Ben Wheatley’s series about an aged undead army is an entertaining drama packed full of fine British actors – even if it’s far from subtle

A truck overturns in a quiet town and scatters a load that would be the last you would want scattered anywhere. It is my favourite way to start a zombie movie – or, in this case, television series, written and directed by Ben Wheatley – and soon we are off to the gory races.

The twist after this traditional setup is that the first infected are old – specifically the residents of two care homes. Cecily (Sue Johnston) is patient zero for one, her companion Frank (Paul Bentall) for the other. Also, the infection makes them not sicker, but better. These are talking, thinking, planning-the-best-way-to-get-more-delicious-flesh zombies, moving as a gang through a nearby forest, preying on cyclists, walkers, dog owners and – pet lovers beware – dogs. I am pretty sure Bentall, despite his long and storied career, never envisaged adding to the skills section of his CV “Punching through a dog and wearing it as a gauntlet-club”.