Read Time: 4 minutes
| RELEASE DATE | 10 July 2025 |
|---|---|
| DIRECTOR | Paul Hoen |
| DISTRIBUTED BY | Disney+, Disney Channel |
| WRITERS | Josh A. Cagan, David Light, Joseph Raso |
| CAST | Milo Manheim, Meg Donnelly, Malachi Barton, Freya Skye |
| RUNTIME | 1h 28m |
| AGE RATING | TV-G |
| GENRE | Family / Musical / Fantasy |
| BUDGET | Estimated $30 million |
Review:
With Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires, Disney's colorful creatureverse sinks its teeth into the vampire genre — and the results are fang-tastically entertaining. Set after Zed and Addison's first year of college, this road trip musical detour into the battling realms of Sunnyside and Shadyside delivers what fans expect: infectious songs, dazzling choreography, and a heart-shaped stake in the ground for acceptance, identity, and love.
Director Paul Hoen returns to steer this fourth installment with confidence, bringing continuity to the franchise while introducing fresh faces and fanged conflicts. Zed (Milo Manheim) and Addison (Meg Donnelly), now seasoned franchise veterans, land in the middle of a vampire-daywalker feud during a seemingly peaceful summer trip. What follows is a neon-lit mashup of monster mayhem, camp counselor chaos, and classic Disney musical flare.
What shines brightest this time is the music. The soundtrack is arguably the most ambitious of the series, weaving in EDM, punk-rock ballads, and Broadway-style tap routines. Numbers like “Kerosene” and “Possible” push genre boundaries and show off the cast’s vocal range — especially Manheim’s career-best performance as Zed. Donnelly brings both power and tenderness to Addison, making their story still feel central even as new stars begin to rise.
Newcomers Victor (Malachi Barton) and Nova (Freya Skye) step into the spotlight as conflicted monsters from opposing factions, and while their chemistry is still growing, their presence signals a passing of the torch. Some world-building might confuse younger viewers (do vampires drink fruit blood now?), but in true Zombies fashion, the message — unity through music — always shines louder than logic.
Though it plays things safer than previous entries, Zombies 4 stays true to its core: vibrant, weird, and full of heart. For fans of the franchise, it’s another singalong spectacle. For newcomers, it’s a sweet gateway into a world where love breaks boundaries and monsters just want to dance.
Victor: "Sun or shade, fangs or no fangs — if we can vibe to the same beat, we can change the world."
👉 Sink your teeth into this one — it's worth the bite!
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