Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- eerie
- claustrophobic
- paranoid
- late night horror viewing
- lights out scare night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film effective at delivering chills and several genuine scares, while noting its formulaic characters and heavy reliance on jump scares.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Elizabeth, Kevin, and Joshua Parsons are terrorized within their family home by Joshua's imaginary friend.
The central threat is Z, the eight-year-old son's supposedly imaginary friend.
The film presents a new take on familiar bad-seed and supernatural-child horror conventions.
The family's terror depends on the uncertain status of Joshua's imaginary friend and his experiences.
Films like Z, and why
The Babadook
supernatural child-centered horror, domestic paranoia, and escalating jump scares
The Omen
a family threatened by a sinister child-associated supernatural presence and psychological dread
Imaginary
contained supernatural horror built around an apparently imaginary figure and family terror
Movie Details
- Director
- Brandon Christensen
- Release Date
- 2019-09-19
- Runtime
- 83 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (361)
Cast
- Keegan Connor Tracy
- Jett Klyne
- Sean Rogerson
- Sara Canning
- Stephen McHattie
- Chandra West
- Ali Webb
- Deborah Ferguson
- Kevin Doree
- Fox Rose
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, Shudder, Shudder Amazon Channel, Shudder Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Z about?
- A frightened family confronts the possibility that their eight-year-old son's imaginary friend is a genuinely malevolent presence.
- What is Z like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Z as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Z violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Z as mild.
- What did critics think of Z?
- Critics broadly found the film effective at delivering chills and several genuine scares, while noting its formulaic characters and heavy reliance on jump scares.
- Which films are like Z?
- Films with a similar feel include The Babadook, The Omen, and Imaginary.
- How long is Z?
- Z runs 83 minutes.
- Where can I watch Z?
- In United States, Z streams on AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, Shudder, Shudder Amazon Channel, Shudder Apple TV channel.
