28 Years Later is already shaping up to be one of the best zombie films of all time, which is no easy feat when you consider the oversaturated genre and the many (many) failed attempts at making the undead plague feel alive.
Helmed by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, and Ralph Fiennes, 28 Years Later is a continuation of the story set out in both 28 Days Later and its sequel, 28 Weeks Later. Reviews are already pretty stellar – among some obvious criticism – but let’s be honest, you only really opened this article in the hopes of learning more about the super hung zombies.
Though I can’t say these films have anything in the way of undead eye-candy, they are undoubtedly some of the best zombie films of all time.
1. Train to Busan
Starting off with a bang, Train to Busan is widely referred to as one of the best zombie films of modern times. Starring Gong Yoo, who you will recognise from Squid Game, Train to Busan is as gripping as it is truly terrifying. It all takes place on board a bullet train, and every single moment is as terrifying as the last as characters ranging from old ladies to schoolgirls get ripped apart in gory displays of violence.
Train to Busan has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 95 per cent.
2. Night of the Living Dead franchise
Created by legendary filmmaker George Romero, the Night of the Living Dead franchise birthed the zombie genre into what we know and love today. The first instalment came in 1968, followed by Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, Land of the Dead, Diary of the Dead, Survival of the Dead, and the upcoming Twilight of the Dead. Watching these will instantly make you realise how every single zombie film since has ripped it off.
Night of the Living Dead has 95 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, and the rest of the films are similarly high.
3. 28 Days Later, obvs
We can’t talk about the success of 28 Years Later without paying tribute to the flick that started it all, 28 Days Later. Starring Cillian Murphy, Christopher Eccleston, and a bunch of other quintessentially British actors, 28 Days Later is rated the top zombie film of all time by very reputable sources.
It’s got 87 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, but honestly, it should be much higher.
4. Both Zombieland movies
Changing up the pace a little, Zombieland and Zombieland: Double Tap proved that a film can be both horrifying and hilarious. With huge names such as Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin, the franchise was simply never going to fail.
Zombieland has 89 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, with its sequel getting 68 per cent.
5. The Girl With All The Gifts
2016’s The Girl With All The Gifts, with Gemma Arterton, Glenn Close, and Sennia Nanua, is unique in that it’s not just a simple zombie apocalypse story. A gripping tale of motherhood and found family, the film’s unique approach to the genre earns it a place on this list. The film concludes with the rest of humanity being wiped out by the actions of the main character, and somehow, it’s still a happy ending.
The Girl With All The Gifts has 86 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.
6. Little Monsters
Anything with Lupita Nyong’o is guaranteed to be an instant win, and Little Monsters is no different. When zombie infections break out during a school trip, teacher Miss Audrey Caroline is forced to think on her feet as she attempts to save her kids from the jaws of the undead. It’s a lot of laughs, particularly when Josh Gad’s character gets ripped apart.
Little Monsters has 79 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.
7. Warm Bodies
We simply need more romantic comedy zombie films out there, case and point, Warm Bodies with Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, and Dave Franco. It’s wacky, and a bit loose with its lore, but the internal monologue of Nicholas Hoult’s zombie character lent a gravity to the comedy-heavy plot. By the end of it, I too wanted a boy who may or may not be dead.
Warm Bodies has 81 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.
8. Shaun of the Dead
There was literally no way I was forgetting perhaps the best film in the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, Shaun of the Dead. With huge British names such as Simon Pegg, Lucy Davis, Nick Frost, and Bill Nighy – and with cameos from Martin Freeman and Matt Lucas – it literally ticks all the boxes for easy Friday night watching. It’s the zombie film to put on when you’re mate moans, “I don’t like horror films.”
Unsurprisingly, Shaun of the Dead has 92 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.
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