To mark the release of 28 Years Later, we wanted to take a look back at the best zombie films in the history of cinema. It's a difficult choice, given that this genre is full of productions, each more exciting than the last. But we had to decide. Here are, in our opinion, the 15 best zombie movies of all time:
15) The Last Girl - The One with All the Gifts
Released in 2017, The Last Girl is certainly the most "classic" film in this selection. A rather forgotten film that broadly follows the same plot as The Last of Us. It's practically the same story, that of a young girl immune to a deadly virus, protected by humans like the messiah capable of saving humanity. The Last Girl is above all a thunderous and visual first part. The casting is effective, the direction very lively, the action sequences largely impressive, and the soundtrack is stunning. The second part loses a bit of pace and tension, but allows the protagonists' fate to stretch towards an unexpected and double-edged ending.
14) Dead Snow 2
Frankly, it's hard to do more stupid than the Dead Snow saga. Conceived by Tommy Wirkola, the two Dead Snow films feature Nazi zombies who come back to life. Having died during World War II, they have only one thing on their minds: revenge. Dead Snow 2 is a thrilling, excessive, and completely mindless regressive romp. Why did we choose the second one? Because this sequel is much better executed than the original. Dead Snow 2 takes the antics even further. It's violent, funny, gory, trashy and Tommy Wirkola has fun playing with the codes and clichés of the genre without ever falling into half measures.
13) The Night Eats the World
French cinema has also dabbled in zombie films. In addition to The Horde in 2009 and Goal of the Dead in 2013, we wanted to focus on The Night Eats the World, released in 2018. A true auteur film, The Night Eats the World takes the genre against the grain. It's a minimalist, calm, silent proposition, which draws inspiration from its predecessors without copying them. In its horrific effects, the film is quite classic, even anti-spectacular, but its double reading and its look at a society in which the individual is isolated, anchored in an unhealthy solitude, in an oppressive urban environment, in search of an escape, is very intelligent.
12) Welcome to Zombieland
We are entering the comedy sector. Directed in 2009 by Ruben Fleischer, Zombieland has become a benchmark in the horror comedy genre. A fun and uninhibited feature film that perfectly combines humor, action, and pure horror. Led by a quality quartet, Zombieland reaches its comic peak with the appearance of Bill Murray. Supported by a cult theme song, and brilliantly directed (thanks to Metallica), Zombieland is a high-end entertainment.
11) Planet Terror
Robert Rodriguez's totally eccentric madness is often overlooked. Yet, Planet Terror is a totally cool and uninhibited work. Rodriguez comes up with some striking directorial ideas and creates a enjoyable Z series that is terribly entertaining, ironically funny, and horribly gory.
10) Army of the Dead
Before Zack Snyder got lost on Netflix with Army of the Dead, he directed, in 2004, one of the best contemporary zombie films. Zack Snyder's first feature film, Army of the Dead is a remake of Romero's iconic Zombie. An effective, terrifying, and edgy film, which also owes a lot to 28 Days Later. A muscular film that modernizes the image of the zombie by giving it a much more dangerous aspect. And how can we forget that totally crazy opening sequence?
9) I Am Legend
Probably the most mainstream film on this list. Nevertheless, I Am Legend has become a benchmark of the genre, and with a very wide audience. I Am Legend often surprises, because it is a blockbuster that knows how to take its time to establish a solid story and very well-defined stakes. Francis Lawrence ultimately offers a rather refreshing take on an often codified genre.
8) It Comes at Night
It Comes at Night takes the traditional zombie film on its head. Trey Edward Shults simply depicts a family's resistance to the threat of an infectious disease. Somewhere between Maggie (another excellent zombie film) and Don't Breathe, the feature film plays on an ultra oppressive atmosphere and bases its plot around exciting and precise themes surrounding fatherhood, family, and inheritance. A proposition that goes far beyond the usual constraints of the genre.
7) [REC]
What a huge classic from this Spanish production by Paco Plaza and Jaume Balaguero. Rec has become an essential reference in the genre. Especially because Paco Plaza and Jaume Balaguero had the intelligence to use found footage to stage their horror story, which is nevertheless quite classic. Thanks to its nervous staging and the use of the first person, Rec increases the feelings of fear and anxiety tenfold thanks to total immersion. Rec, while paying homage to The Blair Witch Project, revolutionized the zombie film genre.
6) Don't cut!
An atypical zombie film, unexpected UFO, astonishing and explosive sequence shot, ultra clever found footage, meta approach, the feature film offers staging elements that are completely new to the genre. Don't Cut! is a brilliant Japanese comedy that tells the story of the behind-the-scenes story of a zombie movie gone wrong. Or is it a zombie apocalypse? Or are they just actors in disguise? We don't want to spoil the surprise, but it's absolutely brilliant. It's so good that Michel Hazanavicius even directed a French remake: Cut!
5) Night of the Living Dead
This is the ultimate classic of the genre. Released in 1968 under the direction of George A. Romero, Night of the Living Dead is a pioneering film that defined all the codes of the genre. An immemorial work that established horror as a social vector. Indeed, Romero has the intelligence to use the zombie as an allegory of an alienated society, and as an expression of the racial inequality that troubles the United States. Made with the means at hand, Night of the Living Dead still leaves its mark thanks to its uncompromising ending, extremely courageous, which denounces police violence with inspiring frankness...
4) Shaun of the Dead
Arguably the greatest horror comedy of all time. Funny, irreverent, and full of references, the feature film is a constant spectacle of storytelling. Edgard Wright creates a brilliant comedy about the daily life of an average Englishman, an eternal teenager, a magnificent loser who is searching for his place in society. In terms of staging, it's constantly creative, and Shaun of the Dead is mainly about disillusioned youth in the midst of a zombie apocalypse.
3) Zombie
Another immense classic from Romero released in 1983, Zombie also serves as a vehicle for addressing problematic and omnipresent societal issues. While Night of the Living Dead spoke about racism, community rejection, the lack of consideration for the African-American population, and police violence, Zombie addresses consumerism. Romero uses the zombie here as a metaphor for a people alienated by consumer society, possessed by the lure of profit, by objects, and by planned obsolescence. Fascinating!
2) 28 Days Later
Alex Garland wrote, Danny Boyle directed, Cillian Murphy in front of the camera. With a cocktail like this, inevitably, 28 Days Later has become one of the greatest zombie movies of all time. Boyle's film is at once sublime, desperate, aggressive, and magnetic. It brilliantly blends horror and natural beauty. It's hard to forget this unprecedented post-apocalyptic imagery of a totally empty London, or even the definitively cult score by John Murphy. We also recommend the two sequels, especially the totally crazy opening sequence of 28 Weeks Later
1) Train to Busan
With Train to Busan, South Korean filmmaker Sang-Ho Yeon signs a sort of sequel/remake of his previous film: Seoul Station. It was already a zombie movie, and an animated one at that. With Train to Busan, the filmmaker has arguably the most edgy zombie movie of the decade. A smart blockbuster that uses genre clichés with aptness. The zombies are disturbing, ultra-fast and aggressive, and the direction is unparalleled in its fluidity. The emotional undercurrents reach their full potential in a largely controlled finale. A piece of entertainment that clearly leaves its mark.
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