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Parents' Guide to

Zombies

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Teens challenge stereotypes in lively Disney musical.

Movie NR 2018 94 minutes
Zombies Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 7+

Based on 28 parent reviews

Starcatcher60
Starcatcher60 Adult
February 24, 2023
age 6+

Think of all the little girls . . .

There were a lot of things wrong with this movie (bad songs, cheap acting e.c.t) but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that the main female character's "big secret" is that her hair is the colour WHITE. Are you KIDDING ME? Think of all the little girls who are going to watch this and see this main character who cares SO MUCH about her looks that she had to keep the colour of her hair a secret from everyone. I mean, are you serious?! That's a ridiculous theme to include. When will Disney Channel realize that girls don't always care so much about their looks! I was annoyed and quickly spoke to my daughter after the movie was finished. I told her what I thought about the whole hair thing, and she said, "I thought it was dumb too, Mama. Why wouldn't she just be brave and let the people see who she was?" I think this is a very damaging movie for little girls (and overall, a boring movie for you too!) Certainly not worth watching.
4 people found this helpful.
PandaLover58
PandaLover58 Adult
February 5, 2023
age 6+

Another bad Disney Channel film

Bad film with annoying songs, cheap acting, bad sets. Same plot of Descendants (also a terrible movie) Lots of girl stereotypes. Sometimes I feel like every Disney Channel movie has girl stereotypes. Absolute waste of time. If you want a good zombie movie, watch Zombies in the Snow or something, not this crap.
2 people found this helpful.
See all 28 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In ZOMBIES, Seabrook is the perfect town with perfect neighborhoods, perfect residents, and a perfect record in high school cheerleading competitions, but all that uniformity comes under threat when students from neighboring Zombietown integrate Seabrook High School. While most of the humans bristle at the idea of coexisting with zombies, Addison (Meg Donnelly) feels an immediate connection to Zed (Milo Manheim), an optimist who hopes this change will be the start of full equality for his fellow zombies. As Addison and Zed's relationship evolves, tensions run high in this town, and people must decide where their loyalties lie.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (28 ):
Kids say (72 ):

The fact that there are few surprises in this movie doesn't overshadow its appealing messages about tolerance and embracing individuality. It's obvious within the first minutes of Zombies exactly where the story's headed, and if you've seen Descendants, you'll notice similar evolutions of character and plot as the tale of unlikely friendship and broader social healing unfolds.

Beyond the most obvious struggle for Zed and Addison's relationship to be accepted lies the matter of Addison's inner turmoil over her own secret. As Addison wrestles with subjecting herself to judgment in an effort to do what's right, she reminds viewers of the importance of self-acceptance and positive self-esteem. Once again Disney hits a home run with the song-and-dance segments that engage viewers and reemphasize the strong themes about resisting peer pressure and respecting differences.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about stereotypes in Zombies. Kids: In what ways does prejudice exist on both the zombie and the human side of this story? Does the media perpetuate stereotypes of certain groups? Are stereotypes always negative?

  • Kids: What accounts for Zed's unflappable optimism in this story? How do other people's opinions of us influence our self-esteem? Do you ever feel pressure to hide or change your true self? What other positive character traits do you see in the characters? How do they communicate with each other?

  • Is perfection an attainable goal? Who defines what's cool and what's not? Is being in the "in crowd" something that's important to you? Why or why not?

Movie Details

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.

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