Top 5 Zombie Films of All Time

26 September 2012 9 Comments

Toby Leonard, food blogger by day, horror movie fan by night, tells Top 10 Films about his favourite Zombie flicks. Prepare for brains, lots and lots of brains!

Other Top 10s on Top10Films.co.uk that you might like: Top 10 Zombie Apocalypse Films | Top 10 Werewolf Films | Top 10 Monsters I Don’t Want To Find In My Closet | Top 10 Modern Vampire Films

Putrefied flesh, limping gait, clamoring for “braaains”—zombies have invaded popular culture from books to television and even inspired zombie parades.

With October 31st rapidly approaching, zombie fanatics can view a haunting Halloween costume, whether for trick-or-treating or participating in local zombie events. Until then, place yourself in the Halloween spirit with these zombie movie classics.

28 Days Later (2002)

A case of animal activism gone horribly wrong, an infected chimpanzee is “rescued” from a lab and contaminates the population in the process. Four weeks later (you could say 28 days), a man wakes in a hospital to discover eerie London streets absent of life. The infected masses soon materialize and attack him, which prompts a group of survivors to rescue our protagonist. With the decline of civilization, the innate savagery of humanity is exposed in the struggle to survive.

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

A docile everyman must prove his worthiness to win back his girlfriend—but first he’ll have to battle the undead across the streets of London. Shaun’s crucible is accompanied by his slacker friend, mum and irksome step-dad and a cast of would-be survivors. An intelligent horror comedy, “Shaun” doesn’t disappoint in causing uproarious laughter and delivering some creative uses of a cricket bat and vinyl records to lay waste to zombie hordes.

Zombie (1979)

Zombie vs. shark—who would win? The answer is revealed in “Zombie” (aka Zombi 2), the ‘unofficial sequel’ to Dawn of the Dead. Directed by Lucio Fulci, an Italian version on the zombie genre takes the setting to a tropical island where a young woman searches for her father with the aid of a journalist. The situation takes a turn for the worse when the group learns of a vicious plague running rampant on the island; its denizens are transforming into walking cadavers hungry for flesh. For fans of B-movie thrills, gut-wrenching gore and unadulterated nudity, Zombie is sure to reign supreme.

Dead Alive (1992)

Decades before Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson created this ‘zomedy’ gem. Mama’s boy Lionel reluctantly looks after his oppressive mother—even after she’s bitten by a Sumatran rat-monkey and develops an appetite for flesh. Now, Lionel must defend the town’s residents from her eccentric feeding habits and ultimately break his maternal bond. Delivering on over-the-top violence combined with laughs, “Dead Alive” remains a cult classic within the horror genre.

Dawn of the Dead (1978)

It’s become a cliché—a group of survivors band together in a shopping mall to ward off zombies. But in the case of George A. Romero’s 1978 classic, this film was the progenitor for a slew of zombie movies that rode in the wake of its success. Following the film that launched the zombie genre, “Night of the Living Dead,” “Dawn” shocked audiences upon its release and provided a dark comic satire of modern America.

What are your favourite Zombie films?

Written and compiled by Toby Leonard. Toby is a freelance food blogger who loves trying new food creations any chance he gets. Sometimes this is a bad idea. Usually, though, it works out for both him and his readers.

9 Comments »

Jack Deth said:

Hi, Toby and company:

Excellent list!

My favorite zombie flick would lead with George A. Romero’s 1868 ‘Night of the Living Dead’. No budget, no big name actors, but the film WORKS!

Scariest one would be from when I was a kid. ‘I Drink Your Blood’ from 1970. Another no budget, backwoods gem. With terrorizing bikers, rabid animals’ blood injected into meat pies. And later, blood thirsty, foaming at the mouth, rabid zombie bikers!

Most humorous would be a toss up between ‘Shaun of the Dead’ and its distant US cousin, ‘Dead and Breakfast’ from 2004.

# 26 September 2012 at 2:41 pm

Jaina said:

Love that Shaun of the Dead is on your list. I’d be disappointed if it wasn’t!

I’d add the first [REC] to the list. A great horror film and one of the few zombie films to have some half decent scares and an original premise for the zombies.

# 26 September 2012 at 3:18 pm

Dan Grant said:

I really think Fulci is criminally ignored on most lists. The man, imo, is a genius. He really sees gore in ways that most don’t or can’t. Zombie 2 is brilliant. There are many many innovative scenes here and yes, the zombie vs shark is very cool. So glad you put it on your list.

# 26 September 2012 at 6:36 pm

Scott Lawlor said:

A Top 5 on top 10 films? What is the world coming to!!

Some good additions to the list, but also some gaping holes too!!

Well done though!

# 27 September 2012 at 8:14 am

Pete said:

Id swap NightOTLD for DawnOTD. Love the black and white and the house setting. It’s a lot scarier than Dawn.

I’d also be tempted to put the Dawn remake on here and REC.

28 Days Later may very well be my absolute favourite.

# 27 September 2012 at 10:35 am

Evan Crean said:

A great list. Glad you’re not one of those purists that refuses to call 28 Days Later a zombie movie since the creatures don’t fit the classic zombie definition. I also love Day of the Dead(the Romero one), Fido, Return of the Living Dead, Night of the Creeps, Dance of the Living Dead, and Dead Heat.

# 27 September 2012 at 11:52 am

Chris said:

I saw Dawn of the Dead this month, agree it’s a great zombie film that set the bar.
28 days later mainly impressed me with eerie London streets absent of life in first 30 minutes.
More recently, Zombieland (2009) gets a lot of praise, though I haven’t seen it yet.
Agree with Jaina, [REC] is on my list too.

# 29 September 2012 at 12:08 pm