Zombieland

"Nut up or shut up."

2009 1h 28m EN

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 13,538

ComedyHorror

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Columbus has made a habit of running from what scares him. Tallahassee doesn't have fears. If he did, he'd kick their ever-living ass. In a world overrun by zombies, these two are perfectly evolved survivors. But now, they're about to stare down the most terrifying prospect of all: each other.

“Nut up or shut up.”

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Cast

Jesse Eisenberg
Columbus
Woody Harrelson
Tallahassee
Emma Stone
Wichita
Abigail Breslin
Little Rock
Amber Heard
406
Bill Murray
Bill Murray
Derek Graf
Clown Zombie
Elle Alexander
Zombie Meter Maid (uncredited)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ruben Fleischer
Writers: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

88 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 4.3× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 17 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Zombieland Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ruben Fleischer, shot by Michael Bonvillain. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by David Sardy. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Peter Amundson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson and Emma Stone carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ruben Fleischer directs. Michael Bonvillain behind the camera. David Sardy scores. Peter Amundson cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

188 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Made its money back 4.3× over at the box office.
3Released 17 years ago.
4Part of the "Zombieland Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Directed by Ruben Fleischer, shot by Michael Bonvillain. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by David Sardy. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Peter Amundson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson and Emma Stone carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Nut up or shut up.".
10IMDB entry: tt1156398 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
1113,538 TMDB user ratings logged — serious cultural footprint.
12Classified under 25 themes, including "washington dc, usa", "sibling relationship", "saving the world", "circus".
13Released under 14 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Michael Bonvillain
Original score: David Sardy
Editing: Peter Amundson
Production design: Maher Ahmad
Costume design: Magali Guidasci
Makeup / hair: Sarah Mays
VFX supervisor: Stéphan Kosinski
Sound: Tateum Kohut
Stunt coordinator: Jeffrey Lee Gibson
Runtime: 88 min · 1h 28m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $23,600,000
Box office: $102,391,540
Return: 434% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Zombieland (2009)

Part of

Zombieland Collection

A series of films centering on a group of survivors making their way through a zombie apocalypse which resulted from a strain of mad cow disease that mutated into "mad person disease" that became "mad zombie disease". Survivors of the zombie epidemic have learned that growing attached to other survivors is not advisable because they could die at any moment, so many have taken to using their city of origin as nicknames.

Also by

Ruben Fleischer

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Andres Gomez2013-11-26
★ 5/10
Fun, not that fun to have a higher mark than a 5/10.
Manuel São Bento2019-10-26
★ 8/10
If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog :) I haven't seen Zombieland in quite a few years, but with its sequel being released this week, now it's the perfect moment to go back to the hilarious world of zombies. It still holds up incredibly well. In a time where zombie films and TV shows were starting to come up (The Walking Dead premiered one year later), this post-apocalyptic zombie comedy flick still remains as one of the best zombie movies of the century. Their use quickly became something cliche, and neither funny or scary. Nowadays, people are used to seeing the living dead on the screen all the time, so why does a 2009's film like this still work? Well, first of all, the outstanding cast is halfway through success. In 2009, only Woody Harrelson was already a renowned adult actor. Emma Stone and Jesse Eisenberg didn't star in anything truly remarkable yet, so much that Abigail Breslin was more recognizable than them. Even with only 13-years-old, she already had an Oscar nomination in a supporting role (Little Miss Sunshine). However, everyone delivers fantastic performances, which carry the simplistic yet entertaining story to such a success that it became a zombie classic. Harrelson portraying Tallahassee, the guy who's not scared of anything and likes to "enjoy the little things", is one of his career's coolest roles. Eisenberg is not exactly the type of actor I like since he can only do so much with his acting abilities. He always offers the same type of character: a quirky, twitch-full, idiosyncratic personality, which most of the times doesn't work. Contrary to this tendency, Columbus is a character that logically and hilariously fits this model, hence Eisenberg is the movie's primary source of comedy. From his list of rules to his weird behavior, everything feels natural since the character's background justifies his awkward self. Stone and Breslin share great moments together, as well as Harrelson and Eisenberg, but the former duo has less exciting sequences. Nevertheless, even though the girls could have received more character development, their relationship gives them a compelling reason for us to care about. Wichita might just look like the cliche hot girl who falls for the good guy, but she would do anything to protect her sister, and her love for Little Rock does give her some gravitas. The cast's chemistry is undeniably astonishing. It's visually palpable that they had tons of fun doing this film, and that elevates every single conversation or action scene. The short runtime allows for a fast-paced story, packed with fun moments, and a lot of bloody zombie killings. The production design is remarkable. Excellent use of practical effects and real sets, plus a perfect soundtrack. Ruben Fleischer knew precisely what he wanted the movie to be, and he never tried to make it something more. Yes, it still involves a romance of sorts, and some backstories might not be funny or joyful. However, it never feels forced or fabricated. It never overextends its stay because Zombieland is neither a romance or a drama. It's purposefully campy, plays with stereotypes creatively, and it's merely 88 minutes of good fun. We are in 2019, and studios forgot how to make films like this! Every year, there are dozens of blockbusters that would be extremely entertaining if studios would just let them be what they are meant to, but no. They need to have some relevant story that carries a political tone or a social message. Zombieland has all the attributes of a pure blockbuster: a phenomenal cast, a straightforward narrative packed with thrilling sequences, a short runtime with fast pacing, compelling characters, and thousands of zombies. Put together a funny screenplay filled with chuckle-worthy jokes, and you have yourself one of the best zombie movies of the century. It's one of those films which don't exactly have what people address as "flaws". Zombieland has its cliches and lazy exposition, but it heavily compensates them with 80 minutes or so of spectacular entertainment. It's a zombie cult classic. Nut up or shut up, but watch the goddamn movie! Rating: A-
The Movie Mob2022-08-27
★ 8/10
Zombieland is a hilarious treat for comedy and zombie fans alike. Zombieland is a goofy spin on the hordes of zombie movies that came as a result of The Walking Dead’s popularity. It follows a zany cast of characters with big personalities thrust into a post-apocalyptic landscape. However, rather than living in constant fear and survival, it feels as if the characters consider it all another Tuesday. Their motivations are finding twinkies or love rather than escaping death. This tonal twist leads to a very entertaining, self-aware plot that takes funny jabs at traditional zombie tropes. The cast nails this tone as well, with Harrelson, Eisenberg, and Stone all delivering sarcastic yet genuine and caring performances.