The reviews lean towards disappointment, though even several sceptical critics find laughs in Zombieland: Double Tap. Praise centres on Zoey Deutch’s comic timing as Madison, with the returning cast’s chemistry and occasional bursts of inventive action also earning credit. The common reservation is that the sequel repeats too much of the original, relying on familiar character dynamics, callbacks and jokes that have lost their freshness.
The spread is wide: warmer reviews accept the loose plotting and lack of novelty as tolerable drawbacks, while harsher ones question the point of returning at all. Collider finds enough delight in the performances to forgive the makeshift story; Polygon sees the dated misogyny, particularly the treatment of Madison, as a fundamental problem. That divide matters more than agreement about the thin plot: some critics enjoy the familiar company, while others find the humour actively unpleasant.
H
The Hollywood Reporter
16 October 2019 · John DeFore
75*
DeFore finds the sequel entertaining and well worth fans’ time, though its weaker new elements and repeated material make a third installment seem unnecessary. He particularly praises Zoey Deutch, whose performance turns Madison into a consistent source of laughs.
Read the full review →E
Empire
16 October 2019 · Chris Hewitt
68*
The critic finds the sequel enjoyable and occasionally funny, though plainly inferior to the original. Zoey Deutch’s committed performance and sparky delivery help make the shallow Madison character endure.
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Read the full review →I
IndieWire
16 October 2019 · C+ · Kate Erbland
63
Erbland finds the sequel limp and overly reliant on its predecessor, despite occasional laughs and lively moments. She singles out Zoey Deutch’s performance as Madison as especially funny and endearing.
Read the full review →T
Time Out
16 October 2019 · ★★★ · Joshua Rothkopf
60
The review finds the sarcastic zombie-comedy sequel tired and only intermittently lively. It singles out Emma Stone’s palpable boredom as one sign of the film’s weariness.
Read the full review →T
Total Film
16 October 2019 · ★★★ · Neil Smith
60
Smith finds the sequel flawed and less entertaining than the original, though he leaves room for another installment. He praises a late callback Easter egg but criticizes the directionless structure and sidelining of Abigail Breslin’s character.
Read the full review →A
The AV Club
16 October 2019 · C · Katie Rife
57
Katie Rife finds the sequel tedious, with jokes and character dynamics that feel stale and overplayed. She singles out Zoey Deutch as the funniest part, while noting that the film also has a few effective scenes of gory mayhem.
Read the full review →E
Evening Standard
18 October 2019 · ★★ · Charlotte O'Sullivan
40
O'Sullivan finds the sequel tired, with a thin plot and smug, conservative jokes. She complains that the script wastes Emma Stone's comic talent, while Bill Murray's end-credits appearance is a bright spot.
Read the full review →L
Little White Lies
17 October 2019 · 2/2/1 · David Jenkins
40
Jenkins finds the sequel tiresome, unnecessary and quickly forgettable. He singles out its thin, rehashed material and limp jokes as key flaws.
Read the full review →R
Radio Times
★★ · Emma Simmonds
40
Simmonds finds the sequel’s humour no longer feels fresh after the decade-long gap. The review’s complaint is that its comedy has lost the appeal of the original.
Read the full review →G
The Guardian
16 October 2019 · ★★ · Benjamin Lee
40
The critic finds the sequel unnecessary, creatively stale and short on the humour or charm that made the original enjoyable. He gives limited credit to its snappy pace, but singles out the weak writing and bored performances as major flaws.
Read the full review →S
Slant Magazine
16 October 2019 · ★½/4 · Steven Scaife
38
The critic finds the sequel complacent and emotionally hollow, with its self-awareness no longer feeling fresh. They single out the cast’s charisma, especially Emma Stone’s expressiveness, while criticizing the uninspired comedy and close-up-heavy direction.
Read the full review →V
Variety
16 October 2019 · Peter Debruge
35*
Debruge finds the sequel’s familiar irreverent comedy still works, but judges its humor increasingly compromised by the violence it makes light of. He praises the new characters and comic set pieces while criticizing the film’s treatment of women and gleeful mass murder.
Read the full review →L
Los Angeles Times
16 October 2019 · Katie Walsh
20*
Walsh finds the sequel stale, taxing, and weighed down by mustily misogynistic humor. She praises brief flashes of novelty, especially the doppelgängers and Rosario Dawson’s monster-truck moment.
Read the full review →V
Vulture
16 October 2019 · Alison Willmore
20*
Willmore finds the sequel creatively threadbare and unable to justify returning to its world. She criticizes its reliance on recycled callbacks and pop-culture references, while noting Rosario Dawson fares best among the new characters.
Read the full review →C
Collider
16 October 2019 · B · Matt Goldberg
77
Goldberg finds the sequel surprisingly delightful, though unnecessary and loosely assembled. He singles out Zoey Deutch’s comic timing and characterization as the film’s standout strength.
Read the full review →R
The Ringer
18 October 2019 · Miles Surrey
75*
Surrey finds the sequel charming and worthwhile despite its aimlessness and lack of anything new to say. He singles out the playful spirit of the cast, especially the doppelgänger scenes with Luke Wilson and Thomas Middleditch.
Read the full review →The critic finds the sequel lively and entertaining, preserving the original’s cheeky tone while making room for character growth. They praise Zoey Deutch’s energetic performance but criticize some jokes as tired or unfunny.
Read the full review →D
Den of Geek
16 October 2019 · ★★★½ · Don Kaye
70
Kaye finds the sequel surprisingly funny, though it has little new to say. He especially praises the chemistry among the returning leads and Woody Harrelson’s performance.
Read the full review →/
/Film
16 October 2019 · 6/10 · Josh Spiegel
60
The critic finds the sequel somewhat enjoyable but held back by a weak, makeshift-feeling script. The cast, especially Zoey Deutch, brings charm and comic life to the material.
Read the full review →H
HeyUGuys
· Katie Smith-Wong
50*
The critic finds the sequel entertaining but says it ultimately falters. They praise the cast and creative action, especially the motel sequence, while noting the inconsistent comedy and underused Little Rock.
Read the full review →C
Consequence
17 October 2019 · Joe Lipsett
45*
The critic finds the sequel an overly familiar redo, though fans may still find it a suitable companion. Zoey Deutch’s performance is singled out as the film’s standout, while its dated humor and ideas draw criticism.
Read the full review →P
Paste
17 October 2019 · 4.0/10 · Dom Sinacola
40
Sinacola finds the sequel stale, unimaginative, and overdue, with little to say beyond repeating the original. He especially criticizes its one-note characters and reliance on sexist stereotypes.
Read the full review →F
Film Stories
18 October 2019 · Billie Melissa
35*
The critic finds the sequel underwhelming, despite its enjoyable humor and the cast’s comfortable chemistry. They particularly criticize the jokes made at Zoey Deutch’s character’s expense as uncomfortable.
Read the full review →The critic finds it an enjoyable but unnecessary sequel that does not match the original. The returning cast brings energy, while predictable plotting and drawn-out battles weaken the film.
Read the full review →P
Polygon
18 October 2019 · Karen Han
25*
Han finds the sequel entertaining at moments but ultimately rotten and stuck in the past. She especially criticizes its dated misogyny, which pits its female characters against one another and makes Madison the target of repeated jokes.
Read the full review →Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate