Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires Parent Guide

As their freshman year of college comes to a close, Zed (Milo Manheim) and Addison (Meg Donnelly) set out on a road trip to their respective summer camps. The unsuspecting zombie and human couple soon find themselves trapped between the warring towns of Shadyside and Sunnyside, populated by vampires and daywalkers respectively. Determined to help the two towns learn to get along, Zed and Addison decide to stay and act as camp counselors as the two sides try to find a solution to a problem that threatens them all.

Every time a new Zombies movie comes out, I think “There’s no way Disney has thought of another monster allegory for racism” and yet somehow, they always do. As with the previous installments of the franchise, the overall story is focused on cooperation, understanding and accepting differences, and shedding old prejudices. You can read it as an allegory for racism, prejudice, xenophobia, or any sort of bias you can think of. It’s written to be broad enough so young audiences can apply it to whatever situations they can relate to, which I appreciate. This version leans into ideas around leadership and trust, which is a nice addition to the show’s overall positive messages.

If you’ve seen any of the previous Zombies movies, you know exactly what you’re getting into. The songs are catchy and well-choreographed, the story is simple, the acting is subpar, and the whole production is dripping in cringe. In other words, perfect for tweens. Fans of the franchise are sure to enjoy this new sequel, which hits all the same beats as the previous chapters, and audiences who weren’t interested in the first place won’t miss anything.

About author

Savannah Sillito

Savannah Sillito is a librarian with a master's in library science, a bachelor's degree in English, and a certificate in early childhood education. She enjoys nonfiction books, travel, and is a staunch proponent of the Oxford comma.