Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Clever horror-comedy has decent message underneath gore.

Movie R 2011 89 minutes
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 15+

Based on 8 parent reviews

age 13+
Goofy sort of twist on a horror movie. In the same sort of category Shawn of the Dead and Zombie Land.
age 18+

Very Funny, Gory with heart

Really entertaining twist on 'teens in the woods' horror flicks. Lots of laughs and buckets of blood. The actors playing Tucker and Dale are very compelling and believable. Their charm really makes the film and you care about their story. The movie is basically a farce or a comedy of errors with each error resulting in a gruesome death. While the manner of the deaths is so over the top as to be funny, the biggest laughs come from the dialog. "Tucker and Dale vs Evil" excels at both physical comedy (the chainsaw scene for example) and verbal (explaining the situation to the police). Great movie. This film had a tremendous audience reaction at the Seattle International Film Festival. There's a laugh every minute.

This title has:

Great role models
Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (8 ):
Kids say (18 ):

Director/co-writer Eli Craig makes his feature debut with a simple, ingenious idea. Why are hillbillies always so nasty and evil in horror movies? What if they're really good folks, and the college students are the awful ones? The movie takes this idea and runs all the way with it, allowing audiences to catch on at their own pace.

Most of the movie's success comes from Labine and Tudyk's lead performances; the actors conjure up an appealing combination of smart, dumb, and sweet, and have a believable friendship. There's also a visceral thrill in the outrageous deaths, each so hilariously implausible that it's shocking. The characters' deadpan reactions to the situation elevate the humor all the more. Although the movie isn't as endlessly engaging as something like Shaun of the Dead, it's still an all-around winner.

Movie Details

  • In theaters: September 30, 2011
  • On DVD or streaming: November 29, 2011
  • Cast: Alan Tudyk , Katrina Bowden , Tyler Labine
  • Director: Eli Craig
  • Inclusion Information: Female actors
  • Studio: Magnet Releasing
  • Genre: Horror
  • Run time: 89 minutes
  • MPAA rating: R
  • MPAA explanation: bloody horror violence, language and brief nudity
  • Last updated: June 20, 2023

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate