Rank your favorite zombie genre films

[Doctor Cringelord]

I know most zombie movies are boring and predictable because I went on a kick several years back and watched every obscure one I could find. Most are garbage but there's a few solid ones that IMO rank as classics of the horror genre.

In my opinion, the following are the definitive, essential films of the zombie sub-genre, the list I would suggest to someone looking to marathon the best of the best zombie movies.

1. Dawn of the Dead (1978 version)
2. Night of the Living Dead (1968 version)
3. Return of the Living Dead (1985)
4. 28 Days Later (2002)
5. Zombie (1979)
6. The Beyond (1981)
7. Dawn of the Dead (2004 remake)
8. Day of the Dead (1985)
9. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
10. Let Sleeping Corpses Lie AKA the Living Dead at Manchester Morgue (1974)

In my opinion, what makes most of these great is the zombies themselves usually serve as a secondary concern to other themes. Romero in particular had a gift for working social commentary into his films, and to varying degree, most of the films on this list did something similar OR balanced the horror with other elements like drama and/or comedy to leave a lasting impression on audiences. Return of the Living Dead, for instance, was just as comedic as it was horrific. These films all rise above your typical B zombie films in which gratuitous levels of gore and flesh eating tend to be forgettable when not anchored by compelling narratives or memorable characters.

 

[The Cat]

Shawn of the Dead.

That is all.

 

[The Cat]

But thae cat what about the Evil Dead series including Army of Darkness?

Ok they can stay. But Im sitting next to Shawn of the Dead

 

[Totenkindly]

I tend not to be into Zombie flicks as a genre, and Romero never did much for me and/or the kinds of movies he made just weren't things I was interested in. (I'm an infidel, I know.)

I tend to either being into the terror, drama, or comedy of zombies. So for me it was just

1. 28 Days Later
2. [REC] -- the spanish one
3. The Girl with All the Gifts
4. Maggie
5. Zombieland
6. 28 Weeks Later (not as good as the first, but it has a hell of an opener, still one of my faves)
7. Shaun of the Dead

"Maggie" is pretty underrated -- it's really a showcase for Abigail Breslin and Arnold Schwarzennegger, and probably one of Arnold's best dramatic acting roles. It's a very winsome and sad movie, about a dad watching his daughter to succumb to the zombie virus.

"World War Z" had some great crazy action sequences (otherwise, I'm kinda "whatever"), but I wish they hadn't excised the Matthew Fox subplot.

I really wanted to like "Overlord," but dayum, it was like an hour before any zombie stuff really happened. I was only in it to watch Nazi zombies getting blown up, and there was no other reason to watch the film. The last half hour was okay.

I really want to like "Warm Bodies" too -- it's supposed to be a rom-com centered around a zombie/human romance. it doesn't quite work, but Rob Corddry is really really funny -- best part of the film.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

But thae cat what about the Evil Dead series including Army of Darkness?

Ok they can stay. But Im sitting next to Shawn of the Dead

I hadn't really thought of those as true zombie movies. They share elements but I think they fall more into the possession and haunted house sub-genres. I suppose a case could be made for Army of Darkness, but the first two Evil Deads are to me more like Poltergeist meets Exorcist. Similarly, some people argue the later Jason films could be zombie movies, but aside from Jason himself being undead, there are none of the hallmarks or defining traits characteristic of the zombie genre--they are slasher films that happen to feature an undead slasher.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

Come on, looking to see a little more love for return of the Living Dead, guys.

This is such an underrated film. I almost ranked it higher than Night and Dawn.

On first watch I thought it was kind of schlocky and missing some of the social commentary of Romero's films, but rewatching I picked up on more minor details and subtexts. Plus it's just a damn fun film with superb pacing that is as creepy as it is comedic. The way it defied expectations with a cast of memorable characters is great--especially for an 80s horror film. The most unlikely characters survive (almost) to the end--the young black punk, the warehouse owner, and the mortician--unheard of for a black man and two old white men to not only survive but emerge as the most memorable characters in an 80s horror flick, where usually being over 40 or African American meant a character's chances of survival were pretty slim. It's like the film initially starts out presenting you several familiar archetypes, yet they all quickly outgrow their supposed tropes and expectations once the shit hits the fan. It's not unlike Alien in that regard. Which reminds me, Return director Dan O'Bannon happened to play a big part in Alien's creation.

 

[The Cat]

I hadn't really thought of those as true zombie movies. They share elements but I think they fall more into the possession and haunted house sub-genres. I suppose a case could be made for Army of Darkness, but the first two Evil Deads are to me more like Poltergeist meets Exorcist. Similarly, some people argue the later Jason films could be zombie movies, but aside from Jason himself being undead, there are none of the hallmarks or defining traits characteristic of the zombie genre--they are slasher films that happen to feature an undead slasher.

Well if you wanna be that technical. Only the Serpent and the Rainbow really counts.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

Well if you wanna be that technical. Only the Serpent and the Rainbow really counts.

Or White Zombie with Bela Lugosi.

Later I can write up my criteria for what I consider a zombie film to be. I almost didn't include 28 Days Later on my list because it's debatable whether it really meets the criteria. For instance I wanted to add Romero's The Crazies, but I don't know that it quite fits the bill.

 

[The Cat]

Or White Zombie with Bela Lugosi.

Later I can write up my criteria for what I consider a zombie film to be. I almost didn't include 28 Days Later on my list because it's debatable whether it really meets the criteria. For instance I wanted to add Romero's The Crazies, but I don't know that it quite fits the bill.

Yeah but, you ask people their favorite zombie movie, and youre gonna get 28 days later, beause even though theyre not zombies, theyre "zombies" you're not gonna yell out oh shit its a bunch of people driven to feral savagry through contagion! no if you're smart you're not gonna yell out anything, but writing zombies on a sheet of paper sure takes up less time.

And technically revenant is what everyone is afraid of Revenants not zombies.

So it is as you humans say, an imperfect world.

 

[Totenkindly]

Come on, looking to see a little more love for return of the Living Dead, guys.

This is such an underrated film. I almost ranked it higher than Night and Dawn.

On first watch I thought it was kind of schlocky and missing some of the social commentary of Romero's films, but rewatching I picked up on more minor details and subtexts. Plus it's just a damn fun film with superb pacing that is as creepy as it is comedic. The way it defied expectations with a cast of memorable characters is great--especially for an 80s horror film. The most unlikely characters survive (almost) to the end--the young black punk, the warehouse owner, and the mortician--unheard of for a black man and two old white men to not only survive but emerge as the most memorable characters in an 80s horror flick, where usually being over 40 or African American meant a character's chances of survival were pretty slim. It's like the film initially starts out presenting you several familiar archetypes, yet they all quickly outgrow their supposed tropes and expectations once the shit hits the fan. It's not unlike Alien in that regard. Which reminds me, Return director Dan O'Bannon happened to play a big part in Alien's creation.

Right, so sorry.

I’m a sucker for believable, beautifully made, and paralyzingly suspenseful epics about brave people in the middle of a zombie apocalypse battling overwhelming odds against the dead to stay alive, but rarely have I seen one that can hold an audience hostage like Return of the Living Dead… Every element is so perfect that it left me shaking and devastated.

The remarkable thing about Romero —the reason he’s become the most famous and successful zombie filmmaker in American movies today—is the tireless passion with which he assaults injustices and wrongdoings with a never-ending sense of humor.

Don’t just absorb it. Let it absorb you, like formaldehyde. I'd give an arm and a leg to experience this again.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

Yeah but, you ask people their favorite zombie movie, and youre gonna get 28 days later, beause even though theyre not zombies, theyre "zombies" you're not gonna yell out oh shit its a bunch of people driven to feral savagry through contagion! no if you're smart you're not gonna yell out anything, but writing zombies on a sheet of paper sure takes up less time.

And technically revenant is what everyone is afraid of Revenants not zombies.

So it is as you humans say, an imperfect world.

Zombie, as I am referencing them here, can encompass viral infected and supernaturally revived revenants.

I do make a distinction between voodoo zombies and revenant/infected zombies though.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

Right, so sorry.

I’m a sucker for believable, beautifully made, and paralyzingly suspenseful epics about brave people in the middle of a zombie apocalypse battling overwhelming odds against the dead to stay alive, but rarely have I seen one that can hold an audience hostage like Return of the Living Dead… Every element is so perfect that it left me shaking and devastated.

The remarkable thing about Romero —the reason he’s become the most famous and successful zombie filmmaker in American movies today—is the tireless passion with which he assaults injustices and wrongdoings with a never-ending sense of humor.

Don’t just absorb it. Let it absorb you, like formaldehyde. I'd give an arm and a leg to experience this again.

One of the things I really liked is how believable every character was too. Most of them were incompetent or barely competent, whereas even Romero movies with all the incompetent people, usually feature one nearly infallible lead who borders on Mary Sue territory. In Return of the Living Dead, none of them ever reach that level, so it makes them all more believable. Despite the film's premise being pretty outlandish, you can expect this is how most people would actually act in such a crisis. Which makes it kind of chilling and bleak when you get past the humor of it. Despite it being a pseudo sequel at best, in some ways I think it more closely follows the tone of Night of the Living Dead than any of the Romero sequels ever did--especially with the ending.

 

[Population: 1]

I’m a purist. I love 28 Days Later and similar films but those aren’t zombies. Zombies are undead walking corpses. I’ll also note that although I recognize Romero as the Tolkien of the zombie apocalypse, I’ve never cared for the whole zombies evolving thing. Also I hate running, jumping, and wall climbing ninja zombies too. They’re fine in video games because without a good story with human conflict shambling zombie video games are boring. Also I can’t talk to you if you think World War Z the movie is World War Z. Read the book. Okay. In no particular order.

Night of the Living Dead (both versions yes even the Tom Savini 1990 version. I liked it. Barbara (Patricia Tallman) wasn’t a wimp and who doesn’t love Tony Todd (Ben)?)

Dawn of the Dead (original)

Return of the Living Dead (Yeah I’m probably breaking some of my own rules but punk rock and zombies!)

Shaun of the Dead



I love Evil Dead in all it’s forms (especially Ash vs Evil Dead) and Bruce Campbell is the man but deadites are more demons than zombies really so sadly it’s not on this list.

So pretty generic I guess and I’ve seen so many zombie flicks in my life that I can’t remember them all. I do remember an Italian one that was funny with a lot of black humor but I can’t remember the name. A buddy and I used to rent every b horror, action, or sci-fi movie we could get our hands on.

I highly recommend Red Letter Media’s Best of the Worst if you enjoy that sort of stuff. They drink and watch bad movies and then review them. It’s great.

 

[Population: 1]

Well if you wanna be that technical. Only the Serpent and the Rainbow really counts.

The effects are horribly outdated but Bill Pullman was enjoyable to watch and the I’m not dead scene. *shudders*

 

[Totenkindly]

So pretty generic I guess and I’ve seen so many zombie flicks in my life that I can’t remember them all. I do remember an Italian one that was funny with a lot of black humor but I can’t remember the name. A buddy and I used to rent every b horror, action, or sci-fi movie we could get our hands on.

Zombi or Zombie Flesh Eaters or something?

I probably only did the B circuit route back in the 80's/90's when VHS movie stores were proliferating, so it was all we had on the weekends. Although there were a lot of B films at that time fer sher.

 

[Population: 1]

Zombi or Zombie Flesh Eaters or something?

I probably only did the B circuit route back in the 80's/90's when VHS movie stores were proliferating, so it was all we had on the weekends. Although there were a lot of B films at that time fer sher.

It was in my teens so yeah VHS glory days. Pre Blockbuster era even. Mom and Pop vid stores.

I just did a quick search and Zombi might have been it. That is Italian and early 80’s.