Are you a fan of zombie movies? Do you love being scared by the most horrifying creatures in cinema? Then check out this list of the best zombie movies of all time. It has the best of horror and even some really cool comedies. Many of these movies are available on Netflix and others you can watch for free on YouTube.
zombie horror movies
1. Night of the Living Dead (available on YouTube)
- Year: 1968
- Directed by: George A. Romero
- Rating on IMDb: 7,9
Although it is not the first film about zombies in the history of cinema, this film can be considered the great classic of the genre, serving as an inspiration for many other horror films that came later. Therefore, anyone who is fond of zombie stories cannot fail to check out Night of the Living Dead, now considered a cult film. The story revolves around a group of people who are trapped in an isolated house in rural Pennsylvania, USA, in the midst of a deadly zombie attack.
2. Awakening of the Dead (available on YouTube)
- Year: 1978
- Directed by: George A. Romero
- Rating on IMDb: 7,9
Super classic of the zombie apocalypse genre, you can say Awakening of the Dead went on to school, influencing many horror productions of the 80s. The plot is that old acquaintance: a terrible epidemic turns human beings into zombies, spreading generalized chaos. The fate of humanity is in the hands of four people who take refuge in a shopping center. But the hideout is soon discovered by the hungry horde of the undead.
3. Extermination
- Year: 2002
- Directed by: Danny Boyle
- Rating on IMDb: 7,6
Extermination (28 Days Later) is one of the most successful films in the zombie apocalypse genre released in the early 2000s. The story is classic: a virus called Rage turns almost all of humanity into zombies. Upon awakening from a coma, Jim is faced with an empty hospital. From the outside, the city of London is a vast desert. It won't be easy to survive in a city infested by bloodthirsty zombies.
4. Zombie Invasion (available on YouTube and Netflix)
- Year: 2016
- Directed by: Yeon Sang-ho
- Rating on IMDb: 7,5
This is one of the best movies made recently about zombies. Despite the theme already so explored, the South Korean feature manages to hold attention with electrifying scenes and a frantic pace that only increases throughout the story. In addition to the good script and great action scenes, the film is highly praised for the performances and quality special effects. During a zombie epidemic that ravages Korea, father and daughter fight for survival inside a train.
5. [REC]
- Year: 2008
- Directed by: Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza
- Rating on IMDb: 7,4
Anyone who watched [REC] guarantees: this movie scares the hell out of it! Therefore, if you are more sensitive to scenes of tension and terror, maybe it's best to watch it with a partner and, preferably, during the day. Everything takes place in the recordings of a report about everyday life in a fire department headquarters. But things start to get ugly when the reporter and her cameraman decide to accompany the firefighters to rescue a lady who is trapped in her apartment. It's creepy!
6. The Return of the Living Dead
- Year: 1985
- Directed by: Dan O'Bannon
- Rating on IMDb: 7,3
The 80s saw a real boom in horror films, with emphasis on zombie stories. There are several feature films that deal with the return of the dead to life, right in line with Michael Jackson's famous Thriller clip. Perhaps the most successful of all is The Return of the Living Dead, which tells the story of a zombie invasion caused by the leak of a gas used in a failed military experiment.
7. Dawn of the Dead
- Year: 2004
- Directed by: Zack Snyder
- Rating on IMDb: 7,3
Awakening of the Dead from 1978 is a reference of the genre. Almost 30 years later, Zack Snyder, taking advantage of the zombie wave of the early 2000s, decided to make a free adaptation of the classic. It worked out! Despite the English title being strictly the same, it is not a literal remake. The differences start with the script. Therefore, if you are a fan of the 78 film, you will be surprised by this horror film.
8. The Hour of the Living Dead (available on YouTube)
- Year: 1985
- Directed by: Stuart Gordon
- Rating on IMDb: 7,2
Nowadays considered a cult movie, this horror classic is famous for its scenes of extreme violence with a touch of humor. Inspired by the classic Frankenstein, The Hour of the Living Dead (Re-animator) tells the story of a medical student who developed a chemical substance capable of bringing dead people to life. The problem is that your professor intends to take credit for this fantastic scientific discovery.
9. Day of the Dead (available on YouTube)
- Year: 1985
- Directed by: George A. Romero
- Rating on IMDb: 7,2
When it comes to zombie movies, George A. Romero is the man. Since Night of the Living Dead, he has established himself as a reference in the genre, and even today his work is celebrated by fans. Day of the Dead is the third of the zombie saga that started in 1968. The story takes place in a United States dominated by zombies, except for a bunker with a group of scientists and military personnel who try at all costs to avoid the total annihilation of humanity.
10. I Am Legend (available on Netflix)
- Year: 2005
- Directed by: George A. Romero
- Rating on IMDb: 7,2
Will Smith is scientist Robert Neville, the only survivor of an epidemic caused by the modification of a virus in the laboratory. This virus turns people into zombie species that cannot stand sunlight. For some reason, Neville is immune to the virus. His life is dedicated to finding a cure for this disease and, who knows, finding more survivors in a desolate New York.
11. World War Z
- Year: 2013
- Directed by: Marc Forster
- Rating on IMDb: 7,0
Brad Pitt plays Gerry Lane, a former UN investigator who accepts a mission to face a terrible threat against humanity: a mysterious disease that quickly turns people into zombies. We must race against time to discover the causes of this epidemic before all of humanity is infected.
12. Resident Evil: The Cursed Guest
- Year: 2002
- Directed by: Paul WS Anderson
- Rating on IMDb: 6,7
Based on the famous video game, Resident Evil is one of those movies that mix horror and action, with breathtaking scenes! Anyone who is a gamer certainly knows the story: something is wrong at the Colmeia, an underground laboratory specializing in genetic research whose employees are killed due to the spread of a virus. A virus that turns people into zombies...
13. Land of the Dead
- Year: 2005
- Directed by: George A. Romero
- Rating on IMDb: 6,2
Land of the Dead marks George A. Romero's celebrated return to the genre that made him famous. And the result is satisfying. Zombies have taken over the city streets and are beginning to show themselves capable of collectively organizing and using tools. On this post-apocalyptic planet, there are still human beings alive. Some of them live as best they can in fortress cities. Another part, the political and economic elite, lives a life of luxury in imposing and protected towers. But that is about to change.
