As a gateway horror film, Night of the Zoopocalypse functions fine. But for those hoping that it might stand alongside some of the more daring or genre-savvy animated fare in recent years, this feels like a mild disappointment. Not quite wild enough to be truly memorable, and not sharp enough to be clever, it’s a serviceable but skippable entry in the animated horror-comedy space.
‘Night of the Zoopocalypse’ Movie Review
Night of the Zoopocalypse (2025) feels like a missed opportunity for something a little more clever, a little more memorable, and a little more fun. With a title this bold, and a concept that was reportedly born from the brain of Hellraiser creator Clive Barker, you might expect a twisted, genre-savvy romp—something that toes the line between early horror and kid-friendly comedy in the vein of Coraline or Gremlins. Instead, what you get is an animated adventure that plays it safe, aiming squarely at the younger crowd but without enough bite to keep older viewers engaged.
The setup has promise: a meteor crashes into a zoo, turning most of the animals into zombies. The only ones unaffected? A few survivors who must band together to fend off the undead and reclaim their home. Among them are Dan, a grumpy mountain lion voiced by David Harbour (Gran Turismo, Violent Night), and Ash and Felix, played by Scott Thompson and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, respectively. The vocal performances are solid—Harbour brings a reliably world-weary charm to his character, while Thompson and Lee offer bursts of personality—but the writing doesn’t always give them much to work with.
There are flickers of inspiration throughout. Directors Rodrigo Perez-Castro and Ricardo Curtis clearly had a strong visual concept, with the movie drenched in an appealing neon palette of greens and purples that gives it a low-key Halloween glow. Some of the action sequences are fun, and there are moments where the energy ramps up enough to make you lean in. The best running gag involves Dan being a full-blown horror movie nerd, referencing tropes and survival tactics straight out of Night of the Living Dead and Scream. For genre fans, these nods will get a chuckle, but they’re scattered too thinly to elevate the whole.
Tonally, Night of the Zoopocalypse falls into a familiar animated pattern—somewhere between Madagascar and Hotel Transylvania—but without the memorability of either. It’s not bad, just forgettable. That’s arguably more frustrating, especially when the film hints at something weirder and more distinctive. It’s got the visual flair, the setup, and a voice cast capable of selling more layered material. What’s missing is the kind of script that can balance goofy kid-friendly thrills with the smarter, sharper edge needed to keep adults engaged.
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To be fair, this will likely land well enough with younger audiences. It’s colorful, fast-paced, and loaded with mild scares that won’t traumatize anyone under the age of 10. As a gateway horror film, it functions fine. But for those hoping that Night of the Zoopocalypse might stand alongside some of the more daring or genre-savvy animated fare in recent years, this feels like a mild disappointment. Not quite wild enough to be truly memorable, and not sharp enough to be clever, it’s a serviceable but skippable entry in the animated horror-comedy space.
Score: 5/10
Night of the Zoopocalypse (2025)
- Cast: David Harbour, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Scott Thompson
- Director: Rodrigo Perez-Castro, Ricardo Curtis
- Genre: Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Horror, Science Fiction
- Runtime: 92 minutes
- Rated: PG
- Release Date: March 7, 2025
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