For decades, zombie movies have been a staple of Hollywood cinema and with so many releases centered on the genre, filmmakers have to think outside of the box to make their take on the concept stand out. The likes of George A. Romero helped make zombie movies a popular subgenre of horror, yet over the years, we’ve had zombie films that are comedy, romantic, have a sci-fi edge, and more. However, there’s still a sense of horror at the center of those movies.
One of the most difficult things is to balance the scares with whatever else is going on in the movie. For example, Zombieland is hilarious, yet there is still a strong sense of danger whenever the characters are confronted by the unᴅᴇᴀᴅ. A handful of movies with powerful zombies venture into subgenres like found footage, comedy, musical, and more manage to do those things while also being terrifying at times for the viewer.
10
[REC] (2007)
A Found Footage Zombie Flick
The found footage genre was one that broke out in a major way during the 2000s. After the rousing success of The Blair Witch Project, these kinds of movies popped up everywhere, often made with small budgets and went on to become box office hits due to that. One such found footage film was 2007’s [REC], which takes the genre and puts it in the world of zombies, combining for something unheard of at the time.
We see what the characters see, putting the audience right in the midst of the action, which makes this an unsettling zombie film.
The premise is simple enough, following a news reporter and her cameraman as they enter a building with a group of firefighters to investigate an infection that’s spreading. It sets the stage for a claustrophobic tale that is harrowing on its own, yet is made all the scarier by the found footage aspect. We see what the characters see, putting the audience right in the midst of the action, which makes this an unsettling zombie film.
9
ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Snow (2009)
Nazi Zombies Capitalizing On Call Of Duty’s Popularity
In 2008, the video game world became obsessed with a special mode in Call of Duty: World at War. Already a popular franchise, Call of Duty became bigger thanks to online multiplayer modes and the “Nazi Zombies” mode where players fought to survive as many hordes of unᴅᴇᴀᴅ Nazi soldiers as they could. The mode became a hit that appeared in future Call of Duty modes and helped inspire a unique zombie film, ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Snow.
Released a year after Call of Duty: World at War, ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Snow took the Nazi Zombie concept to the next level. The Norwegian film focuses on a group of medical students on a ski trip who encounter a battalion of unᴅᴇᴀᴅ versions of Hitler’s followers. While the concept itself wasn’t new thanks to the video game a year prior, ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Snow was something different in the subgenre, which remains a rare feat, and the entire thing was scary.
8
The Battery (2012)
Two Baseball Players Battle The Unᴅᴇᴀᴅ
Another popular movie trope that can cross genres is the buddy film. More often than not, putting two friends on screen together can help a story as it becomes relatable and intriguing to watch people who know each other work together or ʙuтт heads. 2012 indie film The Battery does that in the zombie genre with the added caveat that it’s centered around a pair of baseball players.
Written and directed by Jeremy Gardner (who also stars in it), The Battery picks up during a zombie invasion as two baseball players travel through Connecticut and along the way, they must form a battery (a baseball term for a pitcher and catcher) as they take down the unᴅᴇᴀᴅ. The buddy system isn’t often applied to a zombie flick, especially one with such a focus on the relationship between the two leads. Watching their conflict over how to live in the apocalypse is just as engaging as the zombie fights are frightening.
7
Night Of The Comet (1984)
A Mashup Of Creative Genres
Part of the reason why there are so many zombie movies is that it can often be a perfect backdrop to explore so many genres. Setting something during an apocalypse raises the stakes and makes even a comedy feel like something more is on the line. In 1984’s Night of the Comet, a zombie invasion sets the tone for a movie that blends horror with comedy and the world of sci-fi expertly.
Unlike a lot of zombie movies, Night of the Comet is a case where the zombies are born from the arrival of a comet, making it unique on its own in that way. However, the fact that the movie includes so many other genres only adds to why it’s so special. It has the audience laughing one moment and then terrifies them as the characters try to survive the horrors. On top of that, Night of the Comet is influential, even helping inspire the creation of Buffy Summers (via Entertainment Weekly).
6
Paranorman (2012)
Stop-Motion Animation Meets A Zombie Invasion
Paranorman might be aimed at children and families but it’s still filled with enough terror that there’s a clear horror edge. The story follows Norman Babcock, a kid who can communicate with ghosts, as he attempts to stop a witch’s curse on his town, which ultimately leads to the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ rising. When that scene happens, it’s the kind of thing that likely stayed with plenty of kids who thought it was going to be an easy watch.
Stop-motion animation has typically been geared toward family-friendly projects but there’s always a sense of something gothic about it, meaning it works in the horror realm. That’s the case with Paranorman, as even in its most lighthearted moments, it remains creepy, adding a sense of dread. It’s the rare movie that is both great for children and enough to scare them.
5
ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Alive (1992)
Peter Jackson Brings The Gore
Peter Jackson is most known as the Academy Award-winning director of The Lord of the Rings trilogy but not everyone knows that he helmed a movie from about a decade prior in the zombie genre. Brainᴅᴇᴀᴅ, also known as ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Alive in North America, is Jackson’s foray into the world of zombies and it has withstood the test of time to remain one of the best movies of its era.
What makes this movie stand out as a unique zombie film is just how gory it is.
In fact, many still hold ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Alive up as one of the best horror movies ever made and it has achieved cult status over time, despite initially being a box office failure. What makes this movie stand out as a unique zombie film is just how gory it is. Jackson isn’t a director known for this kind of thing but he amped up the level of carnage for ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Alive. Even decades later, you’d be hard-pressed to find a zombie movie with more blood and gore in it.
4
Maggie (2015)
A Touching But Tragic Tale Of A Father & Daughter
Sometimes, a horror movie doesn’t have to venture too far into the scares to come across as something harrowing for the audience. 2015’s Maggie fits that bill as the actual setup for the movie isn’t overly scary, yet once a viewer puts themselves in the position of the protagonist, they understand how terrifying the situation is. Maggie tells the story of a father who struggles to come to terms with his daughter becoming infected during a zombie epidemic.
In a rare subdued performance, Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as Wade, the farmer who learns that his daughter (Abigail Breslin) is turning into a zombie. In this world, it takes a while to fully turn into a zombie, so the story deals with Maggie’s final few weeks of humanity, how Wade deals with seeing it disappear, and his coming to terms with what’s happening. Seeing a father go through this is as heartbreaking as it is scary.
3
One Cut Of The ᴅᴇᴀᴅ (2017)
A Zombie Invasion During The Filming Of A Zombie Movie
Along the same lines as [REC], 2017’s One Cut of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ is something that kind of falls into the found footage subgenre. This unique Japanese horror movie actually takes place during the filming of a zombie flick. It centers on the cast and crew who try to make the movie work, only for a real zombie invasion to interrupt things and that’s only the beginning when it comes to how interesting the film is.
One Cut of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ also goes back in time to showcase the origins of the idea for the zombie movie the crew is making, which feels totally different from everything that came before it. The zombie invasion itself is absolutely terrifying, especially since it happens during something so meta, but the twists and turns the overall story takes really separate it from the rest of the genre.
2
Anna And The Apocalypse (2017)
A Christmas Musical With Zombies
As far-reaching as the zombie genre can be, it’s still especially rare to see it in the form of a musical. Anna and the Apocalypse does just that, centering on a group of students at a school in Scotland who find themselves trapped in their small town during a zombie invasion. On its own, that’s a tried and true story staple of the genre but the musical aspect adds so much to it. The songs are incredibly catchy and are probably the best aspect of the film.
On top of being a musical, Anna and the Apocalypse also has a unique Christmas setting, which isn’t something zombie films are known for. However, don’t let the fun music and whimsical Christmas theme fool you because the movie can be downright terrifying when the zombies come into play. They’re treated as a proper threat, leading to some truly heartbreaking scenes, helping to make Anna and the Apocalypse an experience like no other.
1
28 Days Later (2003)
Danny Boyle’s Movie That Revolutionized The Zombie Genre
In a lot of ways, 28 Days Later was one of the first modern mainstream zombie movies to feel like it did something different with the genre. As a setup, it’s not all that unique as it’s a horror film where the living must deal with the infected around them. However, 28 Days Later added so much fear to zombie movies by having the zombies run after humans rather than be the lifeless, slow-moving unᴅᴇᴀᴅ from films of the past.
Even more than two decades later (and with two sequels), 28 Days Later remains a terrifying watch because the infected are relentless in their pursuit.
Although director Danny Boyle doesn’t consider 28 Days Later to be a zombie movie, the film did help reignite the popularity of the subgenre. Even more than two decades later (and with two sequels), 28 Days Later remains a terrifying watch because the infected are relentless in their pursuit. The simple act of having them be fast makes them so much more intimidating. Add in the protagonist waking up from a coma to find an apocalyptic world and this is harrowing from start to finish.
