I've never really understood the appeal of zombie films. All I can see is a few undead human beings wandering around and looking vaguely scary. The results rarely produce film that are any good, but as it's nearing Halloween I thought I would countdown those zombie films that have been good to watch. These are the ten best zombie films of all time.
#10 Braindead (1992) (5/10)
Also known as 'Dead Alive', this is one of Peter Jackson's earlier flicks. The results aren't exactly polished, but for a film shot in only eleven weeks 'Dead Alive' is a decent low budget film for those who like a lot of gore to go with their dark humour. The film is set in a world where a man's mother comes back to life after catching the plague from rats that rape tree monkeys, which is a bit fucked up, but then so is everything in a film that's certainly not afraid to take things to the extreme. Thanks to this love of horrific violence Jackson's film not surprisingly bombed at the box office, but still holds high ratings with fans of the genre thanks to ridiculously gruesome scenes like the one above. I suppose at the end of the day an excess of gore is more important than a good film if you're a director or fan in the horror genre. The script is alright and the acting is hard to fault, but that's overshadowed by a terrible and nonsensical plot that hinges on elements that I would describe as basic to say the least. However if you do find watching people being eaten alive is your sort of thing then this could be your new favorite film.
#9 Re-Animator (1985) (5/10)
Another cult classic that thanks to its love for gore is well liked by the fans of undead people. I suppose that's to be expected when the premise of the film is centered on a medical student reanimating dead tissue from severed heads, which doesn't really make sense from a biological perspective, but if you thought this was a logical film then you are sorely mistaken. Reanimating dead stuff is a gruesome process, and just like the work of Victor Frankenstein, this one is a doomed affair that actually starts to become a little predictable by the end. Thankfully this film is less gory than the efforts of Peter Jackson, although not very much, but in place of this is some much needed dark humour that manages to carry the film, despite still being utterly repulsive on occasion. However the acting of Jeremy Combs is not atypical of the zombie genre and is actually quite good to watch. It's a nice shield from the all that gore that the film loves to showcase, and yet despite this performance we get a film that's not for the faint of heart. But then nothing ever is in this genre.
#8 Return of the Living Dead (1985) (6/10)
Yet another black comedy, because apparently Hollywood thinks that undead human beings are something to laugh at. In this one we have dead people being reanimated for some weird reason that's never explained, but then nothing ever is in this genre; it's like the directors purposely choose storylines that are purposely illogical. That's the case in this film, and actually that leaves us with a lazy storyline with an anticlimactic ending that is only saved by the surprisingly good use of humour. I suppose it's what I've come to expect from the zombie genre, and like almost every film on this list 'Return of the Living Dead' is one full of gore and mediocrity. This film almost tries to do everything, and as a result doesn't really do anything well; almost like the director ending up being infected by the zombie's mediocrity. Still, this film has had a lasting impact on the genre thanks to the small feature of zombies wanting to eat brains. That little revelation has made this an iconic film of the genre, which in some ways makes this dud of a film into quite a forward thinking piece of averageness.
#7 World War Z (2013) (6/10)
By this point in time art that involved zombies was big business thanks to shows such as 'The Walking Dead'. This was the first zombie film on the big screen to have a huge budget, and like its television counterpart, aimed to bring undead hordes to the masses. Did this work? Well sort of; the film was certainly a commercial success, but whether it will be an important film historically is another matter entirely. The film certainly has the lasting effect to make an impact on the film industry, but under no circumstances should this ever be viewed as a masterpiece. The premise of the film certainly isn't a small scale affair, more a worldwide pandemic that for the first time puts the whole of humanity at risk in a much more realistic way than the shambles that was 'I Am Legend'. However don't think that this film doesn't have its troubles. You can easily tell that the script had to be rewritten multiple times, and that results in a jumbled plot with a storyline that has been mashed up to spoonfeed to the viewer. It's obviously a film for the lowest common denominator, and that almost makes this an abortion in the zombie genre.
For once a zombie film doesn't end up relying on an excess of gore and violence to carry the mediocrity, instead relying on a non stop pace that doesn't quite have enough momentum to turn this into a respectable film. I know it never claimed to be a masterpiece, but there are many rough edges poking out with no obvious attempt to rectify them. Brad Pitt's performance for example is not special in any way, and neither is the woeful score that just serves to underline the many problems that this film suffers from. However despite these huge flaws I still believe this is a fine example of how a zombie film should work, and I like that instead of pools of cartoonish blood we have a horde of CGI monsters that scare the shit out of you on occasion. This film is one big adrenaline burst that might not be very intelligent, but makes up for this with a powerful premise that thankfully overshadows a very generic film.
#6 Dead Snow (2009) (6/10)
If you can learn one thing from Call of Duty it's that when undead zombie are combined with Nazi soldiers then the results will always be good. This cheerful film about undead Krauts comes from the film capital of the world, Norway, who have nicely dubbed a really bad English version for the mainstream market. Like all zombie films this one isn't pleasant to watch, and obviously because it's a zombie film there's a lot of blood with a bit of comedy thrown in for good measure. However because this comedy was written by Norwegians it's actually quite cleverly done, but you never really notice that over the disturbing visuals that greet you in every scene.
My favorite thing about this film is that it never tries to take itself seriously despite having quite a serious topic. It's almost like the director knew that the plot had let the strong premise down and so never bothered to explain anything to the viewer. That is disappointing, and the level of detail is certainly pathetic, but for a simple film with anything but an original concept this is a good laugh that mocks the genre at every available opportunity. As a satire this works relatively well, and the decent action sequences compliment this fact nicely. Watching Nazi zombies being mown down by a chainsaw has never looked so much fun, and for an average film with instantly forgettable characters this really does have the potential to be a cult classic in the future.
#5 Zombieland (2009) (6/10)
A comedy, that like most zombie films is more disturbing than funny. This one however actually has an interesting plot that allows the humour to naturally flow out of it, and as a result normal people might actually want to watch it. There's still enough blood and gore around for the serious horror fanatics, but for once all that is taken a backseat to a storyline that's actually been cleverly written. The well designed script is the star of the show in this one, garnering a lot of praise from critics, as well as the usual commentators desperately trying to find any loose connection to society. The fact is however is that this film is just a simple little road trip across a zombie filled country with the occasional celebrity popping along to make an appearance for no reason. Who cares that 'Zombieland' still has the usual flaws in horror comedies? Because at the end of the day this charming film blends horror and comedy together nicely to produce a zombie film you might want to watch.
#4 28 Weeks Later (2007) (7/10)
The original '28 Days Later' was also a very good film, but for once I actually think a horror sequel is better than the original. Even more surprising is that this film actually has a very good, if illogical plot that contains some of the most realistic and frightening zombies cinema has ever seen. Oh, and of course there's the usual blood and gore for horror fans that really makes this standout from the relatively tame predecessor that isn't anywhere near as exhilarating as this one. This adrenaline filled plot is due to the great pacing of the storyline and excellent directing that give you the impression that this would be how a zombie apocalypse would arise in real life, which is why this film is so fucking scary. This fear accompanied with the bleakness of everything makes this British creation a standout attraction of the genre that for the record contains absolutely zero humour to accompany a lot of scares.
#3 Dawn of the Dead (1978) (7/10)
Apparently 'Dawn of the Dead' is one of horror's classics, and as such I thought I would honor that legacy by actually using an image of the 2004 remake because it looks nicer. That decision may make this film seem like any other horror film, but for 1978 the original was way ahead of its time; attempting to scare people shitless and gross them out at a time when that would be considered something unspeakable. There's certainly a lot of gore, and director George Romero is no stranger to shy away from a lot of brutality and savagery at the expense of many people with weak stomachs. Even many horror fans will end up wincing during many scenes, and this obsession over gore takes over from the characters and storyline, which out of curiosity are actually well worked. In essence it's a traditional Romero horror film made for a modern audience.
The film contains all the hallmarks of a good director. Instead of having apocalyptic and over the top events happening for no reason, Romero sets his film in a single shopping mall. This simple decision means Romero can create a much tenser and claustrophobic atmosphere than in any large budget blockbuster, and these simple yet effective decisions add up to make this film an all time classic. It's a film that not only provides big scares, but a deep insight into Romero's view on modern contemporary society. It might not be the most polished film of all time, but weak acting and a script that needs some work are overshadowed by a solid horror formula being complemented by a veteran director. The 2004 remake was also moderately successful, proving that this age old formula still stands the test of time, inspiring many films filled with gore that unfortunately never have the strong plot that this one did to succeed.
#2 Shaun of the Dead (2004) (8/10)
More proof that when comedy and zombies come together the results can in some cases be quite good. This is the ultimate horror comedy, merging zombies, comedy, drama and pubs in a well written flick that was always destined to be a classic British film. As it's written by the English this film is a great satirical look at the horror genre for a very small budget. It never tries to take itself seriously, and despite some mature themes scattered around, the results are more hilarious than scary. I would definitely describe this film as one for the masses, never becoming silly but then never overdoing it with gore to alienate the general public. This is a hard mix to pull off, but Simon Pegg and company get the mixture just right, and the results are a great, entertaining laugh.
The thing I like most about this 'zombie' film is that the actual zombie apocalypse seems to take a backseat to the social lives in the storyline. That shouldn't work on paper, but here it just does. The result is a film that contains both serious thrills and seriously good characters which is a rarity indeed for a horror comedy. For once there is another purpose to a zombie film that is something other than watching people avoid being eaten alive, and actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are at their usual best to carry this seriously funny film into great places. Everything this film does perfectly compliments each thing, and its no surprise that this small film became a global triumph, with even the master George Romero allegedly offering the duo a role in one of his upcoming films. You know you've made a pretty impressive zombie film when George Romero tries to hire you for his.
#1 Night of the Living Dead (1968) (9/10)
Number one couldn't really go to anything else. George Romero's classic is just miles ahead of its time, and even managed to define the whole genre in the process. With a budget of just 114,000 dollars George Romero singlehandedly managed to create a simple film that generated over 18 million in profit thanks to one good idea. It's just such an impressive accomplishment that just one poorly budgeted film managed to turn out into such a classic, and then in turn changing cinema forever in the process. All Romero needed was a simple premise to pull this off, and thankfully for him people were scared shitless at the time by slowly moving zombies trying to eat people alive in an isolated barn. To this day the plot still chills people to the bone, and that's all thanks to some unbelievably good directing and some fine acting despite having almost nothing to work with.
The worst part however is that despite all the scares this film was released at a time before age restrictions were introduced to films, and so children were actually allowed to watch one of the most grizzly films in history at the cinema. Imagine being a child and seeing something as frightening as the picture above; that would scar me for life. As a result of this fact the reception to the film at the time of release wasn't exactly promising, but now it's a film in the public domain that everyone enjoys watching to some extent. Thanks to the production company never bothering with copyright laws you can watch this classic for absolutely nothing and it's completely legal. I would recommend preparing yourself before watching; even by today's standards this film is grim.
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