Plot Explained Spoilers guaranteed!
Plot Explained

Browse by genre

We Are Zombies (2023) movie poster

Timeline

We Are Zombies (2023) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2023 · 80 mins · English
Echo score 69
JustWatch #4,624 54
Directed by
Anouk Whissell, François Simard
Starring
Teneisha Collins, Clare Coulter, Dusan Dukic, Vincent Leclerc, Guy Nadon, Derek Johns

Set in a city overrun by the LIVING‑IMPAIRED—non‑cannibal zombies—a trio of aimless friends looking for quick cash find themselves drawn into a desperate rescue. They battle petty criminals and a ruthless megacorporation that has kidnapped their grandmother, fighting to free her before it’s too late.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (13)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like We Are Zombies
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch We Are Zombies (2023)

Where can you watch We Are Zombies? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video, Midnight Pulp and Fawesome: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

Streaming availability powered by JustWatch

13 events in order · contains spoilers

We Are Zombies Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of We Are Zombies (2023) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Introduction to a world with docile zombies

    The movie opens in a world where humans coexist peacefully with zombies, who are considered second-class citizens due to their 'living-impaired' status. Maggie Neard, a small-time thief, intercepts a call to collect an unwanted zombie from the Coleman Corporation's Retirement Services for the Living-Impaired. This sets the scene for the conflict involving zombie treatment and illegal activities.

  2. Maggie and the zombie pick-up

    Maggie’s accomplice, Karl, and his friend Freddy, retrieve a zombie from the McKenna residence while posing as official collectors. During the pickup, the zombie bites a family member, forcing them to decapitate it to prevent further harm. The crew receives half payment from Don due to the damage caused during the incident.

    Where
    McKenna residence
  3. Hannity's reprimand

    Hannity, a strict officer for the Coleman Corporation, criticizes Stanley and Rocco for repeatedly allowing Maggie and her crew to interfere with their zombie collection assignments. He orders them to recover the $25,000 they are owed, highlighting internal conflicts within the organization.

  4. Freddy's romantic confession

    Freddy confesses to Karl that he wants to propose to Maggie with a flashy ring, revealing his longstanding crush on her. Karl, skeptical, points out Freddy and Maggie have not even dated, leading to a teasing argument where Freddy insults Karl's habits.

  5. Capture and zombie accident

    While confronting Karl and Freddy, Rocco accidentally shoots himself during the altercation, turning into a zombie. This incident prompts discussions about the dangers they face, especially since the crew is already in trouble with the law for their activities.

  6. Ransom demand and crime escalation

    Karl, Maggie, and Freddy discover that Stanley and Rocco have kidnapped Mrs. Neard to blackmail for ransom. Desperate for money, they seek out Otto Maddox to steal the corpse of actress Debbie Jones, aiming to earn $50,000 from this illicit job.

  7. Coleman's Project Zoltan and its failure

    Hannity presents 'Project Zoltan,' a gas designed to reengineer zombies, which disastrously causes test subjects' heads to explode. The project is initially terminated by Coleman, but after the CEO's death and subsequent zombie resurrection, Hannity uses the opportunity to push his control over the company.

  8. Zombie investigation at cemetery

    The team infiltrates Country Hill Cemetery searching for Debbie Jones's body but finds it's too skeletal to reanimate. Maggie recognizes Stanley as her ex-boyfriend on a call for ransom, and rioting zombies are unleashed on the scene after the Project Zoltan gas is deployed, turning the environment chaotic.

    Where
    Country Hill Cemetery
  9. Scheme to replace Debbie Jones

    Unable to reanimate Debbie due to her skeletal remains, Karl suggests using Jane, an undead online sex performer who resembles Zelvirella, to stand in for Debbie. The group persuades Jane to come with them for their plan amidst a series of misadventures and police encounters.

  10. Climactic chaos at the art show

    During Otto Maddox's performance art show, the zombies turn violent after Hannity releases the gas. Don escapes with Otto's money, and a series of fights ensue involving zombies, including the undead Mother Theresa, who kills Otto. Jane steals a briefcase as chaos unfolds.

    Where
    Otto Maddox's performance art show
  11. Framing as bioterrorists and Hannity's downfall

    The main characters are wrongly framed as bioterrorists following the zombie attack. Hannity is unmasked and captured, leading to an altercation where Freddy breaks his neck, but Hannity resurrects as a zombie and kills Freddy. Maggie decapitates Hannity in self-defense.

  12. Stanley's betrayal and transformation

    Stanley, revealed to be disguised as one of Hannity's henchmen, unmasks and threatens Hannity at gunpoint. After an intense fight, Freddy kills Hannity, who then reanimates as a zombie and shoots Freddy. Stanley steals the briefcase but gets bitten and turns into a zombie.

  13. Post-apocalyptic survival

    Two weeks later, the group survives in a diner after the world has become a zombie wasteland due to Hannity's viral gas. They navigate this new harsh environment with Maggie, Karl, Freddy, Jane, Mrs. Neard, and Rocco, while Stanley wanders the devastated landscape still holding the briefcase.

    When
    Two weeks after the main events
    Where
    A diner and the wasteland

Last updated: August 19, 2025 at 05:13

Was this helpful?

Timeline questions answered

We Are Zombies Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of We Are Zombies (2023): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Maggie decide to become a zombie collector?

Maggie intercepts a call from Coleman Corporation's Retirement Services for the Living-Impaired about collecting an unwanted zombie. Seeing an opportunity for quick cash, she convinces her half-brother Karl and his friend Freddy to pose as official zombie collectors to pull off a scam.

  • maggie neard
  • zombie collection
  • coleman corporation
  • scam
Q2

Why does Karl suggest using Jane instead of Debbie Jones's body?

After infiltrating Country Hill Cemetery, the team discovers Debbie Jones's body is too skeletal to reanimate. Karl then recalls Jane, an undead online sex performer who strongly resembles the actress Zelvirella, and proposes using her as a substitute to complete Otto's job.

  • jane
  • debbie jones
  • zelvirella
  • corpse replacement
  • otto maddox
Q3

What is Project Zoltan and why does it matter?

Project Zoltan is an experimental gas developed by Hannity for Coleman Corporation, designed to re-engineer and control zombies. During a demonstration, it causes test subjects' heads to explode. After seizing control of the company, Hannity later releases the gas at Otto's show, turning peaceful zombies violent and triggering a global apocalypse.

  • project zoltan
  • gas
  • hannity
  • zombie control
  • coleman corporation
Q4

Why does Hannity release the gas at Otto Maddox's show?

Hannity uses Otto's performance art show as an opportunity to deploy Project Zoltan gas on a large crowd, demonstrating its effects in public. The gas turns all nearby zombies violently aggressive, creating chaos and allowing Hannity to capture Jane.

  • hannity
  • otto maddox
  • art show
  • gas attack
  • project zoltan
Q5

How does the global zombie apocalypse happen?

Hannity releases Project Zoltan gas at Otto's show, which has viral effects that spread beyond the venue. The gas turns docile zombies worldwide into violent, aggressive undead, triggering a global zombie apocalypse within two weeks.

  • global apocalypse
  • virus spread
  • zombie outbreak
  • world ending
Q6

Why is Stanley working with Hannity if he's an undercover agent?

Stanley is revealed to be an undercover agent disguised as one of Hannity's henchmen. During the climax, he unmasks Hannity and takes him at gunpoint, exposing his true allegiance. However, after stealing the briefcase during the chaos, Stanley gets bitten and turns into a zombie.

  • stanley
  • undercover agent
  • hannity
  • betrayal
  • briefcase
Q7

Why does Freddy die and how does Maggie kill Hannity?

Freddy breaks Hannity's neck during the confrontation, but Hannity resurrects as a zombie and shoots Freddy in retaliation. Maggie then decapitates Hannity with a buzzsaw to stop his rampage.

  • freddy death
  • hannity zombie
  • maggie kills hannity
  • decapitation
Q8

What happens to Mrs. Neard in the story?

Stanley and Rocco kidnap Karl's grandmother, Mrs. Neard, to extort ransom from the trio. During a phone call demanding money, Rocco accidentally shoots Mrs. Neard, killing her and turning her into a zombie. She later survives the apocalypse.

  • mrs neard
  • grandmother
  • kidnapped
  • turned into zombie
Q9

Why are the main characters framed as bioterrorists?

After the Project Zoltan gas is released at Otto's show and triggers the zombie outbreak, the authorities blame Karl, Maggie, Freddy, and Jane for the bioterrorist attack. They become wanted fugitives surviving in a diner while the world falls into chaos.

  • framed
  • bioterrorists
  • wanted
  • police
  • fugitive
Q10

Why does Jane leave with Otto Maddox?

During the chaos at Otto's show, Jane chooses to leave with Otto instead of staying with Karl. When Karl confronts her, she reveals she is not the real Zelvirella, which angers him. Otto is soon killed by an undead Mother Theresa.

  • jane
  • otto maddox
  • zelvirella
  • betrayal
  • leaving
Q11

What happens to Coleman Corporation CEO Bob Coleman?

Bob Coleman dies in a bizarre accident involving a sex swing, but is resurrected as a brain-damaged zombie. Hannity seizes control of the company and experiments on him with Project Zoltan to test if the gas can turn zombies feral.

  • bob coleman
  • ceo
  • zombie
  • sex swing
  • company takeover
Q12

Why does Rocco accidentally turn into a zombie?

During the confrontation with Karl and Freddy, Rocco carelessly shoots himself in the chaos. He immediately transforms into a zombie, adding to the escalating danger.

  • rocco
  • accidental shooting
  • self-inflicted
  • zombie transformation

Movie threads

More Movies Like We Are Zombies, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes We Are Zombies tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Chaotic Dark Satires like We Are Zombies

Where societal breakdown meets absurd, fast-paced humor and high-stakes action. If you liked the mix of corporate greed, zombie mayhem, and absurd humor in We Are Zombies, you'll enjoy these movies. Discover films with similar high-intensity pacing, darkly satirical tones, and stories about desperate characters navigating a collapsing society.

  • satirical
  • chaotic
  • absurd
  • gritty
  • anxious
  • bizarre
  • Tone: dark, satirical, absurd
  • Pacing: fast, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Narratives in this thread often follow misfit characters thrust into a crisis, where the established order is failing or has already failed. The conflict is typically against a powerful, exploitative system as much as the immediate threat, unfolding at a breakneck pace with a cynical outlook.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped together because they share a unique blend of high-intensity action, dark and absurdist humor, and a satirical take on modern anxieties. The pacing is relentless, the tone is bleak yet funny, and the worlds are gritty and bizarre.

Underdog vs. Corporation Stories like We Are Zombies

A group of unlikely allies takes on a powerful, ruthless corporation in a bleak world. Explore movies similar to We Are Zombies where a found family of misfits battles corporate greed. These films often share a gritty tone, moderate complexity, and a bleak outlook, focusing on desperate rescue missions or rebellions against powerful entities.

  • gritty
  • desperate
  • rebellious
  • underdog
  • dystopian
  • tense
  • Tone: gritty, bleak, desperate
  • Pacing: fast, high-stakes
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern centers on a small, personally motivated group confronting a vast, impersonal corporate or institutional power. The journey is one of desperate improvisation against a well-resourced antagonist, often involving a rescue or heist, and typically ends with a Pyrrhic victory or bleak outcome that underscores the systemic inequality.

Why they belong together: These movies are united by their core conflict: the personal versus the impersonal, the small versus the giant. They explore themes of corporate greed, desperate solidarity, and fighting for family in a world that values profit over people, creating a specific vibe of gritty, high-stakes rebellion.

If you liked this

Movies Like We Are Zombies

Similar movies to We Are Zombies: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

Browse all movie summaries

Every angle

We Are Zombies (2023) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about We Are Zombies in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

Plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Catch up on any movie in minutes, save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private, always.

Learn more about the app