It’s been three years since the last Zombies movie, so you might need a refresher on where the series left off. Thank goodness the beginning of the new movie, Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires, gives you a quick recap of what you need to know. You don’t necessarily have to watch the first three movies to watch (and enjoy) this one with your kids, but you will probably have a natural curiosity about how it compares with the others in the franchise.
Here is how the opening scene breaks it down for fans: Zombies, humans, werewolves, and aliens have learned to co-exist in the town of Seabrook, thanks to the effects of galactic moonstones (and three previous movies' worth of conflict resolution). But now, two new species join the utopia and threaten the peace in Seabrook.
The two new groups, called Daywalkers and Vampires, quickly make enemies out of each other as they treasure power and resources over peace and inclusivity. Not to mention, the new tensions happen the summer before the main characters from the previous movies head to college—will this mean they spend their summer reliving quarrels and fighting for their right to exist?
As a fan of the franchise, seeing this unexpected conflict through to the end was both rewarding and symbolic of the kind of struggles we see in society today.
Let’s talk musical numbers! The original Zombies movie first aired in 2018—almost eight years ago! Though the original storyline may be distant in our memories, the soundtracks haven’t missed a beat!
Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires put it all out on the dance floor (or ate and left no crumbs as the young generation would say), with ten new songs and two reprises from our franchise favorites: Someday and Ain’t No Doubt About It.
The movie still has a High School Musical feel for older Disney musical fans, but there are some Gen Z and Gen Alpha vibes when it comes to song and dance choice. Needless to say, the whole family is likely to enjoy watching this one together if you don’t mind the singing!
Explaining the Zombies 4 age rating
Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires, now streaming on Disney+, received a TV-G rating, meaning that it’s generally suitable for all audiences. Here is a breakdown of how the content of the movie measures up to its rating.
Sex & Nudity: You won’t have to worry about anything in these categories which is always a breath of fresh air when you have young kids. There are definitely a few hints of romantic interest, but they are shown more with flirtatious eyes and gestures rather than innuendos or sexual activity. It is actually rather cute how the main characters of Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires are a younger replica of Addison and Zed from the original movie, with the same naivety, bravery, and innocent crushes on their sworn enemies.
Violence: With monsters like zombies, aliens, werewolves, and vampires, this movie couldn’t really exist without some sort of violence or drama. The violence you see depicted in this movie, as well as others in the franchise, is very safe for young kids. No one dies in the movie, though there are lots of threats between species that don’t like each other. Each species has its own power or strength, and you see them lean on those throughout the movie, but there are no weapons involved that would make this a traditionally violent film.
Language: No red flags to look out for here! You might hear some name-calling, but there are no swear words or crude humor.
Drinking & Drugs: There are no drugs or alcohol used or referenced throughout the movie.
Overall Verdict
The TV-G rating is perfect for Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires. The only scary element you might want to be aware of is that if your kid hasn’t yet been exposed to these types of monster characters, seeing the zombies and werewolves transform might be new for them. However, the transformations are very subtle and would probably not cause any fear for younger kids. The monsters still look very much like humans when they start to glitch into their more beastly side.
If your kids are not used to monster movies, maybe starting off with something animated, like the Sing: Thriller short film would be a better bet to get them into the genre.
Will your preteens and teens enjoy this film too? I’d say the target audience is definitely younger, but I think we all get soft spots sometimes for feel-good movies, and this is one of them! Your teen may give a few eye rolls or pretend they’re not into it, but I think they’d enjoy the aspect of making this a family affair before the end of their summer vacay.
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