Remember cooties? That made-up disease that we used as an excuse to avoid kids when we were in grade school? The new horror comedy Cooties takes that fictional, juvenile ailment and turns it into something deadly — and hilarious. Clearly none of these people got their annual cooties shot.

Cooties comes from the minds of writers Leigh Whannell (Saw, Insidious) and Ian Brennan (Glee), and appropriately seems to blend a delightful amount of terror and comedy. Whannell also co-stars in the film, which centers on a group of high school teachers who must fight back when the kids all become zombies thanks to tainted chicken nuggets. While the teachers try to assemble themselves to fight back, there’s also some unwelcome tension thanks to a pesky love triangle.

The film was directed by first-timers Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion, and initially played a couple of festivals last year, where it was picked up by Lionsgate. From what I understand, the film has undergone some significant (but positive) recuts since then. In addition to starring, Elijah Wood also produced Cooties under his SpectreVision banner.

Cooties features an excellent ensemble cast, including Wood, Rainn Wilson, Alison Pill, Jack McBrayer, Jorge Garcia, former SNL cast member Nasim Pedrad, Kate Flannery (The Office) and writer Leigh Whannell.

The film will arrive in theaters and OnDemand on September 18.

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