There’s such power that accompanies the cinematic experience. The bold stories that come to life in movies can often reach a deeper level than other forms of entertainment. Each movie genre has a lot to offer the audience, yet there’s always a heavy fascination with horror movies and the ways they can genuinely terrify their audiences.
There are more ambitious horror movies than ever before and an increasing tendency to push boundaries, giving new life to some overdone horror subgenres - like zombie movies. Zombies are one of the oldest horror movie staples. Zombie fatigue has taken away some of their power through the years, but there are still undead stories that are sure to evoke screams.
Updated on February 1st, 2023 by Daniel Kurland: Zombies are one of the horror genre’s most popular monsters, and it’s fascinating how the cumbersome undead have managed to evolve through different decades. The broader strokes behind zombies as the reanimated dead who have a hunger for brains and flesh largely remains the same, but inventive revisions regarding their origins, environment, or even genre have helped give these creatures new life. There’s a lot of zombie content out there, not all of which even properly fits into the horror genre, but certain titles are guaranteed to terrify audiences.
15 The Happiness Of The Katakuris Mixes Zombies With Absurdity
Release Date: January 1, 2001
The Happiness of the Katakuris is the closest that ambitious Japanese writer/director Takashi Miike gets to a zombie apocalypse, but the fearless filmmaker still manages to provide a unique perspective on the undead. Described as Dawn of the Dead meets The Sound of Music, The Happiness of the Katakuris follows a struggling family’s efforts to run a guest house.
Once the bulk of their guests comically expires, the Katakuri family attempt to hide the bodies, only they don’t want to stay hidden. Happiness of the Katakuris contains some upsetting sights, but its periodic escape into claymation and musical sequences ultimately defang the film.
14 Little Monsters Pits The Undead Against A Class Of Kids
Release Date: January 27, 2019
Little Monsters is a relatively recent zombie film that comfortably toes the line between horror and comedy. That being said, its emotional highs don't disappoint, and any moments of levity only better accentuate the carnage of the undead.
An unlikely trio that's made up of a kindergarten teacher, a washed-up children's show personality, and an aimless musician must protect a large group of children from both an ongoing zombie attack as well the efforts of the military to sweep this epidemic under the table. Little Monsters’ use of children as prey creates intense stakes and a committed performance from Lupita Nyong'o really sells the horror of this disaster scenario.
13 The Serpent And The Rainbow Goes Back To Zombies' Roots
Release Date: February 5, 1988
Wes Craven is a master of horror who's responsible for both the Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream franchises. 1988's The Serpent and the Rainbow is Craven's foray into zombie territory, but the director opts for the more "realistic" take on the subject matter through Haitian culture and the use of a debilitating powder that can turn people into living zombies.
Craven's film is tone-deaf in several regards with its depiction of Voodoo and "witch doctors." However, its ideas are still terrifying, especially since they're steeped in reality and not nearly as outlandish as other zombie movies.
12 Night Of The Comet Tells A Unique Survivor Story
Release Date: November 16, 1984
Night of the Comet is a horror/science fiction hybrid that exudes the '80s with its Valley Girl survivor story. Regina and Samantha learn that they're some of the few survivors of a cannibalistic zombie apocalypse that's the result of a mysterious comet sighting.
These two teens team up with a trucker, only to learn that eccentric scientists who are desperate for an antidote are just as much of a danger as the zombies. Night of the Comet is a psychedelic and minimalist take on a zombie outbreak that’s scary, surreal, and inspirational.
11 The Beyond Unleashes A Whole Hellscape Of Horrors
Release Date: April 22, 1981
Lucio Fulci is one of the most revered names in Italian horror and his genre efforts from the 1980s still put many modern horror movies to shame. Fulci excels with gruesome practical effects and his movie, The Beyond, showcases some of the director's most effective work.
The Beyond revolves around Liza, a young woman who inherits a hotel that turns out to be the site of a murder as well as sit atop an active gateway to hell. Liza is subjected to all sorts of supernatural creatures, zombies among them. The undead are frightening, but it's the graphic executions and acts of violence that give The Beyond its bite.
10 The Crazies Unleashes A Biological Outbreak With Murderous Consequences
Release Date: February 23, 2010
Remakes can be a tricky proposition and there's an extra level of reverence that's applied to classic horror films. However, remakes can also genuinely improve upon a flawed piece of cinema, like the 2010 reboot of George A. Romero's 1973 The Crazies. Romero's original is far from a perfect movie.
There's a lot more to be said as the 2010 remake unpacks a biological virus that transforms the residents of a small town into murderous monsters. While perhaps not traditional zombies, The Crazies portrays this loss of control in a terrifying manner.
9 Zack Snyder's Dawn Of The Dead Provides A Modern, Menacing Take On The Genre
Release Date: March 10, 2004
George A. Romero’s original Dead trilogy of zombie films are formative pictures that forever changed the audience’s relationship with the living dead. The reverence that’s associated with these movies is appropriate, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t also be improved upon. Zack Snyder has graduated into a blockbuster filmmaker, but his fast-paced reimagining of Dawn Of The Dead is still some of the director’s best work.
Dawn Of The Dead's overriding feeling of hopelessness is amplified by Snyder’s fast zombies and copious carnage. All of which add a new element of terror to these traditional threats.
8 Overlord Is A Loving Pastiche To World War II Cinema With A Horrific Twist
Release Date: November 19, 2018
Sometimes the very best horror movies are the ones that bury their true premise, only to aggressively reveal what’s really going on once the audience is at their most vulnerable. Overlord doesn’t show its hand and it begins as a gritty World War II men-on-a-mission trope.
There’s a clear love for older B-movies, which becomes much more apparent after brutal science experiments on prisoners of war reveal undead horrors. Overlord brilliantly balances its contrasting genres and uses them to create an emotional, destabilizing descent into madness.
7 #Alive Explores A Zombie Outbreak Through Modern Sensibilities
Release Date: June 24, 2020
There's some truly groundbreaking things being done with the zombie genre by South Korean filmmakers. #Alive depicts a modern take on a zombie apocalypse as it chronicles a video game streamer's struggle to stay alive as the world falls apart.
#Alive takes full advantage of its streaming-style structure and the confined apartment that #Alive's overwhelmed protagonist is largely stuck in. #Alive is proof that there's still a lot more to be done with the zombie genre and that modern revisions can strengthen a classical horror idea rather than weaken it.
6 28 Days Later Presents The End Of The World With Stark Clarity
Release Date: June 27, 2003
Some of the earliest zombie movies get dismissed for their supposedly schlocky nature. Some are dismissed for how they're more representative of B-cinema than arthouse films. Danny Boyle is an Oscar-winning filmmaker who redefines the scope and artistry of a zombie outbreak movie through 28 Days Later.
Boyle depicts this fallout through mystery, chaos, and paranoia in a way where the audience feels as helpless and out of sorts as its beleaguered hero. 28 Days Later is slightly stronger than its sequel, largely because of the dizzying scenes of isolation and ruin. 28 Days Later is as much of a psychological assault as it is a physical one.
5 One Cut Of The Dead Is As Visually Impressive As It Is Frightening
Release Date: September 24, 2019
One Cut Of The Dead is a technical marvel and one of the best zombie movies to come out in the last decade. The meta structure of One Cut Of The Dead follows a crew of plucky filmmakers as they attempt to make a zombie movie, only to get interrupted by an actual zombie outbreak.
The juxtaposition between real and fantasy is incredible, but One Cut Of The Dead's real secret weapon is that it's ostensibly all shot in one long extended take. One Cut Of The Dead is a cinematographic masterpiece, but it also makes sure that it's still frightening and not just a technical showpiece.
4 Day Of The Dead Is Romero’s Most Powerful Zombie Parable
Release Date: July 19, 1985
George A. Romero's initial Night of the Living Dead trilogy helped establish the zombie subgenre of horror. However, each of his contributions offers something uniquely rewarding to this creepy brand of terror.
Continuing from the themes and fallout of the previous movies, Day of the Dead casts a wider perspective that follows eclectic groups of survivors who all strive to keep humanity safe. Romero’s work with zombie effects and the setpieces that he creates are all at their finest in Day of the Dead.
3 Train To Busan Is Pure Adrenaline Mixed With Endless Horrors
Release Date: July 22, 2016
Audiences have witnessed so many wide-scale zombie outbreaks that it can be easy to roll one's eyes whenever a new one gets announced. Train To Busan proves that well-trodden territory can still bear fresh fruit and leave audiences surprised and terrified. A daunting zombie outbreak in South Korea exacerbates a father's simple desire to reunite with his young daughter and keep her safe.
Train To Busan never falters, even when it explores familiar ideas. Train To Busan's sequel, Peninsula, isn't as strong but is considerably better than the average horror sequel.
2 [REC] Takes An Intimate Found-Footage Approach To A Zombie Invasion
Release Date: October 17, 2008
Both zombie movies and found-footage films have become exhausting extrapolations of the horror genre, but there are still ambitious and challenging films that prove how effective these subgenres can be when in the right hands.
[REC] is a Spanish horror film that begins with a suspicious investigation in an apartment complex, only for circumstances to grow increasingly dangerous. There’s some debate between [REC] fans if it or its sequel, [REC]2, is the superior film, but they’re best experienced as one long double feature that threads the connected narratives together.
1 The Sadness Is A Brutal, Bloody Celebration Of Rage And Violence
Release Date: May 12, 2022
2022's The Sadness is a Taiwanese horror film that's the directorial debut of Rob Jabbaz, which makes its excellence even more encouraging. The Sadness portrays one of the most vicious zombie outbreaks after a virus turns most of the country into murderous and sexually deviant monsters.
The plot of The Sadness isn't anything revelatory. The Sadness features graphic violence, claustrophobic horror, and sheer intensity which will make even the most seasoned horror fans squirm. The Sadness is a true exercise in extreme horror and carnage, which will stick with the audience long after The Sadness is over.