28 Must-Watch Zombie Movies

Sometimes zombie films are seen as brainless and dull as their undead protagonists. However, there is a lot to love about the zombie genre. It is a genre dominated by violent B-movies, which may turn some viewers off. But for those who hunger for zombie media, the genre’s embrace of independent, cult, and low budget filmmaking is part of its appeal. Zombie films span the sci-fi, horror, disaster and drama genres. Interestingly, zombies are also a mainstay of horror comedies and satirical films. Zombie films have long been an outlet for social and political commentary, due to their post-apocalyptic nature. The best zombie films deliver violence with a message (and sometimes without one), laughs, twists, screams and so much more. Hopefully, 28 films later, this list will help viewers join the horde of zombie movies fans.

Top Zombie Movies

Zombie films have been popular since 1932’s The White Zombie starring Bela Lugosi. However, their popularity often comes in waves. The 1970s saw a zombie boom and a resurgence came in the late 1990s and early 2000s. However, the zombie genre was also somewhat poorly defined especially in its early years. While modern zombie media often focuses on illnesses that transform people into brainless monsters, earlier films often combine their lore with those of ghouls and vampires. The earliest zombie movies also usually connect the creatures to the Haitian folklore “zombi” or “zonbi” which refers to a reanimated corpse brought back through magic. George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (1968) helped define the genre and gave viewers a modern zombie movie template (however, in the film the creatures are called ghouls and not zombies.) While (especially with early films) this list defines zombies broadly, it omits films about golems, body-snatchers, somnambulists and Frankenstein’s monsters.

Arguably, the highest grossing zombie film is 2007’s I am Legend (which is also the third highest grossing horror film of all time.) However, given that it is based on a pre-Night of the Living Dead novel, some don’t consider it as a zombie film (as it mixes zombie and vampire lore). The fourth highest grossing horror film is World War Z, which some consider as the highest grossing zombie movie. While there have been some very high grossing and high budget zombie films, as a genre, low budget and cult films are much more common. The list seeks to celebrate the gory, weird, and b-films that are often beloved by zombie movies fans while still looking at quality and history of these films. It also includes many horror comedies that have become mainstays of the genre. Many of the films on this list come with warnings for graphic violence, sexual assault and intense gore. However, these are factors that fans of the genre celebrate and this list hopes to be nothing if not for the lovers of this undead genre.

28. Tombs of the Blind Dead (1972)

Amando de Ossorio’s Tombs of the Blind Dead is a Spanish-Portuguese horror film that helped kickstart the Spanish horror genre. The film follows a group of students who run into undead medieval knights who have come back as zombies after being executed for witchcraft long ago.

In some ways, this is not a zombie film and Ossorio didn’t refer to it as one. The knights walk the line between vampires, ghouls and mummies, but the film has an overall zombie-like feel. The Spanish version (La noche del terror ciego) of the film is more intense with multiple rape and murder scenes, which were originally cut. Notably, a lesbian sex scene was also cut for the 1973 American version (which was called The Blind Dead). However, the uncensored, subtitled version has become the easiest to find since the late 1990s. The film also led to several sequels and remakes. Find it to stream here.

27. Resident Evil (2002)

Paul W. S. Anderson’s Resident Evil is fun (James Cameron even called the movie his biggest “guilty pleasure.”) If you are looking for great dialogue and careful filmmaking, this film will likely not be for you, but arguably, the greater zombie genre won’t be either.

Based on the Capcom video game of the same name, Resident Evil follows an amnesic commando who must break into an infected lab to stop an undead horde. The movie is now part of a seven-film franchise—the original stars Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, Eric Mabius, James Purefoy and Colin Salmon. It is available to stream here.

26. The Crazies (2010)

Most horror remakes are just okay at best; however, The Crazies is surprisingly good. Based on the 1973 George A Romero film of the same name, The Crazies follows a sheriff and his wife who must survive after an infection turns their neighbors into crazed monsters.

It isn’t the most inventive, but it is a solid B-movie that will be enjoyable for fans of the genre. Directed by Breck Eisner, The Crazies stars Timothy Olyphant and Radha Mitchell. It is available here.

25. The Last Man on Earth (1964)

The Last Man on Earth is based on the 1954 novel I Am Legend by Richard Matheson (who also co-wrote the script for the film under the pen name Logan Swanson.) The novel is an important work in defining both the modern zombie and vampire genres. However, due to this, The Last Man on Earth walks the line between a zombie movie and a vampire film. The monsters in this film are infected by a plague and act like zombies, but they also can’t go into the sunlight and fear garlic.

The film follows a doctor who hopes to cure the infected horde. Directed by Sidney Salkow and Ubaldo B. Ragona, it stars Vincent Price and Franca Bettoia. It is the first of several versions of I Am Legend, including the Charlton Heston-led The Omega Man and 2007’s I Am Legend with Will Smith. It is available to stream here.

24. The Beyond (1981)

Italian cinema experienced a zombie boom in the 1970s and 1980s. Many of the films from this period aren’t great. However, they feel like part of Italian film history, and if you are going to watch one, Lucio Fulci’s The Beyond is arguably the best (other good options are 1974’s Let Sleeping Corpses Lie or Mario Brava’s Baron Blood in a so-bad-it’ s-good way). Notably, these Italian films don’t have the clear zombie lore of some of their American counterparts.

The Beyond follows a woman who inherits a hotel only to find that it sits atop of a gate to hell. While the film was an Italian production, it is an English-language film and was filmed on location in New Orleans. The film stars Katherine MacColl, David Warbeck and Sarah Keller. While the film appeared in Roger Ebert’s Most Hated Movies, it has taken on cult status for many who often praise it for its surreal feeling and visuals. If you are looking for more zombie films from Fulci, 1979’s Zombi 2 is another popular and arguably more standard choice. Find it on streaming here.

23. I Walked With A Zombie (1943)

I Walked with a Zombie contains elements that may be uncomfortable for modern audiences. The film follows a Canadian nurse who is thrown into the world of voodoo when she takes a position caring for the sick wife of a sugar plantation owner in the Caribbean. The film is not immune from racial stereotypes and exotification but seems at least somewhat interested in exploring themes like slavery.

The real strength of I Walked with a Zombie is in its cinema topography and influence on the horror genre. Produced by B-horror icon Val Lewton and directed by auteur filmmaker Jacques Tourneur, the film is based on both Inez Wallace’s I Walked with a Zombie and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. The film stars James Ellison, Frances Dee, Darby Jones and Tom Conway. It is available to stream on multiple platforms.

22. Little Monsters (2019)

Abe Forsythe’s Little Monsters follows a kindergarten teacher, musician and children’s entertainer protecting a group of children when a zombie apocalypse interrupts a field trip to a farm.

The film stars Lupita Nyong’o, Alexander England and Josh Gad. Little Monsters isn’t the most inventive horror/comedy, but Nyong’o is excellent (she, in all honesty, unfortunately far out-acts and out-sells the other leads). The film also features cute kids and some deeply goofy iconography, which feels fun. It is available on streaming here.

21. Dead & Buried (1981)

Dead & Buried follows a sheriff and his wife as they discover that their small town’s coroner has been creating an army of the undead. The film may not be what modern zombie fans are looking for. It is a bit plot-heavy and more eerie than anything. However, it has great special effects from Stan Winston and is also Jack Albertson’s final live-action film.

Directed by Gary Sherman, Dead & Buried stars James Farentino, Melody Anderson, Albertson and Robert Englund. The film feels a bit like an episode of the Twilight Zone for a Grindhouse audience. At the same time, there is something strangely subtle about its horror in moments. Find it on streaming here.

20. Planet Terror (2007)

Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror is one-half of Grindhouse, a theatrical event that combined it with Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof for a vintage-inspired double feature. While Grindhouse was a box office failure, critics generally noted that Planet Terror was the better film of the two. The film follows a zombie outbreak in rural Texas after a biochemical gas is released.

The film stars Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Michael Biehn, Bruce Willis and Josh Brolin. McGowan’s character, who sports a machine gun as a prosthetic leg, has also become a bit of a cultural horror icon. Find it on streaming here.

19. Rabid (1977)

David Cronenberg’s Rabid is a deeply disgusting film. Reviews of the time said of the film, “Rabid… means both ‘affected with rabies’ and ‘extremely violent’. Using both definitions, Rabid, is so accurately titled that this one word tells all. Here is an extremely violent, sometimes nauseating, picture.” While it was said as a negative, for fans of zombie films and Cronenberg this is all part of the appeal.

Technically, Rabid is about a new strain of rabies that causes an outbreak in Quebec. However, it is very much a zombie movie given that the strain leads victims to thirst for human blood. While it is violent and filled with body horror, it is a surprisingly political film that examines what martial law would be like in a Canadian disaster. The film stars Marilyn Chambers, Frank Moore, Joe Silver and Howard Ryshpan. It was remade in 2019 by Jen and Sylvia Soska. However, the original is better. It is available on multiple platforms.

18. Dead Snow (2009)

On paper Dead Snow sounds kind of dumb. The film is about zombie nazis attacking a group of students in the mountains of Norway. However, Dead Snow is both funny and scary and uses the Scandinavian folktale of the draugr to ground its premise well (even if overall, the film isn’t the most inventive).

Directed by Tommy Wirkola, the film stars Vegar Hoel, Stig Frode Henriksen and Charlotte Frogner. There is now an English dub of the film made for the home media release as well. It is available here.

17. Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998)

A direct-to-VHS animated Scooby-Doo film may be an odd choice for this list, but Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island is a surprisingly well made zombie film that will be intensely nostalgic for, especially, millennials. In 2022, Variety named it the best Scooby-Doo film saying, “With werecats, zombies and voodoo, ‘Zombie Island’ has just the right amount of creepiness to keep us on our toes without losing the heart and silliness of the originals.”

The film follows the Mystery Gang as they reunite to investigate a haunted plantation outside of New Orleans, voodoo and an island of zombie pirates. Directed by Jim Stenstrum, the film stars Adrienne Barbeau, Mary Kay Bergman, Jim Cummings, Scott Innes, Mark Hamill, B. J. Ward, Frank Welker and Billy West. The film is also dedicated to Don Messick, Scooby-Doo’s original voice actor who passed the year before its release. It is available to stream here.

16. Braindead (1992)

Sometimes also called Dead Alive, Braindead is a comedy splatter film from New Zealand. While most splatter films come from the 1950s and ‘60s, Braindead feels like a kind of camp love letter to a forgotten genre. However, it is also very gory and has some profoundly upsetting imagery and themes. It is arguably one of the goriest films on this already very violent list, which may turn some viewers off but has also led to the film’s cult status.

The film follows a son trying to save his overprotective mother after she is bitten by an infected monkey. Directed by Peter Jackson, the film stars Timothy Balme, Diana Peñalver, Elizabeth Moody and Ian Watkin. It is unfortunately currently not on streaming.

15. Black Sheep (2006)

Black Sheep’s premise is purposely silly. The New Zealand-based film is about a farmer who returns to his flock only to find that the sheep have become blood-thirsty zombies after a science experiment goes wrong. It is a B-movie that wears its status honorably.

The real strength of Black Sheep is that ​​it is played completely straight. The serious tone only makes the film funnier and more unique in a sea of zombie horror comedies. Directed by Jonathan King, the film stars Nathan Meister, Danielle Mason, Peter Feeney and Tammy Davis. In 2024, a sequel to the film was announced in 2024. Find Black Sheep online here.

14. The Girl with All the Gifts (2016)

The Girl with All the Gift​​ follows a young girl who is immune to the zombifying effects of a fungal infection making her a key to mankind’s survival. Directed by ​​Colm McCarthy and based on the novel of the same name by Mike Carey (who also wrote the screenplay), The Girl with All the Gifts stars Gemma Arterton, Paddy Considine, Glenn Close and Sennia Nanua.

The film is heavily influenced by earlier zombie media, but takes it in a fresh new direction. It isn’t afraid to ask questions about consciousness and freedom, and the world-building is very grounded. There is nothing a schlocky or funny about this film, which might turn off 1980s zombie movie fans. However, it is a take on the genre worth watching. It is available on multiple platforms.

13. Anna and the Apocalypse (2018)

Anna and the Apocalypse isn’t the average zombie movie. It’s a musical and also a Christmas movie. However, it is really fun and delightful. Starring Ella Hunt, the film follows a group of friends who have to survive a zombie outbreak in a small town in Scotland at Christmas time.

Part High School Musical and part Shaun of the Dead, Anna and the Apocalypse is packed with references to other musicals and horror classics. While sometimes it can feel a little overcrowded, it wins the audience back with an all-out charm offensive. The film is based on the short film “Zombie Musical” by Ryan McHenry, which is another excellent watch for those looking for the niche subject of horror musicals. It is available here.

12. ParaNorman (2012)

A zombie movie for kids is a hard sell. However, Laika’s ParaNorman is a sweet stop-motion animated film about a young boy who can speak to the dead. Directed by Sam Fell and Chris Butler, the film stars Kodi Smit-McPhee, Tucker Albrizzi, Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Leslie Man, Jeff Garlin, Elaine Stritch, Alex Borstein and John Goodman.

The film uses the genre convention of “zombies as social commentary” to explore a coming-of-age story. It is a beautifully animated film, which was also the first stop-motion film to use 3-D color-printed character faces. The film is also cited as the first mainstream animated film to feature an openly gay character and was the first PG movie nominated for a GLAAD Media Award. It is available here.

11. Blood Quantum (2019)

Jeff Barnaby’s Blood Quantum goes back to the genre convention of using zombie media for social commentary. In the film, the residents of the Red Crow reserve are immune to a zombifying virus due to their Mi’kmaq heritage. However, infected Whites try to gain entrance to the compound looking for safety, leading to strife between the indigenous residents.

The film stars Michael Greyeyes, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Forrest Goodluck, Kiowa Gordon, Brandon Oakes, Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs and Gary Farmer. It was primarily filmed on the Kahnawake and Listuguj reserves in Quebec and is in both English and Mi’kmaq. Some of the dialogue and 1980s B-movie theatrics will turn some viewers off, but Blood Quantum is a fresh entry in the zombie film genre and in native cinema. The name of the film refers to Canada’s blood quantum laws (which were used to determine indigenous status), and Barnaby said that the film is a commentary on colonialism. It is available to watch here.

10. Zombieland (2009)

Zombieland is a horror comedy that follows four survivors on a trip to a rumored safe haven in Los Angeles. Directed by Ruben Fleischer, the film stars Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin.

It is tongue in cheek, gory and action-packed. While it doesn’t take itself too seriously, it has impressive visuals and is really well-paced. The film was almost immediately compared to Shaun of the Dead (and more surprisingly Adventureland, an Eisenberg led coming of age story that came out the same year). However, Zombieland stands on its own as a tight and witty zombie film. The film is available here.

9. Re-Animator (1985)

There is an argument to be made that if Frankenstein isn’t a zombie movie, then Re-Animator isn’t either. However, it certainly feels like a zombie movie that should be on this list. The film is loosely based on H. P. Lovecraft’s 1922 serial novelette Herbert West–Reanimator. The film follows a medical student who learns how to bring back people from the dead. However, after he brings back his professor, things turn even more deadly.

The film is very bloody and comes with a trigger warning for sexual assault, but there is something deeply funny about Re-Animator’s deadpan approach to death. Directed by Stuart Gordon, the film stars Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott, Barbara Crampton, David Gale and Robert Sampson. The cult classic has led to two sequels, 1990’s Bride of Re-Animator and Beyond Re-Animator in 2003. However, the original is the best of the franchise. Find it here.

8. Warm Bodies (2013)

Warm Bodies is one of several zombie romance-comedy films. While other notable mentions in this mid-2010s microgenre include 2014’s Life after Beth, 2015’s Night of the Living Deb and 2016’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Warm Bodies feels a bit like the one that started it and is easily the best. Warm Bodies follows a zombie who falls in love with a human in a very loose retelling of Romeo and Juliet.

Directed by Jonathan Levine, the film stars Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Rob Corddry, Dave Franco, Lio Tipton and John Malkovich. Hoult’s performance is especially impressive as he deftly balances being a deadpan zombie and swoon-worthy romantic lead. The film is funny, optimistic and unflinchingly sweet, which makes it a bit of an outlier on this list. It is available on streaming here.

7. [Rec] (2007)

[Rec] is a Spanish-found footage horror film that follows a TV host and cameraman who are quarantined by police in a Barcelona apartment building after a woman is infected by a mysterious virus. Directed by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza, the film stars Manuela Velasco.

It’s a profoundly claustrophobic film that uses shaky-cam to its advantage, which may not be for everyone. Arguably, [Rec] doesn’t belong on a list of zombie films since it is specifically about a virus and includes some shape-shifting elements uncommon in zombie films. However, it feels like 100% zombie classic. It won two Goya Awards and led to three sequels. [Rec]² is especially great out of the four-film franchise. It was also remade in America as 2008’s Quarantine. [Rec] is available here.

6. One Cut of the Dead (2017)

One Cut of the Dead is an independent Japanese horror comedy that follows the production of a low-budget zombie film that is interrupted by real zombies. Directed by Shin’ichirō Ueda, One Cut of the Dead was made on a micro-budget of ¥3 million or about $25,000. However, it made over $30 million worldwide (historically, over 1000 times over its budget). The film stars mostly (at the time) unknown actors, including Takayuki Hamatsu, Yuzuki Akiyama and Kazuaki Nagaya.

The film is notable for its extremely long takes, including a 37-minute continuous shot of the zombie film within a film. The film started a trend in super low-budget Japanese filmmaking called nagamawashi or long-shot film. It is available to stream here.

5. 28 Days Later (2002)

Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later not only changed the game for the zombie genre but it also influenced the course of modern horror films. The zombies in 28 Days Later are not the shambling undead of George A. Romero’s films. Boyle didn’t even consider his film be a zombie movie; however, it has become one as it has redefined what a zombie movie can (and maybe even should) be.

The film follows a delivery man who awakes from a coma in the middle of an outbreak caused by an infected chimp. While the film calls the outbreak “rage,” it has turned the populous into zombie-like creatures that a small group of survivors has to outrun. 28 Days Later features a fabulous screenplay by Alex Garland and stars Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston, Megan Burns and Brendan Gleeson. The film’s sequel, 28 Weeks Later, is also good but doesn’t hit the highs of the original. A third film, 28 Years Later, is set to premiere in 2025. It is available to stream here.

4. Shaun of the Dead (2004)

There are many zombie horror comedies, and Shaun of the Dead isn’t the first. Zombie comedies have existed since the 1940s, with 1941’s King of the Zombies and 1945’s Zombies on Broadway; however, Shaun of the Dead is foundational in the subgenre and was hugely influential to modern horror comedies.

The film follows a 30-something slacker and his friend who must save his girlfriend when their London suburb becomes overrun with zombies. Directed by Edgar Wright, the film stars Simon Pegg (who co-wrote it with Wright), Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Nick Frost, Dylan Moran, Bill Nighy and Penelope Wilton. The film is part of the ‘Three Flavours Cornetto’ trilogy (three comedies co-written by Wright and Pegg) along with 2007’s Hot Fuzz and 2013’s The World’s End. It is also part of a post-9/11 trend of a rise in Zombie media, which film studies scholars connect to the rise of anxiety tied to the prospect of wide-scale destruction. However, it also functions as a very funny meta-commentary on the genre while still existing within it. Find it on streaming here.

3. ​​​​​​Train to Busan (2016)

Train to Busan is a fresh take on the zombie movie. The film takes place on a train from Seoul to Busan when a zombie apocalypse suddenly breaks out. Directed by Yeon Sang-ho, the film stars Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, Kim Su-an, Choi Woo-shik, Ahn So-hee, and Kim Eui-sung.

British filmmaker Edgar Wright famously tweeted a photo of his ticket to the film in 2016, saying, “Best zombie movie I’ve seen in forever. A total crowd-pleaser. Highly recommend.” While the film was set to have an American remake, it never fully materialized. However, it started a franchise in Korea that includes a sequel and an animated prequel. It is available here.

2. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Night of the Living Dead is a must-watch for anyone even remotely interested in zombie films. Directed by George A. Romero, it has amassed a huge cult following and is a hugely influential work in independent cinema. The film follows a group of people who must hide from a graveyard full of zombies in an abandoned house.

The film stars Duane Jones, Judith O’Dea and Marilyn Eastman. Early reviewers thought the film was far too violent, and one even called it an “unrelieved orgy of sadism.” The film predates the establishment of the MPAA film rating system (by about a month), and its premiere caused controversy since children could buy tickets to the very gory film. However, the tide of critical opinion changed quickly, and the film was even selected for preservation by the National Film Registry in 1999. It is available here.

1. Dawn of the Dead (1978)

George A. Romero’s follow-up to 1968’s Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, is a classic of the zombie genre. The film follows a radio station worker, his co-worker/girlfriend and two SWAT team members as they hide from a zombie horde in a shopping mall.

Dawn of the Dead was remade in 2004 by director Zack Snyder. While the 2004 version is surprisingly good for a remake, the original is better. The 1978 version has several cuts, and while you cannot go wrong with the extended cut, many prefer the Euro cut for non-English-speaking countries. The film stars David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger and Gaylen Ross. Dawn of the Dead masterfully blends violence and social commentary for a pitch-perfect zombie classic. Find it on streaming here.

Bottom Line

From the slow moving dead of Romero films to the fast paced zombies of today, zombie films have grossed out, engaged and entertained audiences around the world. Whether you are hoping for comedy, commentary or scares, you can find it among the best zombie films of all time.