Sean Parker
Animated films and television are some of my favorites. You’ve probably heard me mention Futurama once or twice in my reviews, but it runs so much deeper than that. Knowing that, it likely won’t surprise anyone that Night of the Zoopocalypse is one of my most anticipated movies of 2025 and likely the most understated. It’s not a Disney, Dreamworks, or BlueSky animated film. Instead, indie outlet Viva Pictures takes the reigns. A relatively new animated outlet whose decade-spanning filmography may bear a slight resemblance to more recognizable properties. Monster Family looks relatively close to Hotel Transylvania, and Cats uses a font similar to The Secret Life of Pets. While not everything has that mirrored connotation, Viva has been taking things in a bolder direction lately, and I genuinely like where they’re headed.
Starting with the Sundance-selected film The Amazing Maurice back in 2022, Viva seems more committed to fresh new animated tales under their banner, and Night of the Zoopocalypse is brazenly that. Inspired by a concept from Master of Horror Clive Barker (Hellraiser, Nightbreed), Night of the Zoopocalypse is the story of Gracie (Gabbi Kosmidis), a young wolf who witnesses a cosmic-radiated meteor crash into the petting zoo. As standard with all meteor-based horror, Gracie goes to check it out, only to find trouble inside when she’s attacked by a glowing pod containing a mutated bunny. Very quickly, the zoo becomes overrun with mutated zombie-like alien creatures trying to spread their mutation to the small stronghold of animal holdouts. It’s effectively Madagascar meets Night of the Living Dead.
The voice cast and direction are also quite extraordinary. Stranger Things’ David Harbor plays recently captured mountain lion Dan in the film. The Kids and the Hall’s Scott Thompson is a nervous Ostrich named Ash, and The Mandalorian and Ahsoka star Paul Sun-Hyung Lee is a conniving monkey named Felix who’s only out for himself. However, the most entertaining part of Night of the Zoopocalypse is the Moo Deng-inspired Poot lovingly satirized in the film and voiced by Christina Nova. Poot is the aloof heart of the film, involved in some of the film’s most comedic and exciting moments. Meanwhile, Pierre Simpson’s movie-loving Lemur Xavier provides meta-commentary on the event, which is charmingly effective as a guide for kids while parodying the genre for adults.
For older horror fans, Night of the Zoopocalypse is a blast, riffing on a smorgasbord of our favorites like The Blob, The Thing, and Alien. Parents will be joyously laughing in delight at some of the references, helpfully putting some children’s tensions at ease if they’re not typically endeared to the macabre aspects of the genre. If your kid likes scary stuff, Night of the Zoopocalypse is a perfect experience for your little horror lover. The film builds itself up fantastically for a younger audience, ideally allowing parents to test the waters by gradually building instead of throwing them into the deep end right away. Still, the theater is a dark place with a big screen. If your young one is sensitive, the film does have a few relatively intense and exciting sequences and may not be for them just yet.
As the uncle to a five-year-old who constantly asks if he can “watch a Chucky movie,” I think Night of the Zoopocalypse is far better suited to deliver what he actually wants. The kid loves Monster House and Creature from the Black Lagoon, but he’s also big on Encanto and Moana. Night of the Zoopocalypse stuffs an effective message under its zomberific animation, one concerning teamwork and acceptance, even if it is between herbivores and carnivores locked up in a zoo. The adults will see the group dynamics playing like a Romero film and smirk about it, but they’ll also like the dynamic “teamwork makes the dream work” lesson playing out. It won’t hit you like a Pixar film, so there’s no need for the tissues; it’s just a great time at the movies.
Unfortunately, my nephew didn’t get to watch the film with his review-writing uncle this go around, but I’m confident we will end up at the theater for this one. The movie is right up his alley, and I think it’ll probably be his favorite very soon. I’m a little tougher to please on that end. Though Night of the Zoopocalypse is a cosmic blast of body-snatching fun, I found the first act a little stiff. But, after that, it breaks out into a fantastic film for both kids and adults. The animation is lively and smooth, the cast is mega-talented, and the film is undeniably enjoyable. So, maybe it will end up on my list, but we’ll have to see where it lands when my nephew watches it for the thirtieth time this year. Either way, it has all the markings of a children’s horror cult classic.
Night of the Zoopocalypse crash lands into Earth’s theaters on March 7.
