One of the most niche yet extremely celebrated genres has to be the zombie genre, especially among the horror and thriller fans.
Over time, Zombie movies do change a lot but surprisingly, we get to have a great zombie movie every decade, and other few to enjoy.
Even though this genre can be limiting or at least seem to be, there are many movies that re-defined the zombie movies as a whole, the concept or also the formula itself.
Sometimes, Zombie movies can be just plain fun and hilarious, perhaps a great way to blow off some steam or lighten up.
But then, there are movies that established the Zombie horror genre, a very well-recieved sub-genre within Horror.
This also became a great place for young filmmakers to begin their journey as low-budget horror movies or zombie movies to some degree as well.
In the zombie genre, there is something for everyone whether you are interested in fun zombie movies, horror zombies or others.
Well, here are the best ones, perhaps those which pretty much defined the whole genre over time. Most are classics, others are either just fun or notable to add here.
World War Z (2013)
Overall film, World War Z is not very faithful to its source material as there are more elements in the movie playing parts, which is good and bad both at same time, because sometimes it works and other times, it just falls flat.
That’s also the reason why for the most runtime of the movie is quite bland but on the other hand, it is also perhaps the only epic zombie movie.
This is because of the scale on which zombies are set in this world or presented. Our main character goes through an adventure across the globe showing this zombie pandemic everywhere.
Not many movies have used the zombie element to reflect the worldwide catastrophe on a filming point of view.
So most zombie movies did say that this is happening around the world but they hardly show that, the scale or massive scope of such catastrophe, and how it played out. This movie goes for a good attempt to show that from one location to another.
Zombieland (2009)
A zombie movie that basically did get some backlash amongst the purists and geeks of horror and zombie genre.
Because this film hails from the Shaun of the Dead sort of stylistic choice for the zombie genre, there has been a lot of criticism about its authenticity and legitimacy as a zombie movie.
You can also say this film is cut from the same cloth as Shaun of the Dead or did get some inspiration in the first place, for sure.
It is about these groups of survivors in a post zombie-apocalypse world in the USA coming together, and growing as friends.
The protagonist Columbus, played by Jesse Eisenberg, is a kind of character which we aren’t used to seeing in zombie movies or even in zombie comedies.
So, this one is not really very well equipped in fighting or has training, rather he is more resourceful, brainy and does have survival instincts to live another day.
28 Days Later (2002)
The classic style of zombie movies was at the brink of end when 28 Days Later movie released in 2002 to completely re-inventing the concept.
Even though movies definitely use the term “infected” and not “zombies”, so they are not technically could be referred to.
However, you have to admit that the definition of ‘zombie’ is a bit vague and fluid,and consistently reinvented narratively in one way or another, so this one certainly qualifies.
In this one, these ‘zombies’ are not much of slow pacers but rather raging monsters infected by the ‘rage virus’ apparently.
This movie certainly makes the zombie concept even more horrifying where the only non-threatning part of a zombie chasing you which is them being slow or slower is eradicated.
In this movie, Cillian Murphy is our protagonist who is trying to find his way in the deserted London in Hospital clothes chased by running zombies.
So basically this film reinvented or say revived the zombie genre as somewhat the Scream franchise did with the Slasher genre.
Land of the Dead (2005)
So, if you are looking at the works of George A. Romero, Land of the Dead, released in 2005 is certainly quite far from his finest works, but it is still good enough to be in this list.
This movie does have the most ridiculous lines you can even find in a zombie movie, so overall, it won’t be wrong to say that you are going to have a blast watching this movie, especially if you are fan of the genre.
This movie still holds a good position in the collection of George A Romero’s movies, if you want to have but in this one, things get too far from the base of the genre itself.
So, basically, it is about these zombies who tend to get way smarter and find within them, that they can learn to wield guns or stuff, march along, drive cars and other few stuff that only humans are yet able to do.
On paper, it does seem something worth looking at, and it is, just not the best from this director, especially if you have seen his other works.
Train To Busan (2016)
Perhaps one of the best Zombie movies ever to come that further redefined the zombie movies in a different way and showed you can be creative with the ‘zombie’ genre as well.
Especially with the genre established for so long, very few movies over the year managed to stand out and that too in recent years.
So this one is even better being an independent zombie movie released in 2016.
They basically merged Snowpiercer into zombies as it is the movie about some characters who need to get to Busan through a Train that is filled with zombies.
The plot of the movie is about this father in South Korea who is trying to protect his young daughter in midst of a zombie outbreak, in a train full of rampaging zombies, only to reach out to Busan for safety.
What great about this one is the striking balance that this movie maintains between a pure popcorn entertainer and a connecting family drama.
Evil Dead 2 (1987)
Well, you can debate whether Evil Dead 2 can be called a “zombie” movie but as we already established, the definition of zombie is quite fluid and changing, here it is more suitable than anywhere else for sure.
These dead antoagnists in this movie are somehow demonically or mystically revived in their dead bodies, beocoming reanimated corpses, and that pretty much can be called “Zombies’ ‘.
This film seems to be the remake of the first 1981 Evil Dead where the director Sam Raimi might have wanted to re-create his film with better visual effects and higher budget, and as they say “get it right”.
However, there are some changes or tweaks made in this film here and there, more in the characters of the film than anything.
Evil Dead 2 is clearly one of the tightly paced zombie horror comedy movies you will ever see, something not to miss if you’re a fan of zombie movies or even just horror comedies.
There is no time wastage right from the beginning of the movie as audiences are dropped rightaway in midst of all the insanity and comedic horror and violence going on, and after that, it never really dials down on it, just a fun ride.
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Apart from 28 Days Later, this is another film that basically re-invented and further sets the benchmark of the ‘modern’ zombie genre movies.
So, if you really look at it, most of the zombie movies, at least the commercial ones are in one way or another channeling both of these zombie movies as a standard reference or set precedent.
Where the 28 Days Later movie made the modern zombie genre horror again, the Shaun of the Dead released in 2004 made the cultural aspect of zombiedom more established, sort of going meta and self-aware.
Because at that time, the zombie genre became a huge thing with set rules and how it goes, a cultural thing, so this movie took a route to address it making the whole thing meta and funny for sure.
This movie is also quite similar to the latter released film Zombieland, certainly can be called a spiritual sequel. Both movies basically focusses on the part on even though zombies are scary but the reaction the people gives or the circumstances changes everything.
It brings the whole thing to a comedy even though it is terrifying or gruesome. This film is in fact so much a milestone in the comedy genre that now it has become impossible to make zombie comedy without drawing parallels to this one.
Resident Evil (2002)
Even though the Resident Evil series hasn’t exactly aged very well but still it is indeed those few zombie-themed movies to account for.
There are people who even say that the original, the first movie even wasn’t great to begin with, however, the film does have its merit and gained popularity.
Not to mention, it is one among very few video-game adaptation action movies that worked on some level, because those tend to get a lot worse than this.
The film indeed is quite loud, bit cheesy and even formulaic but it is still a fun ride, especially when you count other parts in the series.
It is about Alice ( Milla Jovovich) and Rain (Michelle Rodriguez) who are the leaders of a commando team that needs to break into this “hive”, a high-security secretive underground genetic laboratory controlled by a powerful company called Umbrella Corporation.
They are supposed to eradicate this deadly virus unleashed, killing all the staff in the lab and further ressurteced them into this undead evil walking corpses, say Zombies.
This team only have just three hours to achieve their mission, shut down the supercomputers in the lab and eliminate the virus within the perimeters of the Lab without spreading out.
Warm Bodies (2013)
Warm Bodies, is an interesting take on Zombie genre, quite different spin of action fusing it with a bit of low-tone romance.
So, like many other zombie apocalypse movies, we see this world was shaken by this plague, however, zombies and humans both exist in different sections of the world.
Things get interesting when an unusual Zombie named R, played by Nicholas Hoult rescues a living woman Julie, played by Teresa Palmer from their other brother zombies from attacking her.
So, this starts quite an unusual relationship between this somehow different, and more conscious zombie, R and Julie. Over time, as their bond grows, R seems to become more and more human.
Apparently, they are onto something that might transform the zombie world back into humans.
This zombie movies drives a lot from something you can call “Romero and Julie” situation a spin on Romeo & Juliet, but in a zombie-esque fashion.
Overall, this film is fresh air of breaze within the zombie genre where rather than bringing more of flesh-eating mindless zombies, they focussed to bring personality out of them, even the slightest.
Dawn of the Dead (1978)
At one side you have Night of the Living Dead, which appears to be rough and a bit old-school, and also cheap-looking, but Dawn of the Dead, released in 1978 made a huge leap in terms of visual quality.
So whether you have watched Night of the Living Dead or not, this one is a must watch if you are fan of pure zombie horror movies.
But more than that, this movie is an extraordinary combination of professionalism in filmmaking and visual presentation, groundbreaking special effects and complexity in the thematic language of the narrative.
The Director George A. Romero took a good 10 years to come up with his first sequel but he continuously increases the quality of the movies dramatically over time.
You can see in the movie that the plot of the film is much more mature, engaging and satirically commenting on the consumerism of the culture at that time.
There are so many nuances used behind the metaphor of “zombies” to reflect the theme and messaging without sacrificing the drama at all, rather presenting it with subtle undertone, only to recognize if you really look for it.
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