Some movies want to terrify you. Some just want to make you laugh until you snort soda through your nose. Zombie Water Park wants to do both — preferably while you’re slipping on wet concrete and being chased by a half-decayed lifeguard in swim trunks.
The premise is so absurd it’s irresistible: a run-down water park on the brink of bankruptcy becomes ground zero for a zombie outbreak. And who’s left to save the day? Not elite soldiers. Not scientists. Nope — Adam Sandler as a lazy lifeguard, David Spade as his sarcastic best friend, and Kevin James as their blissfully clueless manager. If that cast list doesn’t already scream “ridiculous fun,” the opening scene — involving a suspiciously green slushie machine — seals the deal.
Tone-wise, the movie is part splatstick horror, part summer vacation comedy. Director Kyle Newacheck (Game Over, Man!) embraces the chaos, throwing neon lights, ’80s power ballads, and gallons of fake blood into every scene. The undead rise from the lazy river, stumble down waterslides, and even attempt synchronized swimming in one of the film’s most gloriously stupid set pieces.
Adam Sandler leans fully into slacker-hero mode, perfecting that “reluctant bravery” energy he’s been honing for years. Spade’s acerbic one-liners land like well-aimed water balloons, and Kevin James… well, Kevin James delivers a monologue about nacho cheese that somehow brings tears to your eyes.
The practical effects are where Zombie Water Park surprises you. Sure, there’s plenty of CGI splatter, but the makeup team went all-in on the aquatic zombie aesthetic — bloated skin, waterlogged limbs, and pool toys embedded in torsos. It’s disgusting in the best way.
Action highlights include a wave pool brawl set to Surfing USA, a duel on a double inner tube, and perhaps the most uncomfortably funny CPR scene ever put to film. The kills are creative, leaning into water park mechanics — chlorine burns, dunk tank traps, and one unforgettable moment involving a malfunctioning water cannon.
The humor hits about 80% of the time, though a few gags drag like a lazy river on low flow. Still, the chemistry between the leads keeps things buoyant, and the film knows exactly what it is: a big, dumb, splashy good time.
What elevates it slightly above your average parody horror is the weird heart at its core. Beneath the sunscreen and sarcasm is a story about three screw-ups finding purpose in the middle of the apocalypse. It’s strangely sweet — even if that sweetness is served alongside buckets of zombie guts.
By the finale, you’re either fully on board or wondering why you just watched a man try to water-ski over a pool full of undead. But for those in the right mood, it’s exactly the kind of ridiculous escapism January needs.
⭐ Rating: 7.8/10 — Stupid in all the right ways, Zombie Water Park proves that sometimes you don’t need a plan to survive the apocalypse — just a super soaker, a best friend, and maybe a working funnel cake stand.
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