Is Dawn of the Dead scary?

Yes, properly. Dawn of the Dead is the real thing without being an endurance test.

How gory is Dawn of the Dead?

Extreme gore and brutal violence. If graphic gore is a dealbreaker, skip it.

What is Dawn of the Dead rated, and is it OK for kids?

It is an R, with real scares, several jump scares, and moderate sex and nudity. Keep it for adults.

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

Film · 1h 41m · Rated R

Action, Horror, Sci-Fi

Survivors barricade inside a mall, battling relentless, flesh-eating zombies with gritty, pulpy horror.

Suspenseful, with dark satire. A full-attention watch at full speed. Emotionally it is heavy.

Streaming on Starz.

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Dawn of the Dead parents guide

Heads up on extreme gore. That is past what the R on the box suggests. Beyond that, real scares and several jump scares.

Scare: Properly scary; Frightening, not just tense.
Jump scares: Several; More than a couple of sudden jolts.
Gore: Extreme gore; Our top level for gore.
Violence: Brutal violence; Our top level for violence.
Sex and nudity: Moderate; Moderate means a sex scene or nudity on screen, even brief, or sexual violence that is described or implied but never shown.
Language: Strong; Frequent strong profanity or slurs.

How we rate: an AI reads what is known about each title and tags it 0 to 3; we check the tags against a hand-rated set and correct them by hand when readers tell us. Estimates, not a scene-by-scene review. Spot a mistake? Tell us.

Three questions

Is Dawn of the Dead scary?: Yes, properly. Dawn of the Dead is the real thing without being an endurance test.
How gory is Dawn of the Dead?: Extreme gore and brutal violence. If graphic gore is a dealbreaker, skip it.
What is Dawn of the Dead rated, and is it OK for kids?: It is an R, with real scares, several jump scares, and moderate sex and nudity. Keep it for adults.