Dawn of the Dead (2004)
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A group of survivors must navigate the perils of a zombie apocalypse while seeking refuge in a suburban shopping mall.
The story
After a woman named Ana survives a terrifying encounter with a zombified neighbor, she finds herself fleeing through a chaotic neighborhood. She eventually joins a small group of survivors—including a police sergeant, a salesman, and a criminal with his pregnant wife—who take refuge inside a nearby shopping mall. As they attempt to secure the premises and navigate the dangers of the undead, they must contend with the growing threat of the infection and the isolation of their sanctuary. The group faces the daunting reality of a world overrun by the undead while trying to find a way to survive the initial chaos of the outbreak.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After Ana's husband is killed by a zombified neighbor, she escapes and joins a group of survivors—including Sergeant Kenneth Hall, Michael, and Andre with his pregnant wife Luda—inside a shopping mall. They are joined by several others, including a man named Frank who is bitten and later killed by Kenneth. As weeks pass, the group faces internal tensions and external threats, including a siege by zombies and the death of Luda during childbirth. They eventually decide to flee the mall via a nearby marina to reach an island on Lake Michigan. During the escape, several members are lost, including Michael, who takes his own life after being bitten. The film concludes with camcorder footage showing the group reaching the island, only to be overwhelmed by a massive horde of zombies.
- First release year
- 2004
- Runtime (minutes)
- 100
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Zack Snyder
- Writers
- James Gunn · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Sarah Polley; Ving Rhames · Sergeant Kenneth Hall; Jake Weber; Mekhi Phifer; Inna Korobkina · Luda
- Genres
- action; horror
- Themes
- redemption; survival
- Tone and mood
- action-oriented; grounded in reality; gore-drenched
- Premise and plot tags
- zombie apocalypse; remake; shopping mall
- Source material / true-story basis
- George A. Romero's 1978 film
- Franchise connections
- Dawn of the Dead
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews, praised for its production values and action, though some critics noted a lack of character development and social commentary compared to the original.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 59 · scale: 100 · review count: 37
- Production trivia
- The score was composed by Tyler Bates in his first collaboration with Zack Snyder.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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