Zombies haven’t just dominated horror; they’ve invaded every inch of pop culture. They’re the most recognizable fictional monsters outside of vampires, and for more than a century now, their popularity and presence in the filmmaking world have only gotten more significant. Movies, TV shows, comic books, and even video games have been flooded with the undead, and it has led to some fascinating pieces of entertainment.
Today, there are whole lists dedicated to the best and even some of the worst zombie films. From the wildly creative to the groundbreakers, only the best and most recognizable zombie flicks have earned their place not only in horror but in cinema history. There are quite a few to choose from, but over the last 100 years, the ten zombie movies below have proved their worth and stand the test of time as the greatest of all time. They’re wildly thrilling, spine-chillingly terrifying, but above all, give horror lovers the ultimate zombie movie-watching experience.
10
‘One Cut of the Dead’ (2017)
From the intense and wildly imaginative world of Japanese horror cinema comes an extremely comedic and creatively exciting modern classic that helped keep zombies thriving in the late 2010s: One Cut of the Dead. A low-budget indie found footage film, it sees zombies crashing a film shoot as an amateur filmmaking team in an abandoned WWII facility get a taste of the real thing when they’re attacked by the undead.
Sharply written, darkly hilarious, but brilliantly satirical, One Cut of the Dead breathes more life back into this subgenre. You’ll bruise a rib laughing while being wildly entertained and blown away by its riveting story and impressive zombie moments, and of course, its gore. Currently, it stands as the highest-rated zombie movie on Rotten Tomatoes, boasting an incredible 100% on the Tomatometer. Its acclaim is a testament to its success and its assurance that it won’t ever be forgotten by zombie lovers for a long time.
9
‘Zombieland’ (2009)
2009’s Zombieland closed out the early 2000s with one last remarkable dark comedy that zombie lovers everywhere continue to quote. Jessie Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin, and two-time Academy Award-winner Emma Stone star in this undead road trip comedy about four survivors traveling through a zombie-infested America to California, forming a family bond along the way.
Zombieland is a wild, fun thrill ride full of wonderful and brilliant dark humor, memorable performances, iconic one-liners, and even Bill Murray giving one of the best movie cameos of all time. It doesn’t particularly do anything new to the zombie formula, but it stands out in a spectacularly funny way with its satirical edge and how it uses a zombie apocalypse as a comedic adventure where anything funny could happen. Zombieland is memorable and highly rewatchable, and overall, able to give zombie enthusiasts the most satisfying experience.
8
‘Dead Alive’ (1992)
Throw in nonstop gore, hilarious dark comedy, and the brilliant direction of The Lord of the Rings’ director, Sir Peter Jackson, and you get Dead Alive, the wildly bonkers and amazing zombie comedy released in 1992. It was one of Jackson’s early efforts during his early days as a horror filmmaker, and it clearly shows his masterful storytelling work as its memorable tale of a timid Wellington man as he rises to the occasion to save his crush when his overbearing mother becomes infected by a rabid animal and starts turning all her neighbors into zombies.
It’s spectacularly bloody and gets so grotesquely over the top that nearly everything is blood-soaked by the finale. Dead Alive shines because of its impressive gore effects and for not holding anything back once the carnage starts. Your stomach will churn while watching all the goofy, gory effects, but then you’ll be charmed by Jackson’s sharply written screenplay and the likable characters. Overall, this cult classic has become a defining entry in the zombie subgenre, and one that no zombie fan can call themselves without seeing it.
7
‘Re-Animator’ (1985)
For even more gore and carnage, check out Stuart Gordon‘s Re-Animator, a 1985 splatter comedy cult classic. A loose retelling of an H. P. Lovecraft tale, it has stood the test of time, rising from low-budget underground success to become one of the best B-movies of the 1980s. Horror icon Jeffrey Combs shines as ambitious medical student Herbert West, a scientist who breaks all the rules to create a reanimating serum, which results in horrifying undead abominations.
With the right mix of intense body horror and campy comedy, Re-Animator is a blast for more than zombie fans, as it’s a thrill ride that honestly gets more enjoyable with every rewatch. Sure, it’s not exactly a smooth watch, as it gets quite bloody and too heavy at points. However, that extreme approach has only increased its legacy over the years, where today it’s strongly mentioned among some of the most iconic zombie films.
6
’28 Days Later’ (2002)
Danny Boyle‘s game-changing disaster thriller 28 Days Later shaped the zombie subgenre’s trajectory going into the 21st century. A genre-defining masterpiece that’s widely considered one of the scariest zombie movies ever, it’s an absolute nightmare that follows an ordinary bike messenger (Cillian Murphy) as he travels through a desolate Great Britain that’s being devastated by a new breed of faster, aggressive zombies.
During a time when the formula was predictable and straightforward, along came this intense nail-biter, which popularized the now iconic “Fast Zombie” trope and showed the devastating effects of a zombie epidemic in a more frighteningly realistic light. 28 Days Later kept the zombie subgenre’s momentum going into the new millennium, where today it still shines as one of its most intense and riveting classics. It even spawned a successful franchise with the upcoming release of 2026’s 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.
5
‘Shaun of the Dead’ (2004)
The glorious collaboration of director Edgar Wright and comedic actor Simon Pegg delivers arguably the greatest zombie comedy of all time. In Shaun of the Dead, Pegg and his long-time acting partner and friend Nick Frost star as two directionless slackers who must learn to become heroes when leading a group to safety as London is mysteriously overrun by the undead overnight.
This tightly edited, perfectly written, and endlessly rewatchable masterpiece is a zombie lover’s dream as it perfectly pays homage to the genre while pointing out its many iconic tropes and clichés. The comedy will have you rolling on the ground and quoting some of its most brilliant lines for years to come. Logically, Shaun of the Dead was an instant horror comedy classic upon release, and continues to have an ever-present impact on the zombie films that come out today.
4
‘Train to Busan’ (2016)
South Korean cinema has steadily risen to prosperity in the last few decades, and a part of this rise is thanks to one fast-paced zombie thriller masterpiece, Train to Busan. Released in 2016, this tense and emotionally gripping nail-biter will take anyone’s breath away as it’s incredibly suspenseful and full of fast, unstop action. It follows a group of train passengers struggling to stay alive long enough on a zombie-infested train bound from Seoul to Busan.
Train to Busan has some of the most pulse-pounding action and spine-chilling suspense ever shown in a zombie movie, and it has an incredibly lasting effect to keep you hooked on from start to finish. It’s also rich with compelling drama and featuring characters that audiences actively want to see make it, only to become devastated when they don’t. This modern masterpiece has had a lasting impact on the zombie subgenre, and despite its youth, it is already considered a classic.
3
‘Day of the Dead’ (1985)
The zombie subgenre is what it is today thanks to the legendary success and inspiration from the late George A. Romero‘s iconic “Dead Trilogy.” A fascinating collection of films in which each of the three installments is a masterpiece, Romero’s Dead movies not only popularized zombies, but the subgenre just wouldn’t be the same without them. Taking the third spot on this list is, fittingly enough, the third film, Day of the Dead, from 1985. It follows a team of scientists and soldiers as they turn on each other in an underground bunker in the Florida Everglades.
Though initially panned by critics, Day of the Dead has steadily gotten much more deserving praise over the years, even being hailed as a timeless masterpiece like its two predecessors. It further expanded upon the gripping themes of the series, but then elevated it with even better effects and a more significant budget than the previous two. It still takes third place because of the others in the trilogy, but it can’t be ignored and has earned its place in zombie history.
2
‘Night of the Living Dead’ (1968)
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Well, of course, there is absolutely no talking about zombies these days than the one short of started it all. Romero’s 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead wasn’t technically the first zombie movie, but it was the first to include many of the tropes we know and love today, becoming a timeless inspiration for decades to come. It follows a group of survivors, led by a man named Ben (Duane Jones), as they hold out through the night in a farmhouse surrounded by hordes of the undead.
Featuring a legendary and unique premise, compelling social commentary, and revolutionary casting choices, Night of the Living Dead isn’t just one of the best zombie movies; it’s one of the greatest horror films, period. It created an unshakable impression on pop culture and still feels relevant today as countless zombie films endlessly take their influence from it. Compelling and timelessly rewatchable, Night of the Living Dead lives on throughout cinema.
1
‘Dawn of the Dead’ (1978)
Taking the top spot goes to the legendary second installment in Romero’s Dead trilogy, Dawn of the Dead, a masterpiece that, like its predecessor, is widely considered one of the all-time greatest horror movies. Set in the outbreak of a devastating zombie epidemic, it follows a small group of survivors holding out in an enormous shopping mall all by themselves.
Night of the Living Dead may have started the modern zombie subgenre, but Dawn of the Dead defined what it means to be a perfect zombie film. Its satirical writing is superb, the social commentary is gripping and still thought-provoking, and even its setting and premise have given countless inspiration to other zombie stories across the media. It’s an undeniable cinematic achievement that launched the zombie subgenre into the spotlight, where it still shines brightly today.
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