Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires 2025 Movie Review
Zombies 4 is directed by Paul Hoen, and was written and produced by David Light. This time round, Milo Manheim and Meg Donnelly are also producers and the stars. Dawn of the Vampires follows Addison (Meg Donnelly), Zed (Milo Manheim), Willa (Chandler Kinney), and Eliza (Kylee Russell) as they begin a new chapter in their lives, having graduated from Seabrook High and moved on to college. During a road trip reunion, the group stumbles upon a hidden world where vampires and daywalkers—two rival supernatural groups—are locked in conflict. Both rely on a rare resource called the blood fruit to survive, but supplies are running dangerously low.
To save both their species, the vampires and daywalkers must put aside their differences and work together to unlock a mysterious location where more blood fruit can be found. The group finds an old camp where Addison, Zed, Willa, and Eliza serve as counsellors, helping to guide this uneasy alliance. However, things get complicated when the Z-bands, which help control zombie behaviour, begin to malfunction. As a result, zombies risk “zombieing out,” and werewolves may lose control and “werewolf out”, meaning they could die or never return to themselves again. With time running out and the stakes higher than ever, the group must solve the mystery, restore balance, and prevent a disaster. The parents of the vampires and daywalkers assign Victor the vampire and Nova the daywalker as the leaders of their groups. But unknown to everyone else, the daywalkers have more evil plans. Victor and Nova, despite being in different groups, are connected to each other.
Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires is a fantastic adventure, musical, drama, romance with some light horror elements. The film takes on a much more serious tone. The lighthearted humour that was in previous films has been toned down, making way for a more mature, thoughtful narrative that reflects how the main characters have grown over time. In my opinion, this instalment feels noticeably more serious than the previous films, reflecting the characters’ growth and maturity. They’re no longer as funny or as lighthearted and there’s a more adult tone throughout.
The stakes are higher this time round than in any other zombies film, in my opinion, I often found myself unsure of what would happen next. As the story serves as a passing of the torch to a new generation, there’s a real sense of unpredictability, and the slight possibility of loss adds emotional weight to the plot. You can’t be sure who will make it to the end, and there’s a lingering possibility that some beloved characters might not survive or may leave in an emotionally impactful way. Zombies 4 also makes a strong effort to honour the legacy of previous characters. While not everyone from past films returns, they are mentioned in meaningful ways, and the return of Shrimpy was a nice surprise. It shows the filmmakers haven’t forgotten where the story began.
The film also has a more mature theme, as Zed and Addison are both so focused on cheering and football that they are not making time for each other and are forgetting the importance of being with the people you love. An additional theme is about speaking out about what is right even if everyone else is against you. The film still has some comedy throughout and certain scenes I found funny are when the characters got into a car crash and Eliza was more worried about her marshmallows. Meg Donnelly, as Addison, has funny facial expressions throughout the film with her expressive reactions—especially when she says“ that really is a night and day difference,” which made me laugh lots. Another unexpectedly funny scene was when everyone looked completely shocked as Victor and Nova said goodnight to the different groups. All the cast are fantastic, but the new additions, especially (Freya Skye) as Nova and (Malachi Barton) as Victor, are extremely talented actors. Victor is more fun and laid-back, while Nova is the more serious and commanding one. The contrast works well, and their chemistry grows naturally throughout the film. It was sweet to see them holding hands as they walked around, a subtle but meaningful gesture. Zed and Addison even seem to recognise the connection between Victor and Nova, like they’re seeing a reflection of their younger selves. It’s a charming, nostalgic touch that fans of the series will appreciate. We are also introduced to the vampires Vargas (Mekonnen Knife/MK) and Vera (Swayam Bhatia). They are both fun to watch and have different personalities, but I wish their characters were explored more. We also get introduced to Ray (Julian Lerner), who is a very slight villain, but he is more just doing what he has learnt over the years from his parents and family and doing what he thinks is right. What I liked about Nova and Victor is that they both share similarities to Zed and Addison, and Nova is very slightly like Willa as well, but less fierce. Another fun moment is when Nova takes charge and says “yay,” followed by a fist bump with Zed. An enjoyable moment was when a character calls Addison an alien-cheer thing, which was funny. The new additions to the cast all have great chemistry, with the returning cast and new cast all bonded well together. The cast is all extremely talented and have beautiful voices. Meg and Milo’s voices have really matured since the first film. Meg and Milo’s chemistry, like the previous films, is fantastic and has grown since the first film. This time round they spend more time apart from each other. Milo is always fun and full of energy and I liked how Meg played a more grown up and mature version of Addison. One scene that stands out is when the original characters are all sitting around a fire having mature, heartfelt conversations—it’s a powerful reminder of how far these characters have come, compared to previous films. This film is far more emotional than previous films in terms of character development and also not knowing if characters will make it, and Zombies 4 did a great job at making me feel different emotions. One moment that stayed with me was when Addison reassured the teens at the camp that a certain main character would be okay, despite clearly knowing they probably wouldn’t be. You could see how upset she was, even as she tried to stay strong. It added a quiet but powerful emotional punch to the story. The vampires style is great with them wearing cool jackets and I liked Addison’s blue boots. We also get a solo from Freya Skye, whose voice can be soft yet powerful. The songs are good on Dawn of the Vampires, but lots of them have a bit less of a pop vibe, and more rock style. The vampires’ entrance is elevated by a cool electric guitar instrumental theme that gives them an exciting presence. Other music in the movie is a mix between rap and pop in one song for an exciting moment in the film. I found a few songs to be emotional, romantic or happy all at the same time especially one of the final songs. Dawn of the Vampires has two beautiful songs, one is called Dream come true. It’s captivating to watch Nova and Victor connect as characters throughout the performance Sparks fly between them that builds with every note. At the same time, the chemistry between Nova and Victor is deeply romantic. The way they look at each other, the emotion in their voices—it all comes together to create a truly beautiful and heartfelt moment on screen. Freya and Malachi both have a fantastic chemistry together. While the return of ain’t no doubt about it, is also beautiful romantic and yet emotional. You have been on a journey with Meg and Milo playing Zed and Addison for a long time and the way its filmed leaves you feeling emotional yet happy while also being beautiful to watch. The choreography in this film is great. The vampires dance more energetically and lively, contrasting with the daywalkers, whose dance style is more fierce and stylish. I loved it when Nova says in a song it’s way hotter and does some badass choreography to match the lyrics. I also liked how the choreography is done in a way where it’s like the two groups are fighting or battling but through dance instead of actual fights. There are other creative pieces of choreography I liked—especially the one where everyone freezes, and only two people are moving, and another where people are spinning while singing. Zombies 4 also has far more fight scenes compared to previous films, which was a great addition even though they are still brief.
I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to interview Freya Skye and Malachi Barton the lead stars of the film. Freya told me that when filming fight scenes she found it hard to remember to duck as the people are actually throwing real punches. Malachi added that wearing harnesses for certain scenes made both of them feel a bit motion sick. They also told everyone that Meg and Milo helped guide, reassure and comfort them, especially becuse it was daunting being new to the franchise. One of the most challenging songs for them both to perform was show the world and Freya‘s solo song My own way.
Unfortunately, I did have a few small issues with this film. I missed the traditional final scene where the characters look at or wave to the camera and audience — it’s something the previous films always included, and its absence was noticeable. I also really wish the iconic instrumental theme music had returned; I believe this was the first film not to include it, which felt like a missed opportunity. It would have been great to see more returning cast members, even if only virtually. I also hoped for a few more romantic moments, particularly more kiss scenes for certain characters, like in the earlier films — and perhaps a kiss from the new cast as well. Because of the camp’s name, it was clear what its purpose was, which made me wonder whether the original characters knew all along. They sometimes seemed more like bystanders, overseeing everything, letting the Vampires and Daywalkers handle things, rather than being actively involved. I also wish the film clarified where it fits in relation to the Reanimated series. I assumed it had taken place before, but then Zed had his own car, which confused me a bit. It’s unclear if this is meant to be in the same continuity or not. If there’s one thing I wish had been different, it’s that Addison had said “I love you too” during a key emotional moment—it would’ve added even more weight and closure. I can’t recall Addison ever saying it despite showing she loves Zed lots, and it’s clear they both deeply love each other. I would have loved a slightly longer version of the “Someday” song — it’s such an emotional anchor for the series, and I wanted just a bit more of that moment. These are just some improvements I would have liked to an already great film.
Altogether, Zombies 4 marks a bold and mature step forward for the franchise. It manages to keep the charm and energy fans have come to love, while also exploring deeper themes of change and growing up. It’s a compelling continuation that balances nostalgia with fresh storytelling, keeping long-time viewers engaged while welcoming new ones into a darker, more complex world. Zombies 4 Dawn of the vampires is zombtastic, if this turns out to be the last time we see the original cast, the film does a great job of reassuring us that, no matter what, Zed and Addison will always love their friends, family and, most importantly, each other, and how everything’s going to be OK, They are going to be fine, so fine, ain’t no doubt about it!
