Terrifying tales of undead creatures rising from their graves orzombieinfections spreading through an unsuspecting society have enthralled horror movie lovers for decades. As supernatural stories get to the heart of human anxieties, the best zombie movies tap into the fear of death and address social and political issues, as zombies serve as powerful metaphors for social woes. From deeply layered examinations of racial issues to pointed satires deconstructing consumerism, below the surface, zombie movies have a lot to say about social structures.
The greatest zombie films include some ofthe best horror moviesof all time, as undead ghouls and infected once-human creatures served as the basis forincredible horror movie franchises. Some amazing found-footage horrors dealt with contained outbreaks as small groups of survivors struggled to survive, while others looked at the grand picture as entire populations were ravaged by an apocalyptic outbreak taking place over years and decades. Like the best horrors,zombie movies tap into innate fearsand serve as spectacularly spooky cinematic experiences.
Rabid
Cast
Rabid is a 1977 horror film by David Cronenberg. The story follows a young woman who, after experimental surgery, develops a phallic stinger that feeds on human blood, triggering a citywide epidemic. Starring Marilyn Chambers, the film explores themes of medical experimentation and societal breakdown.
The early career of director David Cronenberg was full of horror movie classics as the young filmmaker discovered his passion for body horror and twisting audience expectations. While this would come to fruition in later classics likeThe Fly, 1977’sRabidwas Cronenberg’s breakthroughas its sinister story of surgery spread an infection that couldn’t be stopped.Rabidwas a violent and often nauseating film that embraced truly shocking frights over slow-building suspense in a zombie movie that’s impossible to forget.
I Walked with a Zombie
I Walked with a Zombie is a 1943 film directed by Jacques Tourneur, focusing on a Canadian nurse who travels to the Caribbean. While caring for a woman in a mysterious condition, she becomes entangled in local voodoo practices, leading to unexpected revelations about love and fate.
The zombie genre has changed a lot over the past several decades, as undead creatures often represent the underlying anxiety of contemporary times, both social and political. This made the 1940s filmI Walked with a Zombieall the more fascinating as its story of Vodou rituals on a Caribbean island dealt with issues around racism and slavery. While reviews were negative when this movie was released, it’s been reappraised by critics today as a definitive zombie movie that helped lay the groundwork for modern zombie films.
Scooby-Doo On Zombie Island
Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island is a 1998 animated film directed by Jim Stenstrum. The Mystery Inc. team reunites to investigate paranormal occurrences on Moonscar Island. They encounter ghostly pirates, cat creatures, and zombies, discovering that these supernatural entities might actually be real for the first time.
While the monsters ofScooby-Doowere more often embittered capitalists than genuine supernatural threats, all this changed with the release ofScooby-Doo on Zombie Island. This darker direct-to-video release wasthe bestScooby-Doomovieof them all and traded corrupt businesspeople for genuine zombies terrorizing an island in New Orleans, Louisiana. With impressive animation, incredible music, and genuinely frightening undead pirates,Scooby-Doo on Zombie Islandwas an excellent introduction for younger viewers to zombie movies and led to a whole new generation of horror fans.
28 Weeks Later
28 Weeks Later: This film is a sequel to 28 Days Later and depicts the aftermath of the rage virus outbreak in the British Isles. Six months after the initial catastrophe, international military forces attempt to restore order, but a new wave of infection threatens to reignite the chaos.
The post-apocalyptic sequel28 Weeks Laterreturned to the world of28 Days Later, focusing on military forces trying to salvage a safe zone in London. As the Rage virus spread throughout the UK, survivors attempted to hang onto their lives in an increasingly fractured and distrustful world where the people were just as dangerous as the zombies themselves. While28Weeks Latercouldn’t live up to the iconic fright of the original, it was still a worthy follow-up and a brutal thriller that explored the military reactions to a zombie outbreak as NATO, armies, and air forces all played a role.
Dead Alive
Dead Alive follows the story of a young man, Lionel Cosgrove, as he contends with his overbearing mother who becomes a zombie after being bitten by a rare Sumatran rat-monkey. Set in a suburban neighborhood, Dead Alive offers a unique take on the traditional zombie narrative.
Dead Alive, also known under the titleBraindead, was futureThe Lord of the Ringsdirector Peter Jackson’s unique take on the zombie genre. By blending comedy with genuine terror,Dead Alivedepicted a hybrid rat-monkey creature who infected the city’s population in a gory story starring a lovestruck teen and his zombified mother. WhileDead Alivewas badly received upon release, in hindsight, its pure tastelessness bordered on genius, and its blend of slapper humor and genuine fright made it the best zombie movie of the 1990s.
Zombieland
After a zombie virus wipes out modern society, those left to navigate the wasteland must live by a certain set of rules. Zombieland follows Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) as he meets Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), and they join forces to survive the apocalypse. They soon team up with sisters Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), and the group embark on a cross-country trip in search of refuge from the zombie horde.
The all-star cast of Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, and Emma Stone helped makeZombielanda modern horror comedy classic that achieved the rare feat of keeping the humor consistent without taking away from the power of the zombie threat at hand. As an American answer toShaun of the Dead,Zombielandwas boosted by a strong script, great performances, and incredible surprises, includinga zombified version of Bill Murray playing himself. While the sequelZombieland: Double Tapcouldn’t quite recapture the magic of the original,Zombielandproved undead comedies had a lot of life in them yet.
Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead (1985): Set in a post-apocalyptic world, a small group of scientists and soldiers are trapped in an underground missile silo. Tensions rise as they seek to survive the growing zombie threat outside while dealing with internal conflicts and differing approaches to the crisis.
The third film in George A. Romero’sNight of the Living Deadseries explored life years after the zombie apocalypse and showcased the entire world ravaged by the outbreak.Day of the Deadfocused on a small group of survivors fending off zombieswhile Dr. Logan tried to condition the undead into becoming docile and domesticated. Like all the movies in Romero’s series,Day of the Deadhad deeper themes under the surface, as this movie was more about how, more so than anything, it’s a lack of communication between different groups that leads to societal issues and breakdown.
[REC]
[REC] is a found-footage-style horror movie released in 2007. The film centers on a TV reporter and cameraman who become trapped inside an apartment building after they follow firefighters investigating an infection within the complex. The film spawned three sequels as well as a remake in 2008 titled Quarantine.
The Spanish horror movieRecleaned into supernatural concepts of the occult and demonic possessionand was one of the best found-footage horror movies ever made. With a nightmarish atmosphere,Recfeatured a demonic zombie outbreak that acted similarly to a virus and brought together a conspiracy of exorcism and the Vatican. As a truly intense story of an apartment building under siege by supernatural forces,Recwas the best example of the Spanish film industry’s underrated contributions to horror.
Re-Animator
1985’s Re-Animator is a feature-length film based on H.P. Lovecraft’s short story, Herbert West–Reanimator. The Horror and Comedy release follows a man that spends time attempting to create a reagent that will reanimate the dead.
Re-Animatorwas the greatest H.P. Lovecraft adaptation of them all, as it blended comedy, horror, and sci-fi into a cult classic about a medical student trying to revive the dead. With elements ofFrankensteinand the unknowable terror of cosmic horror,Re-Animatorwas a gory, grotesque, and genius mix of humor and horror that was as funny as it was frightening. WhileRe-Animatorwas expanded into a serieswith sequelsBride of Re-AnimatorandBeyond Re-Animator, the original was this franchise at its best.
Shaun of the Dead
From director Edgar Wright, Shaun of the Dead stars Simon Pegg as Shaun, an ambitionless slacker who one day finds his world overrun by zombies. From a script by Wright and Pegg, Shaun of the Dead injects comedy into a typically horror-focused subgenre as Shaun and his lazy friend Ed (Nick Frost) attempt to rescue Shaun’s estranged girlfriend and make it through the apocalypse unscathed.
The comedy horrorShaun of the Deadperfectly balanced hilarious satire with witty scares in a gloriously gory release that worked on all fronts. From director Edgar Wright and starring its co-writer Simon Pegg,Shaun of the Deadwould be the first release in the excellentThree Flavours Cornettotrilogy, which broke down genre films and stood as one of the best comedy film series of all time. With a story about a 29-year-old slacker named Shaun (Pegg) trying to make it to the pub in the wake of a zombie outbreak,Shaun of the Deadwas a stylish satirical success.
