The second Zombies movie sadly discards the original’s relentless worship of its color palette by bringing in werewolves, whose aesthetic seems to be “cheap Twilight knock-off via low budget Syfy special.” I mean, the colors were half the draw of the first… why abandon that?
Additionally, the film’s worldbuilding twists so far into incoherency I can’t even get fun out of it… monsters are illegal but still running for school president, werewolves show up at school as new students and people barely shrug (are they enrolled in classes?), and there’s a magic moon crystal for some goddamned reason. The leads both seem a little bit checked out, too, adding to the aloofness.
Saving it from utter catastrophe are three things: First, the musical energy is still there, and the tunes still pretty hooky (which is, again, not the same as “good”). It thankfully never feels draggy.
Second, Zombies 2 has significantly more interesting politics on its mind. Instead of a simple “we’re all in this together” message, it ponders what happens when two minority groups find themselves each separately trying to break down prejudices and find acceptance, and the various tensions that could arise. (Addison’s struggle to find her own identity in that scrum is actually kind of moving.) It’s not artful in the slightest, but it’s still a little less insipid than the campy loopiness of Zombies 1.
Third, it’s just fucking weird in so many indescribable ways. Long live the Zombies movies, though I much prefer part 1.
Is It Good?
Nearly Good (4/8)
Note: This review was published early in The Goods' history and is a candidate for an expanded review in the future. Please excuse brevity or inconsistencies in style.
Dan is the founder and head critic of The Goods. Follow Dan on Letterboxd. Join the Discord for updates and discussion.