In this particular cinematic world, ushered in with Zombieland a decade ago, zombies have risen and taken over America. People are still around, but are few and far between, and always on the run. Two men and two young women, named for their towns of origin, band together to survive, and find that friendship is a blessing in the land of the undead. This sequel finds them together again, but perhaps only for a short while.

Ruben Fleischer’s film follows Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) as they move into the White House (they’ve always desired to live in a better neighborhood), before the women take off on their own. New characters include spacey blonde Madison (Zoey Deutch), bohemian Berkeley (Avan Jogia) and Nevada (Rosario Dawson), who doesn’t trust anyone enough to be more specific. The zombies have upgraded, some of them reaching a level that is speedier, smarter and deadlier than before.

This mix of adventure, satire, horror and sentiment is an absolutely winning blend; I had a blast watching it. I love clever movies and this one is certainly adroit. It’s sarcastic yet empathic, ultra-violent yet emotionally involving, romantic and concurrently jaded, somewhat scary and funny as hell. The four main characters are beautifully written and enacted, and when the guys encounter their doppelgängers, the results are darned entertaining. Toss in a hippie commune, a monster truck, post-its covering Abraham Lincoln’s eyes and the ever-present word visuals whenever Columbus spouts his “rules for survival” and this movie is a delight. It’s not great movie-making but I think it is my second favorite film of the year so far, behind Toy Story 4. ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2. 21 November 2019.