The zombie movie genre is a subgenre of horror movies that typically feature reanimated corpses or undead beings that attack and prey on living humans. The genre has its roots in Haitian folklore and the voodoo religion, which includes beliefs in the existence of zombies as reanimated corpses controlled by a sorcerer.
Zombie movies gained widespread popularity in the 1960s and 1970s with films like Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead, both directed by George A. Romero. Since then, the genre has evolved and diversified, with many different takes on the zombie concept.
- Night of the Living Dead (1968): Directed by George A. Romero, Night of the Living Dead is a classic zombie movie that follows a group of strangers who take refuge in a farmhouse to escape flesh-eating zombies. The movie is available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime.
- Dawn of the Dead (1978): Also directed by George A. Romero, Dawn of the Dead takes place in a shopping mall, where a group of survivors tries to fend off hordes of zombies. The movie is available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime.
- Shaun of the Dead (2004): Shaun of the Dead is a comedy horror movie directed by Edgar Wright that follows a man who tries to save his friends and family from a zombie apocalypse. The movie is available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime.
- 28 Days Later (2002): Directed by Danny Boyle, 28 Days Later is a post-apocalyptic zombie movie that follows a group of survivors in a world overrun by a virus that turns people into rage-filled zombies. The movie is available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime.
- Zombieland (2009): Directed by Ruben Fleischer, Zombieland is a horror comedy movie that follows a group of survivors who travel across the United States during a zombie apocalypse. The movie is available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime.
- Train to Busan (2016): Directed by Yeon Sang-ho, Train to Busan is a South Korean zombie movie that follows a group of passengers on a train during a zombie outbreak. The movie is available to stream on Netflix.
- World War Z (2013): Directed by Marc Forster, World War Z is a post-apocalyptic zombie movie that follows a former United Nations investigator who travels the world in search of a cure for the zombie pandemic. The movie is available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime.
- The Girl with All the Gifts (2016): Directed by Colm McCarthy, The Girl with All the Gifts is a British zombie movie that follows a young girl with a special immunity to the zombie virus. The movie is available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime.
- Resident Evil (2002): Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, Resident Evil is a science fiction action horror movie that follows a team of commandos who try to contain a virus outbreak that has turned the population into zombies. The movie is available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime.
- The Evil Dead (1981): Directed by Sam Raimi, The Evil Dead is a cult classic horror movie that follows a group of friends who travel to a remote cabin in the woods and accidentally summon demonic forces that possess them. The movie is available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime.
- Day of the Dead (1985): Directed by George A. Romero, Day of the Dead is a horror movie that takes place in an underground bunker where scientists and soldiers try to find a way to stop the zombie apocalypse. The movie is available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime.
- The Walking Dead (2010-2022): The Walking Dead is a television series created by Frank Darabont that follows a group of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. The show has 11 seasons and is available to stream on Netflix and Amazon Prime.
- Rec (2007): Directed by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza, Rec is a Spanish horror movie that follows a television reporter and her crew as they cover a routine assignment that turns into a nightmare when they become trapped in a building infected with a zombie virus. The movie is available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime.
- 28 Weeks Later (2007): Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, 28 Weeks Later is a sequel to 28 Days Later and follows the U.S. Army’s attempt to restore order in London after the zombie outbreak. The movie is available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime.
- The Dead Don’t Die (2019): Directed by Jim Jarmusch, The Dead Don’t Die is a comedy horror movie that follows a group of small-town police officers as they battle zombies that have risen from their graves. The movie is available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime.
- Warm Bodies (2013): Directed by Jonathan Levine, Warm Bodies is a romantic comedy horror movie that follows a zombie who falls in love with a human girl and tries to become more human. The movie is available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime.
- I Am Legend (2007): Directed by Francis Lawrence, I Am Legend is a post-apocalyptic zombie movie that follows a scientist who is the last human survivor in New York City after a virus turns the population into zombie-like creatures. The movie is available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime.
- The Battery (2012): Directed by Jeremy Gardner, The Battery is a low-budget zombie movie that follows two former baseball players who must survive in a world overrun by zombies. The movie is available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime.
- Cargo (2017): Directed by Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke, Cargo is an Australian zombie movie that follows a man who must protect his infant daughter as he travels across the Australian outback in search of safety. The movie is available to stream on Netflix.
- Army of the Dead (2021): Directed by Zack Snyder, Army of the Dead is a heist movie that takes place in a post-apocalyptic Las Vegas where a group of mercenaries tries to rob a casino during a zombie outbreak. The movie is available to stream on Netflix.
Some zombie movies are purely horror-based, focusing on the gore and terror of the zombie apocalypse, while others incorporate elements of comedy, satire, or social commentary. The genre has also expanded to include TV series, video games, and other forms of media.
