Zombie movies have remained a constant in the horror genre for decades. One can look back at 1932’s White Zombie for the voodoo influences before George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead popularized the modern zombie movie more than 30 years later. Over the years, filmmakers have found more ways to reshape and expand on these basic ideas.
The zombie subgenre of horror is one of the most popular, resulting in hundreds of movies and TV shows built around similar concepts. Look no further than the immense influence of The Walking Dead franchise. Still, when there’s such an influx of content, some projects are bound to get lost in the shuffle.
Overlord Is the Unofficial Wolfenstein Movie That Video Game Fans Always Wanted
Unfortunately, 2018’s Overlord is all but forgotten when it comes to zombie movie conversations. Set during World War II, the premise centers on a group of American paratroopers navigating behind enemy lines after their plane is shot down. Eventually, they discover a secret Nazi base where experiments are being conducted on the local population to create super-soldiers.
It’s easy to see where the Wolfenstein comparisons come in for Overlord. The two franchises aren’t officially tied together, but fans of the video game series have pointed out the similarities. Overlord essentially feels like the Wolfenstein movie fans always wanted. While the movie was well received by those who have seen it, its box-office stumble caused it to fade from the conversation quickly.
The Cured Offers a Fresh Take on the Zombie Genre
Typically, most zombie films begin at the very start of the outbreak or in the middle of the chaos. 2017’s The Cured switches things up by showing society attempting to pick up the pieces after the outbreak is over. A vaccine has cured the majority of the infected, while those who are immune have been contained. Still, those who were once infected retain the memories of their actions.
The Cured uses this fresh approach to explore guilt and PTSD in those who have been treated. Society isn’t ready to welcome these individuals back. Director David Freyne was more interested in how society could move forward from a potential collapse rather than another standard zombie survival story.
Little Monsters Is Part Kindergarten Cop and Part The Walking Dead
Starring Lupita Nyong’o, Alexander England, and Josh Gad, 2019’s Little Monsters walks the tough tightrope of comedy and horror, all wrapped in a heartwarming story. The movie centers around a class field trip to a farm where the children and their teacher find themselves in the middle of an isolated zombie outbreak. Miss Caroline is joined by Dave, who is chaperoning the field trip for his nephew Felix.
Director Abe Forsythe was inspired while on an actual field trip to a petting zoo with his child. His son’s teacher inspired Miss Caroline, and his son’s allergies were inserted into the character Felix. For fans of Zombieland and Shaun of the Dead, Little Monsters is a perfect companion piece.
Pontypool Turns Communication Into the Catalyst for the Outbreak
Pontypool is one of the best zombie movies most people have never heard of. In the standard zombie film, the outbreak is a biological infection or never explained at all. Pontypool takes a unique route by having the condition spread through the English language.
Pontypool was adapted from Tony Burgess’ 1995 novel. Most of the movie takes place at a radio station where former shock jock Grant Mazzy, portrayed by Stephen McHattie, is receiving disturbing reports from around the city. The movie was low-budget and received a very limited theatrical release, leading to it getting lost in the undead shuffle.
Dance of the Dead is Bloody High School Fun
Released in 2008, Dance of the Dead takes a high school prom and turns it into ground zero for a zombie outbreak. The outcast students without dates to the prom turn into unlikely heroes. The movie definitely leans more into the comedic tone that most horror-comedy blends, but it works because the cast and crew fully embrace its ridiculous premise.
The script for Dance of the Dead was originally written in the 1990s before it eventually found its way into the hands of director Gregg Bishop. The film’s small budget fits the setting well, as most of the action occurs around the high school. Though the movie made a splash during its film festival run, it ultimately skipped a theatrical release, going straight to home video.
Rabid Was a Low-Budget Financial Success For David Cronenberg
Horror fans should be familiar with David Cronenberg, but 1977’s Rabid is one of his more underappreciated works. Released shortly after Shivers, the movie continues Cronenberg’s body horror approach and fascination with disease and medical experimentation. The story centers on Rose, Marilyn Chambers, who undergoes plastic surgery after an accident, leaving her with a strange growth.
Rabid sported a very modest budget of roughly $500,000. Still, the movie made over $7 million at the global box office. Despite the financial success, Rabid is largely forgotten when it comes to zombie films due to Cronenberg’s unorthodox approach to the genre.
Dead & Buried Blends Classic Mystery with Zombie Horror
Gary Sherman’s Dead & Buried is much more than a zombie movie. The movie begins more like a small-town murder mystery, revolving around Sheriff Dan Gillis as he investigates a series of murders. The victims start to turn back up alive again and do not behave like typical zombies.
Dead & Buried features early makeup by the great Stan Winston. Horror fans with a keen eye will also spy a young Robert Englund. Behind the camera, legendary writer Dan O’Bannon received a screenplay credit alongside his Alien collaborator, Ronald Shusett.
The Girl with All the Gifts Rewrites Zombie Lore
Based on Mike Carey’s 2014 novel of the same name, The Girl with All the Gifts presents its version of the zombie virus not as the end of humanity, but as the next step in evolution. The premise focuses on the child Melanie, a second-generation infected being studied to develop a vaccine. Unlike the first wave of infected, Melanie can think and learn.
Carey also wrote the screenplay for The Girl with All the Gifts. In fact, Carey wrote the screenplay and the novel together. This rare approach gave Carey an unusual amount of control over how the story played out on the screen. While the movie was picked up by Warner Bros. for its UK release, Saban Films took over the US release and opted for an extremely limited theatrical release.
