There is very little that will get me to a movie theater these days. We have a laser projector in our bedroom with surround sound and a pantry fully stocked with our children's snacks, so honestly, nothing beats watching a movie at home in complete comfort. But if anything will drag me out of the house and into a seat, it is a zombie movie.
I love a zombie movie.
On Saturday night I went to see the new Resident Evil film. The last time I was in a theater was for 28 Years Later, and before that, 2019. Pre-pandemic. So I had high expectations.
And I loved it. I cannot remember the last time a zombie film made me feel so many things at once. Suspense. Terror. Genuine laughter. Poignancy. It made me think about why I loved it as much as I did. It's because it evoked conflicting feelings, all at the same time. You knew you were watching horror, and yet it was hilarious, and also quite moving. That range was everything.
I am telling you this because I noticed a parallel. A zombie film is not unlike running a business.
KAEIU has put me through all of it. The terror of a production run going wrong. The dark humor of quitting your job to escape the 9-5, only to find yourself working 24/7. The suspense of launching something new and not knowing if anyone will care. And the wins, however small they might look from the outside, that feel enormous when they arrive.
Then there is the relentlessness. Zombies don't stop for anything. You survive one wave and another is already forming on the horizon. Business is the same. You are never going to solve all your problems and then simply coast. There is always another obstacle, another decision, another thing that needs figuring out. The threat never fully goes away.
What I loved most about the film was how the director handled all of that. With humor and with heart and by not letting horror be the only thing. I hope I can do the same with KAEIU. To not let the hard parts be the only thing. To laugh when things go sideways. To muster the will to keep going when things look bleak. I have been looking at my summer numbers and bleak is, in fact, the word. So I am taking my own advice to heart.
I know it is Tuesday and I was supposed to send this on Sunday. But quite frankly, I was fighting my own zombie battles. And I am just here to tell you that I'm still standing.
Cheers to another week ahead.
With love,
Maria
One of many zombie battles this week. A smushed banana. In my laptop port. 💀