Creating the Best Zombie Movies List
Picking a list of the best zombie movies is as much fun as it is daunting. Considering the multitude of horror films finding residence in this sub-genre, nailing down the best is difficult to say the least. What’s worse? It’s all opinion anyway.
However, although I only give a one or two sentence synopsis, I can certainly lay down arguments for why the 17 films that survived the shot to the head are worthwhile.
And before you type, “Hey, how come this movie isn’t on the list?!” know that I chose my version of the best based on story and character – and how the entire movie worked as a whole. If you don’t agree with my choices, that’s perfectly fine. Feel free to make your own damn best zombie list. “Hey, you ranked this movie here instead of there!” Yes, I did. Again, make your own damn list.
Here’s but one bald man’s opinion in a hairy person’s world of the undead…
17 Best Zombie Movies
17. Eddie: The Sleepwalking Cannibal (2012, Canada/Denmark) 4 stars
This quirky comedy/horror features a has-been artist caring for a gentle giant with a taste for human flesh. And everyone thought a muse would never hurt anyone…
16. The Returned (2013, Spain/Canada) 4 stars
Science has discovered a antiviral protein that will prevent the infected from turning into zombies. But what happens when the vaccine supply runs dangerously low?
15. The Crazies (2010, USA/UAE) 4 stars
This remake may be one of the best because it adheres to the original vision of George A. Romero. Better still it unleashes the fear of a spreading virus.
14. Dead and Breakfast (2004) 4 stars
This comedy/horror/musical is a fun ride as guests at a B&B have to fight off the undead – and maybe each other! Don’t miss David Carradine as Mr. Wise.
13. Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead (2014) Australia 4 stars
A skilled mechanic must bust through a horde of zombies in order to get to the soldiers who have kidnapped his sister. It’s a new kind of road warrior!
12. The Wailing (2016, South Korea/USA) 4 stars
When a stranger unleashes a new and devastating illness, a police must rise above to save his town and his daughter. Enjoy the dramatic mystery.
11. Night of the Living Dead (1968) 4 stars
Ghouls have arisen and the zombie genre takes flight! George A. Romero brings the angst and tumult of navigating the emotions of negative people to combat something even worse.
10. Dead and Buried (1981) 4 stars
Potter’s Bluff is a quaint coastal village. Yet, every time someone is murdered, they somehow come back. Potter’s field meets Pet Sematary!
9. The Crazies (1973) 4 stars
George A. Romero’s frightening foray into virus containment in rural Pennsylvania. Who do you trust – and you do you know if you’re not going crazy?
8. Slither (2006, Canada/USA) 4 stars
When an alien plague is unleashed on a small town, turning people into zombies, it’s up to the local sheriff (Nathan Fillion) to stem the tide and prevent something worse from happening.
7. Frankenstein’s Army (2013, Netherlands/USA/Czech Republic) 4 stars
During WWII a Red Army unit and their filmmographer find something otherworldly in the confines of a German mad-scientist’s realm. It’s a trip!
6. The Horde (2009, France) 4 stars
Cops and criminals must work together to cut through an apartment complex full of zombies. But even if they can escape the building, where will they go?
5. One Cut of the Dead (2019, Japan) 4 stars
This is one of the most uniqued told stories in all of zombie-dom! Half found footage and ultra-meta, this entertaining tale proves to be mind-blowing in its comedic scope.
4. Dawn of the Dead (2004, USA/Canada/Japan/France) 4.5 stars
A dramatic remake of George A. Romero’s venture, a group of souls stuck in a mall must break out together. But what happens when their own death count rises?
3. Cemetery Man (1994, Italy/France/Germany) 4.5 stars
Based on the comic book, this bizarre venture into comedy, drama, and love pits a cemetery employee against the dead – for the second time.
2. Deadgirl (2008) 4.5 stars
Truly disturbing and gut-wrenching, a couple of high school students playing hookey discover a zombie woman trapped to a gurney in an abandoned lab. What a turn the story takes…
1. Pontypool (2008, Canada) 5 stars
Stephen McHattie reign’s supreme as Grant Mazzy. Working from a small radio station, he and his producer do their best to keep the town informed of horror’s most unique zombie outbreak.
Undead Shambler’s Up
All of the following are 3.5 out of 5 stars and are in alphabetical order. They are all worth watching…
Black Sheep (2007, New Zealand/South Korea)
The Cured (2018, Ireland/France)
Doom (2005, UK/Czech Republic/Germany/USA)
Fido (2007, Canada)
It Stains the Sands Red (2016)
Outpost (2008, UK)
The Plague of the Zombies (1966, UK) – My favorite Hammer film!
Planet Terror (2007, USA/Mexico)
They Came Back (2004, France)
Trailer Park of Terror (2008)
Train to Busan (2016, South Korea)
Wild Zero (2009, Japan)
Zombieland Double Tap (2019) – better than the original!
The Plot Sickens: Crash ranks ranks the Top 10 Alien Horror Films!
Billy Crash
Also known as William D. Prystauk, he loves great, in-depth characters and storytelling in horror, and likes to see heads roll. However, if you kill a dog on screen he’ll cry like a baby. Crash, an award-winning screenwriter and novelist, co-hosts THE LAST KNOCK horror podcast on iTunes and Spotify (among other venues), and can also be found on Twitter, LinkedIn, IMDb, Amazon, Behance, YouTube, and Instagram. He’s currently in pre-production on a dramatic thriller feature while working on the fourth novel in his award-winning Kink Noir crime thriller series.
THE LAST KNOCK horror podcast is a Crash Palace Productions’ featured show. Besides this site, you can find THE LAST KNOCK on iTunes and Spotify (and more) with new shows posted every other Sunday at 9 PM ET.
Crash Palace Productions website design and creation from Brian Yount Digital Enterprises with banner, gif, and all THE LAST KNOCK art from Palko Designs. The Last Knock always supports independent cinema!
Note: What’s up with the one-man shows as of late? Never fear, Jonny Numb and Billy Crash are still The Last Knock duo! But due to work demands, COVID-19 vaccine recovery, and individual writing projects, time has been demanding. The pair will get on the same wavelength soon enough!
(Pontypool still from Ponty Up Pictures.)