We all know that in zombie movies, the characters are the ones without any remorse or pity, they are driven by hunger and are required to be shot in the head to kill them once and for all! But did you know the sub-genre that is enjoyed these days (as much as it is) was initially not introduced as a genre but as a part in the 1930’s movies with White Zombie (1932)? The subgenre is believed to have emerged in 1968 when George A Romero unravelled the Night of the Living Dead.
Soon the brain-hungry and flesh-eating characters created a niche for themselves among movie-goers and gave rise to their very own sub-genre. Since then, there has been no stopping them. And because we’ve been enjoying the feasting-brain-dead monsters so much for over the last decade-plus, we’re taking the liberty to suggest some of our favourite zombie movies that you need to watch over the weekend (or binge)!
Army of the dead
Recently released, the movie is on top of our list not only because it’s fresh in the zombie universe, but also because it combines two major genres for us – zombie (horror) and heist. The movie takes you to Las Vegas, amid an apocalypse event – a zombie outbreak. After the city of sins turns into a city of zombies, it is walled so that no one breaks out. While all this is going on, a group of mercenaries take an ultimate job – to get into the quarantine zone and pull off the greatest and deadliest heist ever attempted. TIME Magazine’s review by Stephanie Zacharek of the movie, calls it ‘a heaping dish of turn-off-your-brain entertainment’ and let me tell you that’s the best kind for weekend fun.
I mean, what’s not to like? Stylish zombie, good, heist thriller, good, action-packed, good, all things Vegas, good!
Where to Watch: Netflix
IMDb rating: 5.9
Director: Zack Snyder
Starring: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, and Ana de la Reguera, among others.
Check out the trailer:
Warm Bodies
Now, this is one of its kind. While the subgenre is loved and appreciated for its bloodshed and flesh-eating mindless un-deads, this one stands out for its warmth. The film is borderline cute on the zombie comedy subgenre and focuses on the development of the relationship between Julie, a human, and "R", a zombie! The movie follows the unusual development of a romance between the two, leading R to slowly return to the human form.
The movie is particularly interesting as it displays human characteristics in zombie characters and is told from the zombie's perspective. According to the Independent’s review of the movie by Geoffrey Macnab, it is “an ingenious hybrid that, at its best, manages to be funny, lyrical and gruesome.”
I love it because it’s a decent zom-rom-com! I bet you’ll love it too.
Where to Watch: Prime Video
IMDb rating: 6.8
Director: Jonathan Levine
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, and John Malkovich, among others.
Check out the trailer:
Train to Busan
The movie is one of the best zombies ride you’ll be on as the film mostly takes place on a high-speed train from Seoul to Busan. As a zombie apocalypse unravels outside the train, the safety of the passengers is threatened. The movie is so good and entertaining that the British filmmaker Edgar Wright personally recommended it on Twitter calling it the ‘best zombie movie’. And this, coming from the director of Shaun of the Dead, is a wholesome description of the movie’s brilliance.
Where to Watch: Prime Video, YouTube Movies
IMDb rating: 7.6
Director: Sang-ho Yeon
Starring: Gong Yoo, Yu-mi Jung, and Ma Dong-seok, among others.
Check out the trailer:
World War Z
Though some call it ‘non-original’ if you are a Brad Pitt and love him in action and adventure, this should be on your go-to list. In his review, David Denby says that “Despite some conventional passages and a soft ending, Forster and Brad Pitt, who is a producer of the film as well as its star, pulled the picture together. They also managed to reawaken in a large-scale movie the experience of shock.”
The star of the movie may not be the plot or the zombies, but again the star of the movies has shone the brightest.
Where to Watch: Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube Movies
IMDb rating: 7.0
Director: Marc Forster
Starring: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, and Daniella Kertesz, among others.
Check out the trailer:
Zombieland
It is a zombie movie alright, but I think it’s more of a fun road trip that happens to have zombies on the way. It’s interesting to see some unusual group of people coming together to survive. The movie traces a college kid making his way through the zombie apocalypse, teaming up with three strangers along the way to find a place free from zombies.
It’s so funny that in India, we tried to make a movie on vaguely similar lines. Though the movie is not that scary – as many other zombie movies are – this one offers a lot of wit, comedy, and strives on girl power (that’s my favourite part). David Jenkins in his review says, “Director Ruben Fleischer has his eyes trained on the comic jugular, and he attains an astronomical laugh count from Rhett Reese and Paul Wernickat's fizzing, pop-savvy script.”
It’s basically one of those that you can watch again and again!
Where to Watch: Netflix
IMDb rating: 7.6
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Woody Harrelson, among others.
Check out the trailer:
We are looking forward to the weekend, hope you have a happy one too!
