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Parents' Guide to

Zombieland

By James Rocchi, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Horror-comedy hybrid is gory, crude ... and not for kids.

Movie R 2009 88 minutes
Zombieland Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 68 parent reviews

BlitzGuy20
BlitzGuy20 Parent of 8-year-old
June 29, 2021
age 13+

Fun, hilarious flick has some gory violence and language

Zombieland is a dark comedy flick about the zombie apocalypse, that being said you can expect frequent violence and cursing. VIOLENCE: Most of the gore comes from the opening title montage, where we see up close and nasty clips of people having there throats torn out, bitten in graphic detail, zombies being blasted and killed, a woman face planting on concrete splattering blood everywhere and other graphic images. Also disturbing images of zombies vomiting strange liquids etc. and this makes up most of not all of the “gory” violence. Most of the violence later on is quick, the camera doesn’t linger and blood is pretty moderate. Countless zombies are shot, blasted, crushed, bludgeoned, fall to there death and more with blood, however, after the main credits the camera doesn’t seem to linger on the killings, however they are still violent. A zombie is shown feasting on a woman’s intestines. Zombies appear graphic, with bloody detail. Mayhem and destruction throughout, involving zombies, smashing of stores, cars, property. Overall, the violence throughout is quite bloody and intense, sometimes graphic, but it appears moderate compared to many other zombie films not counting the opening scene. LANGUAGE: Around 25 uses of “f*ck” including “motherf*cker”, use of “sh*t”, “b*tch”, “p*ss”, “ass”, “bastard”, “godd*mn”, “hell”, “Jesus Christ” and a use of “c*ckblocking” in sexual context. SEXUAL CONTENT: Mild sexual innuendo and references, a zombie is shown in a skimpy bikini at the beginning, brief kissing. OVERALL: 13+

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
2 people found this helpful.
Benji A.
Benji A. Parent of 11-year-old
June 10, 2023
age 12+
Ok for kids if there mature and can handle gore

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
See all 68 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In ZOMBIELAND, two months after the outbreak of a plague that turned the majority of humans into flesh-hungry walking dead, two survivors meet. Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) is a nervy, nerdy loner, while Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) is a wild man warrior who's ready to handle any and all zombie attackers. The two soon bump into con-artist sisters Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) -- after some initial clashing, the foursome heads to Los Angeles, with the promised land of a supposedly zombie-free amusement park as their destination.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (68 ):
Kids say (235 ):

While violent and crude, this movie is also great fun. It's that rare horror-comedy that manages to have its overall senses of excitement and tension supported, not undercut, by the tension-releasing laughs. The cast is uniformly fine, with Harrelson as a real standout, and commercial director Reuben Fleischer jumps to the big screen with verve and intensity. The film's affection for prior zombie movies is clear, but Zombieland never breaks its own rules: The undead are almost always a real threat.

The jokes come as fast and furious as the body count (including a cameo by a celebrity survivor that's too good to spoil); the action is both goofy and exhilarating; and, while the film certainly isn't for kids, it's ultimately a remarkably satisfying genre deconstruction that simultaneously celebrates and makes fun of zombie-film traditions.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Zombieland's mocking tone. Can a film mix brutal violence and comedy? Horror and humor? How does the comedic tone affect the impact of the violence?

  • Why do you think zombies are such a popular movie subject? What do zombie movies tend to have in common? Why are they so often also about the end of the world?

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