Zombieland is an incredibly enjoyable horror comedy that leans heavily on the latter half of that equation. Effectively a buddy movie set in a post-apocalyptic landscape populated by hordes of bloodthirsty zombies, it centers on two diametrically opposed personalities — the neurotic and cautious Columbus and the impulsive and aggressive Tallahassee — who are forced to cooperate in order to ensure their mutual survival as they road trip across the ruins of America.
Despite their differences, this “odd couple” dynamic results in a complementary team where Columbus brings the defensive strategy with his pedantic list of rules for safety and Tallahassee provides the offensive firepower.
The film’s opening demonstrates the validity of Columbus’ rules to live by —literally in order to avoid dying — through a series of amusing vignettes demonstrating the grisly consequences that befall those who don’t do cardio, or double tap, or wear a seatbelt.
Right out of the gate the film packs plenty of gore: a zombified Secret Service agent belching freshly-gorged blood directly on to the camera lens, a birthday party full of little girls dressed as princesses violently assaulting a minivan, and a three-legged race where the leading team of survivors are hotly pursued by also-three-legged teams of zombies — all before the opening credits finish conclude. (Side note: Metallica’s For Whom the Bell Tolls is a killer soundtrack for this early montage of slow-mo deaths.)
These critical rules are called back throughout the rest of the film via on-screen graphics which somehow manage to provoke giggles all on their own.
Columbus is, of course, our protagonist. Despite being anxious and socially awkward, he is also intelligent and empathic — and the natural everyman counterpart to Tallahassee’s daredevil action lover. It doesn’t hurt either, that he’s played by Jesse Eisenberg with his trademark deadpan charm (an early highlight: “I’m in Garland, Texas. And it may look like zombies destroyed it, but that’s actually just Garland.”).
It is Columbus who experiences the traditional hero’s journey: forced to operate outside his comfort zone after teaming up with Tallahassee he experiences multi-dimensional growth and awareness and must ultimately break one of his own steadfast rules — and face one of his greatest fears — in order to save someone important to him.
Despite the scope and budget of the film, Zombieland has a minimal central cast. Other than our core duo there’s really only the con artist sisters, Wichita and Little Rock, who deceive our heroes into giving up their weapons and their vehicle… and then scam them all over again just a little way down the road.
No review of Zombieland is complete without mentioning its infamous celebrity cameo — so spoiler ahead if you haven’t seen it… The inclusion of Billy Fucking Murray as a version of himself that uses stage makeup to pass as a zombie so he can continue to play golf unbothered is a delight. He’s such a big name and presence that his rapid dispatch is both shocking and hilarious. (His post-credits appearance in Zombieland: Double Tap is also one of the best things about the 2019 sequel.)
Zombieland is a delightfully fun and funny film adored by horror fans. It reminds us that horror is entertaining, that people and relationships are ultimately what life is all about, and that even when the world is ending, it’s important to find time to enjoy the little things.
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