There are hundreds of zombie movies out there.
Some are genuinely scary. Some are funny. Some are strange. And some are so good that you can watch them again and again.
After going through a huge collection of zombie films, I’ve picked out the movies that stand out the most to me.
This isn’t meant to be a ranking based only on ratings or critics’ scores. This is my personal list of the best zombie movies ever.
If you want to see the much bigger collection, check out our 300+ Zombie Movies list, which covers zombie films from 1920 to date.
1. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
For me, Dawn of the Dead is the best zombie movie ever made.
George A. Romero’s 1978 classic follows a group of survivors who escape the zombie outbreak and take refuge inside a shopping mall.
What makes the movie special isn’t just the zombies.
It’s the atmosphere.
It’s the characters.
It’s the social commentary.
And it’s the way Romero turns an ordinary shopping mall into both a place of safety and a symbol of consumer culture.
The movie manages to be frightening, violent, entertaining and surprisingly thoughtful at the same time.
Even decades later, it still works.
Rotten Tomatoes currently gives the film a 92% Tomatometer score, with critics praising its combination of horror, gore and social commentary.
My rating: 10/10
2. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Before the modern zombie movie became what we know today, there was Night of the Living Dead.
Romero’s 1968 film changed horror forever.
The story is simple: a group of people becomes trapped inside a farmhouse while the dead begin returning to life.
But the movie is much more than people hiding from zombies.
It deals with fear, conflict, racism, social breakdown and the inability of people to work together when everything falls apart.
The film remains one of the most important zombie movies ever made, and Rotten Tomatoes currently lists it at 95% from critics.
My rating: 9.5/10
3. 28 Days Later (2002)
28 Days Later completely changed the way many people looked at zombie movies.
Instead of slow-moving undead creatures, Danny Boyle gave us infected humans capable of running at terrifying speed.
Cillian Murphy plays Jim, who wakes up in a London hospital and discovers that the city has almost completely collapsed.
What I like most about the movie is its atmosphere.
The empty streets of London are incredibly effective.
The movie also mixes survival horror with questions about humanity, violence and what people become when society disappears.
Rotten Tomatoes credits the movie with helping revitalize the zombie genre.
My rating: 9.5/10
4. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Not every zombie movie needs to be completely serious.
Shaun of the Dead proves that you can make a genuinely funny comedy while still delivering good zombie horror.
Simon Pegg plays Shaun, an ordinary man whose life is already falling apart when the zombie apocalypse begins.
The movie is hilarious, but it also has surprisingly emotional moments.
The friendship between Shaun and Ed, Shaun’s relationship with Liz and his relationship with his mother give the movie more heart than you might expect.
Rotten Tomatoes currently has the film at 92% from critics and 93% from audiences.
My rating: 9/10
5. Day of the Dead (1985)
Day of the Dead is another Romero classic.
This time, the survivors are mostly trapped inside an underground military facility while scientists try to understand the undead.
The movie is darker and more intense than some of Romero’s other films.
The conflict between the military and scientists is just as important as the zombies themselves.
And then there’s Bub.
Bub is one of the most memorable zombies in the genre because he challenges the idea that every zombie is simply a mindless monster.
My rating: 9/10
6. The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
If you want something completely different, watch The Return of the Living Dead.
This movie brings comedy, punk culture and zombie horror together.
And it introduced one of the most memorable ideas in zombie cinema: zombies that specifically want brains.
The movie is ridiculous in places, but that’s part of the fun.
It knows exactly what kind of movie it is.
It’s messy, funny, gross and entertaining.
My rating: 8.5/10
7. Braindead (1992)
Also known as Dead Alive, Peter Jackson’s Braindead is one of the craziest zombie movies you’ll ever see.
This isn’t slow, atmospheric horror.
This is extreme gore mixed with absurd comedy.
The amount of blood and ridiculous violence in this movie is almost impossible to take seriously.
And that’s exactly why it works.
If you enjoy over-the-top horror, this one deserves a place on your watchlist.
My rating: 8.5/10
8. Zombieland (2009)
Zombieland gives the zombie genre a lighter and more accessible style.
Jesse Eisenberg plays Columbus, a nervous survivor who has developed a strict set of rules for staying alive.
Then he meets Tallahassee, played by Woody Harrelson, and the two become part of an unlikely group trying to survive the outbreak.
The movie is funny, entertaining and surprisingly charming.
It also has some great action scenes.
My rating: 8.5/10
9. Dawn of the Dead (2004)
I know some zombie fans will argue that a remake shouldn’t rank this high.
But I think Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead deserves its place.
It takes Romero’s basic setup and gives it a much faster, more aggressive style.
The zombies are terrifying because they can run.
The opening sequence alone is enough to show you that this is not going to be a slow zombie movie.
Rotten Tomatoes currently gives the remake a 77% critics score and describes it as a violent but worthy remake that works on its own terms.
My rating: 8.5/10
10. Train to Busan (2016)
Train to Busan is one of the best modern Apocalyse zombie movies.
The story takes place largely on a moving train after an outbreak begins spreading across South Korea.
That simple setup creates incredible tension.
There isn’t much room to run.
There isn’t much room to hide.
And the passengers don’t know who is infected.
But what really makes the movie stand out is the emotional side.
The relationship between the father and his daughter gives the action real meaning.
Rotten Tomatoes currently gives the film a 95% critics score and praises its characters, action and social commentary.
My rating: 9/10
11. REC (2007)
If you want something terrifying, try REC.
The found-footage style makes the movie feel much more immediate.
A television reporter and her cameraman follow firefighters into an apartment building, only to discover that something terrible is happening inside.
The confined location makes everything worse.
You can’t see what’s coming.
You don’t know who is infected.
And the camera never gives you much time to breathe.
My rating: 8.5/10
12. World War Z (2013)
World War Z is much more of a blockbuster than many of the movies on this list.
Brad Pitt plays Gerry Lane, a former United Nations investigator who travels around the world trying to find a way to stop a rapidly spreading outbreak.
The movie gives us enormous zombie crowds and large-scale action.
It isn’t the deepest zombie movie ever made, but as an action thriller, it works.
My rating: 8/10
13. The Evil Dead (1981)
The Evil Dead isn’t a traditional zombie movie, but it belongs in the conversation because of its undead and possession-driven horror.
Sam Raimi’s film takes place in an isolated cabin where a group of friends accidentally unleash a supernatural force.
The movie is violent, creepy and full of the kind of wild camera work that would become Raimi’s trademark.
It’s also the beginning of one of horror’s most recognizable franchises.
My rating: 8.5/10
14. Land of the Dead (2005)
George Romero returned to his zombie universe with Land of the Dead.
This time, the survivors aren’t simply hiding.
Human society has reorganized itself into a heavily protected city while zombies occupy the outside world.
But the zombies are changing.
They’re becoming more organized and more aware.
The movie continues Romero’s tradition of using zombies to comment on society, class and inequality.
My rating: 8/10
15. The Night Eats the World (2018)
This is a quieter zombie movie.
The Night Eats the World focuses heavily on isolation rather than constant action.
A man wakes up after a party and discovers that Paris has been overrun by zombies.
Instead of immediately becoming an action hero, he has to figure out how to survive alone.
Rotten Tomatoes praises the film for its atmosphere and character development, giving it an 87% critics score.
My rating: 8/10
My Personal Top 5
If I had to reduce the entire list to just five movies, this would be my selection:
- Dawn of the Dead (1978)
- Night of the Living Dead (1968)
- 28 Days Later (2002)
- Shaun of the Dead (2004)
- Train to Busan (2016)
For me, Dawn of the Dead remains number one.
It has the horror.
It has the gore.
It has memorable characters.
It has social commentary.
And most importantly, it still feels like a great movie decades after it was released.
What Makes a Great Zombie Movie?
For me, a great zombie movie needs more than zombies.
The best ones give you characters you actually care about.
They create a believable sense of danger.
They make you wonder what you would do if society collapsed.
And the really good ones use the zombie outbreak to say something about people.
That’s why movies like Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead and 28 Days Later continue to stand out.
They’re not simply about the undead.
They’re about us.
Want More Zombie Movies?
Fifteen movies obviously aren’t enough if you’re a serious fan of the genre.
That’s why we’ve put together a much bigger collection featuring 300+ zombie movies, covering films from 1920 to date.
The collection includes classics, cult movies, zombie comedies, action films, survival horror and plenty of lesser-known titles.
Check out our complete 300+ Zombie Movies list and see how many you’ve watched.
Final Verdict
There are so many zombie movies that choosing the best ones is almost impossible.
Everyone will have a different ranking.
Some people will prefer the slow, traditional undead.
Others will want fast infected creatures.
Some will choose serious horror.
Others will choose comedy.
For me, though, Dawn of the Dead (1978) remains the number one zombie movie.
It’s the one I would recommend first to someone who wants to understand why the zombie genre became so popular.
What’s your number-one zombie movie?
James
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