Zombie movies are a sort of staple for horror-movie enthusiasts. Although the genre did not take off in mainstream cinema until recently, we do have some really creepy sagas of flesh-hungry creatures that have continued to spellbind audiences across generations. Here is our list of five such incredibly popular zombie movies that make for a great (and scary) watch.
Night of the Living Dead
One of the oldest entrants on our list, the Night of the Living Dead is one of the few zombie movies that enjoy a cult status in Hollywood. Written and directed by George A. Romero, the movie was released way back in 1968 and managed to generate nearly 250 times as much revenue as its original budget. Despite being heavily criticized for its explicit gore, the movie was regarded as a classic by many film critics and scholars of the time. The extraordinary popularity of the film inspired five consecutive movies, as well as two remakes between 1978 and 2010.
Train to Busan
A 2016 South Korean zombie apocalypse thriller film directed by Yeon Sang-Ho, the Train to Busan has emerged as one of the most successful horror productions in recent times. The film was showcased at the midnight screenings of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in 2016. In essence, the Train to Busan is a nail-biting survival tale of a father trying to escort his daughter on a zombie infested train to take her to her mother. As such, this is one of the very few films of this genre that inspire sincere emotions for the characters, making it a real winner among its rivals in the list.
[REC]
[REC] revolutionized the concept of found-footage horror films in which you see and experience the gore as a character inside the film. Directed by Paco Plaza and Jaume Balaguero, [REC] is a Spanish masterpiece released in 2007 that follows a firefighter intervention in an emergency call received from an apartment in Barcelona. Given its immense popularity and phenomenal success, [REC] was listed at the 60th position on Time Out Top 100. Paving the way for the famous [REC] franchise, the movie was followed by a total of three sequels as well as a Hollywood remake by the name of Quarantine in 2008.
Resident Evil
Loosely based on the famous video game franchise of the same name in Japan, Resident Evil is a series of action-horror flicks that enjoy the distinction of being the highest ever grossing film series to be based on a video game. A character named Alice (played by Milla Jovovich) battles with the Umbrella Corporation, which is attributed with the creation of bioweapons that kick-start a zombie apocalypse.
28 Days Later
A 2002 British post-apocalyptic zombie film, 28 Days Later was written by Alex Garland and directed by Danny Boyle. The storyline follows a breakdown of the society after a highly contagious virus gets released in the atmosphere and pushes four lone survivors to cope with the catastrophe. The movie garnered both critical and commercial acclaim and is credited with reviving the zombie genre in the world of cinema.
