and hard-core horror fans may bemoan the lack of gore and the departures from Max Brooks' source novel, but as an end-of-the-world movie, this delivers pulse-pounding, adrenaline-pumping excitement.

And Pitt is on top form in a rare action-hero role.