World War Z is criticized for lacking the gruesome gore, leading to the suggestion that it should have been rated R but it couldn’t quite make it.

World War Z is a well-crafted film, blending terror, suspense, and relentless horror with state-of-the-art special effects. But it still lacks in terms of ruthless gore depiction.
It’s still the highest-grossing zombie movie to date, which is the reason a critic claimed it should have rated-R.
The critic claimed that a zombie movie that wasn’t R-rated was “like a comedy with no laughs.”

Brad Pitt’s World War Z is a 2013 action horror flick based on a former United Nations employee. Pitt travels the world to seek a solution to escape from a sudden zombie apocalypse.
A still from World War Z
It is a well-crafted film, blending terror, suspense, and relentless horror with state-of-the-art special effects. But it still lacks in terms of ruthless gore depiction. Yet, the movie fetched $540.5M against a budget of $190 million. World War Z continues to be the highest-grossing zombie movie to date. That’s the reason a critic commented that this film should have been rated R.

Should Brad Pitt’s Zombie Blockbuster be Given an R-rating?
Brad Pitt in World War Z
As per the critique from Slash Film, he said that if Tom Savini or his graduates had worked for World War Z’s special effects, the film would have featured more displays of gore.

Not only this, but they could have detailed the shots of bodily desecration also. He remarked, “A zombie film without R-rated gore is like a comedy with no laughs.” So, there’s a reason to it why Pitt’s film could be R-rated.

But the fact is it’s the highest-grossing zombie movie in the world. Yet, this could have been only possible if the film’s graphics were to be more gore, an area in which the Brad Pitt starrer falls short.

World War Z Falls Short in Terms of Gore Depiction
A zombie from World War Z
Even though the film has less blood and gore than usual zombie movies, it can still scare kids under 13. And that’s why it’s rated PG-13 by the MPAA for intense, frightening zombie scenes and violence with disturbing images. These scenes are more intense when viewed in 3D. Therefore, it’s not recommended for kids under 15.

No doubt, World War Z features an expansive global narrative, but the limited depiction of gore hindered the film’s impact. The lack of gore couldn’t truly capture the essence of the zombie apocalypse and what normally zombie-themed movies are.

The unrated cut was improved in terms of CGI compared to the theatrical release. But the unrated version’s level of gruesomeness remains limited. Those acquainted with George A. Romero’s films, like Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead, can tell that World War Z couldn’t quite make it.