--- title: "Zombieland: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/zombieland/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/zombieland" critics_score: 70 critics_reviews: 15 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Zombieland (2009): what the critics said Critics' score 70 from 15 reviews: 11 positive, 2 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics find Zombieland a funny, character-led horror-comedy, with praise clustering around the script, comic timing and cast. Eisenberg’s narration and his partnership with Harrelson receive particular approval, while a cameo is repeatedly singled out as a highlight. The reviews generally welcome the road-trip structure and playful approach to zombie violence, treating the film’s emphasis on laughs rather than scares as a strength. The spread is wide, however, and even favourable reviews flag thin plotting, uneven pacing and limited interest in doing anything new with the genre. Critics disagree over whether the characters have depth and whether the comedy sustains itself. The Evening Standard finds inspiration running short after half an hour; Slant Magazine goes further, rejecting the direction, jokes and relationships as poorly developed. For most critics, though, the performances and wit are enough to make those shortcomings tolerable. ## Empire — Chris Hewitt Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 9 March 2009. The critic praises Ruben Fleischer’s assured debut as inarguably brilliant, highlighting its witty characters, the standout cameo, and how it stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the best of the genre like Shaun of the Dead. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/zombieland-review/) ## The AV Club — Nathan Rabin Rating B+. 1 October 2009. The critic calls it a winning road movie/horror-comedy that runs with the wish-fulfillment conceit of a zombie apocalypse. The clever script, goofy physical comedy, and comic chemistry between Eisenberg and Harrelson are praised. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/zombieland-1798207107) ## Time Out — David Jenkins Rating 4/5. 6 October 2009. The critic praises the film's abundant laughs from its witty script and a standout cameo, calling it brisk multiplex entertainment. Some genre fans may find it light on horror conventions but it delivers gory fun and strong comedic energy overall. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/zombieland-1) ## Total Film — Matt Glasby Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 5 October 2009. The review calls Zombieland funny throughout and often screamingly so, singling out the whip-smart script, Eisenberg’s voiceover, and the cast’s comic timing while noting it is light on plot. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/zombieland-review/) ## Evening Standard — Derek Malcolm Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 20 February 2015. The critic describes a blood-spattered comedy-horror with an amusing Bill Murray cameo and a few good lines, but notes that inspiration is pretty fallow after about half an hour. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/bloodspattered-comedy-in-zombieland-7416973.html) ## Slant Magazine — Nick Schager Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 1 October 2009. The critic deems the film a lurching, sketchy affair that fails to establish its world or tone, resulting in a flimsy cartoon. It is faulted for unsure direction and two-dimensional jokes that fail to capture the spirit of zombie movies or human relationships. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/zombieland/) ## Los Angeles Times — Michael Ordoña 1 October 2009. Ordoña praises the film as a character-based comedy rather than a standard gore-fest, highlighting the crack cast and Woody Harrelson's relish in dispatching zombies. He notes first-time director Fleischer's impeccable timing and bloodthirsty wit. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/blogs/hero-complex-blog/story/2009-10-01/lat-review-zombieland-kills-as-character-based-comedy) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert 30 September 2009. Ebert finds the film a funny zombie comedy thanks to strong comic timing and a standout Bill Murray cameo. He praises the inventive road-movie structure and the cast's performances amid the gore. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/zombieland-2009) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw 9 October 2009. The critic calls it a very ridiculous film which is also a treat, praising its entertaining take on the zombie canon with strong performances from the leads and a focus on character relationships over satire. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/oct/09/zombieland-review) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Michael Rechtshaffen 25 September 2009. The critic finds the film a bloody, disgusting blast that balances humor and gore with energetic panache. The perfectly pitched performances, especially the standout Bill Murray cameo, are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/zombieland-review-movie-2009-93595/) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis 1 October 2009. Dargis calls it a minor, self-amused diversion that follows the familiar gore-slicked zombie path without Romero's politics. She notes the cast is icing on a film whose real pleasure is its appetite for inventive zombie destruction. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/02/movies/02zomb.html) ## The Times — Kevin Maher 9 October 2009. The review describes it as a smartly-written zombie movie parody that eschews excessive gore for amiably droll lines, noting the pacing is lackadaisical and the plot riddled with holes but still enjoyable. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/zombieland-zgb56r3kxqs) ## Den of Geek — Ron Hogan Rating 5/5. 5 October 2009. The critic finds it a great funny comedy with zombies, praising the script, casting especially Woody Harrelson, and the pacing. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/zombieland-review-2/) ## Eye for Film — Daniel Hooper Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). Everything about Zombieland works, from the voice-over narration and flashbacks to the well-judged tone changes and depth of the characters. The critic highlights the slick direction, casting, and screenplay as key strengths. [Read the review](http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/zombieland-film-review-by-daniel-hooper) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating B+. 2 October 2009. The film is a breezy horror-comedy road trip heavy on inventive kills and infectious fun rather than horror or reinvention. Harrelson's Tallahassee steals the show with his gleeful zombie-slaying flair and the rules narration sets a light, video-game-like tone. [Read the review](https://collider.com/zombieland-review/) ## /Film — Peter Sciretta Rating 8/10. 25 September 2009. Festival review. Zombieland exceeds expectations as a fun, awesome film that hits multiple genres with clever humor, heart, and standout sequences like the opening credits and a memorable cameo. The screenplay is singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/505543/fantastic-fest-movie-review-zombieland/) ## Paste — Michael Saba Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 2 October 2009. Zombieland flips zombie conventions for a gory buddy-comedy road trip with snappy dialogue, memorable characters, and slick set pieces that waste no time in its tight runtime. It succeeds as a smart, well-produced action flick focused on enjoying the little things without deeper aspirations. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/zombieland/zombieland) ## The Playlist — Rodrigo Perez Rating B. 5 October 2009. The film is a clever and entertaining riff on the zom-com genre with wry humor and stylish rules, though it remains predictable and has issues with digital blood effects. It is diverting and largely satisfying overall. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/some-thoughts-on-zombieland-oh-tha-20091005/) ## Digital Spy — Simon Reynolds Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 5 October 2009. Praises it as lean, tight multiplex entertainment with inventive deaths and wry comedy, but notes some flaws like thin characters and awkward chemistry; highlights the genius cameo as making it worth seeing. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a180475/zombieland/) ## HeyUGuys — David Sztypuljak Rating 6.5/10. 30 September 2009. The critic finds the first half strong with belly laughs and an excellent opening sequence but feels the second half falls short of its potential. The cast is praised, particularly the cameo by Bill Murray. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/review-zombieland/) ## The Wrap — Desson Thomson Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 1 October 2009. The critic finds the film opportunistic and exploitative, turning the zombie genre into a perky gorefest for the multiplex with recognizable Hollywood stars. It devalues the B-movie currency of zombies, unlike the clever Shaun of the Dead. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/zombies-we-have-seen-enemy-and-its-us-dead-8102/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/zombieland.md