The Reel Review
Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin star in this 2009 comedy/horror about a ragtag group of survivors trying to make their way across the United States to a California amusement park during a zombie apocalypse.
Writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Deadpool, Deadpool 2) have created a fun, quirky story with equally quirky characters who name themselves after the cities where they are from – Eisenberg’s nerdy college student Columbus, Harrelson’s Twinkie-obsessed, gun-loving Tallahassee, and Stone and Breslin as the always-scheming sisters Wichita and Little Rock. Bill Murray even has a brief cameo as himself. Director Rubin Fleischer (Venom) consistently maintains the perfect balance between comedy and horror, with a clever incorporation of the rules for surviving a zombie apocalypse.
Zombieland is an immensely silly, head-smashingly violent, and cartoonishly entertaining film. Its big amusement park finale is reminiscent of a thrilling zombie shooter video game and it’s still as funny now as it was ten years ago.
REEL FACTS
• The film originally was intended to be a pilot for a TV series called Zombie Kill of the Week.
• Initially Emma Stone was cast in the role of 406, Columbus’ sexy neighbor, which went to Amber Heard (Aquaman) when Stone got upgraded to a starring role.
• Director Rubin Fleischer says he was inspired to make this film after seeing 2004’s hysterical horror/comedy Shaun of the Dead.
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