Films About Zombies are one of the most popular microgenres of the Horror genre. Zombie films also crossover into other subgenres such as Pandemic and Virus Films, Apocalypse Films and Post-Apocalypse Films. Like Films About Vampires, Films About Zombies have increased in popularity over the years as they often tap into basic human fears about death and survival. From an imposing lumbering dread to a fast, break-neck speed threat, Zombies are often shown in a variety of ways and have developed many Zombie film tropes. But many of these tropes have been redefined over the years with many of the latest Zombie films offering fresh and exciting takes on this enduring Horror microgenre.
In the 1960’s, George A. Romero defined the Zombie microgenre as we know it today with Night of the Living Dead (1968). The Zombie film tropes he helped to define continued into the 1970’s with films such as Tombs of The Blind Dead (1972), Messiah of Evil (1973), Deathdream (1974), The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue (aka Let Sleeping Corpses Lie) (1975), Who Can Kill a Child? (1976), and Zombie Flesh Eaters (1979). Of all the 1970’s Zombie Films, Dawn of the Dead (1978) has endured to this day as the top classic film of the Zombie microgenre. Dawn of the Dead broke new barriers within the Zombie microgenre by using plot themes and subtext to criticize issues of the time period – in this case, Consumerism.
As the Horror genre became one of the most popular genres during the 1980’s, so too did the popularity of Films About Zombies. There were classic films of the microgenre released during this decade including The Beyond (1981), Re-Animator (1985), The Return of the Living Dead (1985), Day of the Dead (1985), The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988) and Pet Sematary (1989). Other notable films of the decade included The House by the Cemetery (1981), Trancers (1984), Night of the Comet (1984), The Stuff (1985), Warning Sign (1985), Night Of The Creeps (1986), and Prince of Darkness (1987).
The popularity of the Zombie microgenre waned a bit in the 1990’s as there were only a few quality Zombie films from this decade. Braindead (aka Dead Alive) (1992) was the only classic Zombie film of the 1990’s but it’s also considered one of the all-time classics of the microgenre. Other notable films of the decade included Night of the Living Dead (1990), Bride of Re-Animator (1990), The Boneyard (1991) and Cemetery Man (1994).
The Golden Age of Zombie Films would start in the 2000’s and continue through the next two decades. Renewed interested in the microgenre began with the release of three popular franchises – Resident Evil (2002), 28 Days Later (2002), and [REC] (2007). While all three franchises were technically about a virus, the virus caused the same effects of the undead – appetite for living flesh, attacks on the living, passing the virus on through contact with host’s blood, etc. There were also some classic films of the Zombie microgenre released during this decade (and again include films that technically involve a virus): Dawn of the Dead (2004), Shaun of the Dead (2004), Land of the Dead (2005), I Am Legend (2007) and Zombieland (2009). Other notable films of the decade included Mulberry Street (2006), Dead Snow (2009), Pontypool (2009) and Doghouse (2009).
With the release of The Walking Dead series on television in 2010, the Zombie microgenre soared to new heights with many refinements of typical Zombie film tropes. The Cabin in the Woods (2012) not only turned the Zombie microgenre upside down, but also upended the entire Horror genre. World War Z (2013) showed a Zombie outbreak on a global scale which hadn’t been shown before. And multiple films blended comedy with Zombie horror to great effect with Freaks of Nature (2015), One Cut of the Dead (2017), Anna and the Apocalypse (2018) and Little Monsters (2019). The decade also produced classic films of the microgenre with I Am a Hero (2016), Train to Busan (2016), The Girl with All the Gifts (2016), The Night Eats the World (2018), Overlord (2018), Zombieland: Double Tap (2019) and Rampant (2019). Other notable films of the decade included Rammbock: Berlin Undead (2010), The Battery (2012), Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead (2014), Cell (2016), The Cured (2017) and Pet Sematary (2019).
The 2020’s have shown that the Zombie film microgenre is still alive and well with four quality Zombie films in the decade’s first two years: Peninsula (2020), #Alive (2020), Army of the Dead (2021) and Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021).
Our list of Films About Zombies includes films from 1966 – 2021. As we noted earlier, there is crossover between the Films About Zombie microgenre and Pandemic and Virus Films subgenre, so any virus films where the results are ‘zombie-like’ symptoms, are also included in this list. For our list of Top Films About Zombie’s You Haven’t Seen, it was an incredibly difficult exercise to narrow down to just 10 films. Our honorable mention list that you should definitely check out includes Trancers (1984), The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988), [REC] (2007), Rammbock: Berlin Undead (2010), The Girl with All the Gifts (2016), Anna and the Apocalypse (2018), Blood Vessel (2019) and #Alive (2020).
We have embedded a compilation video of our Top Films About Zombies You Haven’t Seen and more details on these films can be found in the list below. Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
#10
Messiah of Evil
Plot: Young woman searches for her missing father in a seaside town inhabited by an undead cult.
KBZ’s Take: This film isn’t like your typical Zombie film but rather like a nightmare filled with dread that never seems to end. The buildup in this film will make you uncomfortable as will two specific Zombie scenes – in the supermarket (pictured above) and in the movie theater. Though the film is a bit dated with 70’s hippiness and paranoia, it’s still a film any Zombie film connoisseur shouldn’t miss.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3EYOte1
#9
Shock Waves
Plot: Boat visitors to a remote island find a Nazi doctor that has been breeding Zombie soldiers.
KBZ’s Take: Before Dead Snow (2009) and Overlord (2018) made Nazi zombies a microgenre all within itself, there was Shock Waves. By today’s standards, the film is very dated and cheesy. However, if you grew up in the 1970’s and saw this film, it was likely the film that gave you nightmares. It’s not a great film, but there are some scenes in the film that are still scary today. Mostly for fans of the microgenre or 70’s era horror.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3VnSUG0
#8
Doghouse
Plot: Six middle aged men on vacation find all the women in town are zombies.
KBZ’s Take: This is one bonkers film that has to be seen to believed. Like Shaun of the Dead (2004), this is a Horror Comedy that has an excellent and intelligent script. It’s not as laugh out loud funny as Shaun, but it still has some very funny moments – oh and there’s your required Zombie gore as well. There’s some very creative Zombie ‘design’ in this film and shouldn’t be missed by any fans of Zombie films.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3ui2H4B
Plot: Man wakes up to find the living dead have invaded Paris.
KBZ’s Take: Though the setup and plot has been done numerous times before – person wakes up to the Zombie apocalypse already in progress – The Night Eats the World is worth seeing for its creativity. There’s not a ton of action in this film, but it avoids numerous Zombie film clichés with ingenuity and innovation.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3XOlNwL
Plot: Two valley girls wake up to find that a passing comet has either turned everyone to dust or zombies.
KBZ’s Take: If you grew up in the 80’s, chances are you’ve seen this film – and it’s one of your favorites of the decade. While billed as a Horror Comedy, it’s much more Horror than Comedy and has some genuinely scary scenes. It’s one of the forgotten films of the 1980’s that younger generations should seek out. Yes, it’s a bit dated but still a fun and scary ride.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3gPQMrM
Plot: Alien parasite is let loose on a campus which turns frat boys and sorority girls into Zombies.
KBZ’s Take: From the same mind that brought you The Monster Squad (1987) is another forgotten 80’s classic of the Zombie microgenre. While it has campy humor throughout, it blends Sci-Fi and Horror together perfectly for an often-scary tale. There was so much fresh and entertaining in this film (at the time) that you can still see how inventive it was today. It’s funny, it’s scary and you have one of the greatest B-actors of 80’s Horror (Tom Atkins) saying, “Thrill Me.” That this film does…
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3FkHxZV
Plot: Film crew shooting a zombie film are attacked by real zombies.
KBZ’s Take: There’s not much more you can say about this film beyond its basic plot without ruining the film. Yes, it’s a Horror Comedy about a film shoot gone wrong, but it’s much, much more than that. It’s one of those films where when you get to the end, you want to rewatch right away to see what you might have missed. It truly is a ‘meta’ defining film.
Additional Lists: Top World Cinema Horror Films You Haven’t Seen #8
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3FmLj5b
Plot: In the town of Dillford, Humans, Vampires and Zombies live together in peace…until aliens arrive.
KBZ’s Take: This is another bonkers film that has to be seen to believed. Any film that has Zombies, Vampires and Aliens all together in one film gets a ‘must watch’ tag in our book. And we have seen it and can say it’s gory, it’s scary and it’s laugh out loud funny. There’s some amazing writing in this film that translates so well onto screen that you’ll be stitches just from some of the dialogue. Definite must watch for fans of all Horror genres.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3XRG5FK
Plot: Loser musician and teacher team up to protect young children from Zombies.
KBZ’s Take: Of all the Zombie Horror Comedies on this list, this film is the best one. It’s a bit like Shaun of the Dead (2004) where it perfectly balances both Comedy and Horror. The first act of the film is almost all comedy, but the second and third acts transition to more horror over comedy. While it does follow some typical Zombie film tropes, the sum of all its parts makes it a unique experience. Highly recommended film.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://www.hulu.com/movie/little-monsters
#1
I Am a Hero
Plot: A lowly manga artist’s assistant witnesses the beginning of a Zombie Apocalypse.
KBZ’s Take: When we are often asked to recommend a horror or zombie film that someone has likely not seen, I Am a Hero is always our #1 recommendation. Based on the Japanese manga series of the same name, this film is a straight up adrenaline rush. While it doesn’t add much to the zombie subgenre, where it shines is with its direction, story and characters. A definite must-see but be warned: this film has A LOT of gore.
Additional Lists: Top World Cinema Horror Films You Haven’t Seen #2
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3FjXgZ4
