Best to Worst Zombie Movies That I've Seen (So Far)
A countdown of the best zombie movies/tv shows that I've seen, updated as I watch more. I know there's some glaring omissions from the genre, but I'm working on seeing more so bear with me if you don't see one of your favourite classics.
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- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsDavid EmgeKen ForeeScott H. ReinigerDuring an escalating zombie epidemic, two Philadelphia SWAT team members, a traffic reporter and his TV executive girlfriend seek refuge in a secluded shopping mall.Absolutely amazing, even more so when you realize that they did it all without CGI, most of it on the spot and with a budget under $1 million in 1978's money. Incredible.
- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsDuane JonesJudith O'DeaKarl HardmanA ragtag group of Pennsylvanians barricade themselves in an old farmhouse to remain safe from a horde of flesh-eating ghouls that are ravaging the Northeast of the United States.Surprisingly well done and shockingly violent for the time. It's very well acted too (well, with the exception of Barbara anyway), and basically created the genre.
- DirectorEdgar WrightStarsSimon PeggNick FrostKate AshfieldThe uneventful, aimless lives of a London electronics salesman and his layabout roommate are disrupted by the zombie apocalypse.Great characters, story and humour that stays faithful to the genre.
- DirectorDanny BoyleStarsCillian MurphyNaomie HarrisChristopher EcclestonFour weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the United Kingdom, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.Technicalities aside, I'm counting this as a zombie movie. Sue me.
- DirectorYeon Sang-hoStarsGong YooJung Yu-miMa Dong-seokWhile a zombie virus breaks out in South Korea, passengers struggle to survive on the train from Seoul to Busan.A modern classic zombie movie with really inventive, creative use of its setting to crank up the tension. The zombies here are downright terrifying, the characters are compelling, and (like every good zombie movie) there's a healthy dose of social commentary granting the movie a deeper thematic resonance.
- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsLori CardilleTerry AlexanderJoseph PilatoAs the world is overrun by zombies, a group of scientists and military personnel sheltering in an underground bunker in Florida must decide on how they should deal with the undead horde.Romero's Dead series began to go downhill here, but that's only because the first 2 movies were so strong. Unlike "Night" or "Dawn", Day of the Dead suffers from poor characters and acting, but it stands amongst its predecessors in practically every other level.
- DirectorRuben FleischerStarsJesse EisenbergEmma StoneWoody HarrelsonA shy student trying to reach his family in Ohio, a gun-toting bruiser in search of the last Twinkie and a pair of sisters striving to get to an amusement park join forces in a trek across a zombie-filled America.A funny, entertaining and pointless romp through zombie-infested America. Maybe you didn't realize it, but it's an allegory for post-modern life. Brain-splode.
- DirectorsJaume BalagueróPaco PlazaStarsManuela VelascoFerran TerrazaJorge-Yamam SerranoA television reporter and cameraman follow emergency workers into a dark apartment building and are quickly locked inside with something terrifying.Again, technically not a zombie movie, but it has almost all the elements in place. In any case, it's a far better film than Diary of the Dead...
- CreatorFrank DarabontStarsAndrew LincolnNorman ReedusMelissa McBrideSheriff Deputy Rick Grimes wakes up from a coma to learn the world is in ruins and must lead a group of survivors to stay alive.I enjoy the series, but it has been admittedly uneven. That's really unfortunate too, because some episodes are absolutely brilliant and could easily snatch a spot in the Top 5 here. On the whole however, it is merely "good".
- DirectorZack SnyderStarsSarah PolleyVing RhamesMekhi PhiferA nurse, a policeman, a young married couple, a salesman and other survivors of a worldwide plague that is producing aggressive, flesh-eating zombies, take refuge in a mega Midwestern shopping mall.Not nearly as good as the original, but it is certainly entertaining, and top-tier as far as remakes go.
- DirectorDan O'BannonStarsClu GulagerJames KarenDon CalfaWhen two bumbling employees at a medical supply warehouse accidentally release a deadly gas into the air, the vapors cause the dead to rise again as zombies.Admit it. This isn't a good movie by any stretch of the imagination. However, it is a fun and trashy b-flick. Just don't expect to use your... braaaaaains (sorry, I had to).
- DirectorLucio FulciStarsTisa FarrowIan McCullochRichard JohnsonStrangers searching for a young woman's missing father arrive at a tropical island where a doctor desperately seeks the cause and cure of a recent epidemic of the undead.An enjoyable little exploitation film. Hardly a complex film, but surely enjoyable if you're a fan of gory 70s exploitation-horror (and if you're a real fan of zombie movies, then I'm sure you'll get a kick out of it). Also, how many zombie films these days have the audacity to pull of a zombie vs shark battle?!
- DirectorJuan Carlos FresnadilloStarsJeremy RennerRose ByrneRobert CarlyleSix months after the rage virus was inflicted on the population of Great Britain, the US Army helps to secure a small area of London for the survivors to repopulate and start again. But not everything goes according to plan.Smarter than your average zombie flick, but only when it *wants* to be - there are some serious logical gaps that serve as an excuse to make the zombies rise again. On top of that, it just feels kinda soulless compared to the original, but it does have some entertaining and epic set-pieces.
- DirectorJonathan LevineStarsNicholas HoultTeresa PalmerJohn MalkovichAfter a highly unusual zombie saves a still-living girl from an attack, the two form a relationship that sets in motion events that might transform the entire lifeless world.This movie is very charming, which nearly makes up for all its other gaping flaws. It's story is both cliche and absurd, although it keeps things interesting with its dark humour and zombie twist. It may just be Twilight with zombies, but it's still significantly better than any of those movies were. Also, this movie was considerably gorier than World War Z, how did it get a PG-13 rating? Bloody MPAA...
- DirectorMichael HurstStarsEmmanuelle VaugierEd QuinnSticky FingazA virus breaks out at a university and people start to become zombies. After 29 days, a team of AMS scientists and soldiers are sent in to deal with the problem. But while they search, things go wrong.This was the last sequel anyone expected to be anywhere near good... and yet, it's actually pretty awesome. And it's obvious that they took one of the best sequels of all time (Aliens) and used its formula to make a badass film. The acting is pretty terrible, the story is dumb and for a movie focused on soldiers and it's pretty obvious they didn't have a military advisor on set. None of that *really* matters though, because no one really expects that out of this sort of film. House of the Dead 2 is just an absolute blast to watch for all its cheese and cleverness, and is finely crafted b-movie entertainment.
- DirectorMakoto KamiyaStarsPaul MercierAlyson CourtLaura BaileyLeon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield must battle a rogue warrior seeking revenge after unleashing the deadly G-Virus, whilst a mutated monster goes on a rampage.Much better than the live action RE movies, although it doesn't break any new ground for the genre.
- DirectorRobert RodriguezStarsRose McGowanFreddy RodríguezJosh BrolinAfter an experimental bio-weapon is released, turning thousands into zombie-like creatures, it's up to a rag-tag group of survivors to stop the infected and those behind its release.Has some cool moments, but in trying to emulate bad movies it succeeds... and isn't very good as a result. Huh. Imagine that. Mindlessly entertaining and funny but not one you're gonna want to watch all the time.
- DirectorTommy WirkolaStarsJeppe Beck LaursenCharlotte FrognerJenny SkavlanA ski vacation turns horrific for a group of medical students, as they find themselves confronted by an unimaginable menace: Nazi zombies.A well-made foreign zombie movie. Although the plot itself is very cliched, there's a few awesome scenes that make it worthy of a viewing for genre fans. Also - freaking Nazi zombies!
- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsJohn LeguizamoAsia ArgentoSimon BakerThe living dead have taken over the world, and the last humans live in a walled city to protect themselves as they come to grips with the situation.I actually enjoy this movie. It's the logical next step from Day of the Dead, although I will admit that it is definitely an unnecessary sequel. Dead Reckoning is awesome.
- DirectorRussell MulcahyStarsMilla JovovichAli LarterOded FehrSurvivors of the Raccoon City catastrophe travel across the Nevada desert, hoping to make it to Alaska. Alice joins the caravan and their fight against the evil Umbrella Corp.Let me say first off that this movie takes a huge *beep* on everyone who was a fan of the video games or the first 2 movies... then again, those movies sucked so I don't really care. It's stupid-fun and some of the set-pieces are pretty cool (such as the flock of crows).
- DirectorPaul W.S. AndersonStarsMilla JovovichAli LarterWentworth MillerWhile still out to destroy the evil Umbrella Corporation, Alice joins a group of survivors living in a prison surrounded by the infected who also want to relocate to the mysterious but supposedly unharmed safe haven known only as Arcadia.Not a good movie by any stretch of the imagination, but the action scenes are fantastic.
- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsMichelle MorganJoshua CloseShawn RobertsA group of young film students run into real-life zombies while filming a horror movie of their own.This is where the movies start getting bad. While I don't really like this movie, like "Land" it's a logical step for the series. With the hand-held camera sub-genre coming to prominence at the time, it makes sense that Romero would want to take his own stab at it. Unfortunately the movie's just not that great.
- DirectorZack SnyderStarsDave BautistaElla PurnellAna de la RegueraFollowing a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries take the ultimate gamble, venturing into the quarantine zone to pull off the greatest heist ever attempted.Army of the Dead has a fantastic premise, solid cast of characters and a director known for stylish action so this should be a slam dunk to be a good time, right? Well, to put it simply, no. Army of the Dead is bloated, badly-written, lacking focus and full of baffling decisions which make it far more of a slog than it should be. When it's actually being a zombie heist action film it's quite fun, but those moments are far too little in the 2 and a half hour runtime.
- DirectorAndrzej BartkowiakStarsKarl UrbanRosamund PikeDwayne JohnsonSpace Marines are sent to investigate strange events at a research facility on Mars but find themselves at the mercy of genetically enhanced killing machines.As far as video game movies go, Doom is decent. It actually takes quite a few steps towards attempting to be a competent movie, but fails due to its really cheap sets and dumb logic, not to mention that it is tonally inconsistent.
- DirectorPaul W.S. AndersonStarsMilla JovovichMichelle RodriguezRyan McCluskeyA special military unit fights a powerful, out-of-control supercomputer and hundreds of scientists who have mutated into flesh-eating creatures after a laboratory accident.Poorly shot crap, worse than AVP in my opinion.
