10 Scariest Zombie Movies of All Time, Ranked

There’s just something incredibly terrifying about the thought of the dead rising from the grave to see the flesh of the living. This frightening concept has had its roots stemming all the way back to the early ’30s and ’40s when classics like White Zombie and I Walked with a Zombie first tested the idea, but then it became the subgenre we all know and love today thanks to a 1968 classic created by George A. Romero.

Today, zombies have become a staple of pop culture. They’re everywhere, from compelling films and TV shows to popular comics. They’re a great source of entertainment and have thrilled audiences for decades now. Though they sometimes don’t often work, a lot of zombie movies are quite amazing and definitely terrifying. Some are scarier than others, and they’ll fill the audience with so much dread and terror. From a fast-paced remake to a bleak disaster flick, let’s rank the ten scariest zombie movies of all time.

10

‘Dawn of the Dead’ (2004)

Directed by Zack Snyder

First off to bat is the 2004 Dawn of the Dead remake directed by Zack Snyder. Featuring nonstop action, intense horror, and an impressive cast including Ving Rhames, Jake Weber, Ty Burrell, and Oscar-winner Sarah Polley, the story follows similar to the original by showing a small group of terrified survivors as they wait out a widespread zombie epidemic by holding out in a massive shopping center.

While not as good as its 1978 source material, considering its lack of social commentary, questionable character decisions, and overblown action sequences, the Dawn of the Dead remake is notably a hair-raising horror thriller with definitely some shocking moments and plenty of terror. Its tense opening scene is perhaps the most terrifying as it shows the raw chaos that comes at the start of a zombie apocalypse. Though it’s more action-oriented and fast-paced, this is a solid zombie flick that has the ability to scare. Especially since it came out when running zombies were all the rave.

9

‘World War Z’ (2013)

Directed by Marc Forster

Based on a New York Times bestseller by author Max Brooks, World War Z is a 2013 disaster horror thriller that shows the wider scale of a devastating zombie apocalypse. With a massive budget, stunning visuals, and thrilling action sequences, it follows a former UN investigator (played by Brad Pitt) who dangerously treks across the globe in a race against time to locate a possible cure to stop a fast-growing zombie outbreak.

Featuring nonstop thrills and plenty of terror, World War Z is an edge-of-your-seat zombie thrill ride bursting with entertainment. While its trimmed-down violence and gore to secure a more profitable PG-13 greatly hinders this film’s shock value, it does get away with a lot, and the plot keeps these flesh-eaters terrifying by introducing a new variant of fast-moving zombies that work the same way as a swarm of hungry locusts. It’s action-packed and intense and shows what the entire world looks like during one of these horrifying events.

8

‘Pontypool’ (2008)

Directed by Bruce McDonald

Hailing from Canada, next comes one of the most unique and creative zombie movies today, 2008’s Pontypool. Directed by Bruce McDonald, this one-of-a-kind horror flick adds a different spin on the zombie formula, following a small-town radio talk show host (Stephen McHattie) who goes live while reports come in from around town of a mysterious, deadly virus that spreads through verbal communication and turns victims in mindless killers.

It’s a tense, claustrophobic bottle horror film that takes place mostly in one single location. Much of the horror comes from the actors narrating what’s happening outside the radio station, allowing audiences’ imaginations to run wild with how scary it must be out there. The way the virus spreads offers a different take on how zombies are turned, and the transformation process is deeply unsettling and unforgettable. With a unique concept and a chilling tone, Pontypool is an eerie zombie cult classic that doesn’t fail to scare.

Pontypool

Release Date

September 18, 2009

Runtime

93 Minutes

7

‘Day of the Dead’ (1985)

Directed by George A. Romero

There’s hardly any mentioning the best and scariest zombie flicks without mentioning George Romero’s impressive Dead Trilogy. In 1985, he released the eerie concluding chapter to this series, Day of the Dead, a fascinating third installment that was sadly panned upon release but has since garnered a cult following. It sees a small band of scientists and soldiers hiding from the dead in an underground bunker in the Florida Everglades. But tensions mount when the soldiers get a crazed new commander (Joseph Pilato) who edges the group closer to its downfall.

Day of the Dead is a remarkable entry in the zombie subgenre. It’s a compelling story with a bleak tone and a powerful message that says a lot about human behavior. It’s certainly terrifying, as there are some startling jump scares and plenty of disturbing body horror imagery. It scares audiences with its spectacular gore effects, thanks to this film significantly having a higher budget than the previous two installments. It’s the bloodiest and goriest film in the trilogy, and there are plenty of moments here to chill audiences to the bone.

6

‘The Return of the Living Dead’ (1985)

Directed by Dan O’Bannon

Proving that the 1980s were full of campy horror fun, Dan O’Bannon‘s iconic cult classic The Return of the Living Dead is one of the most enjoyable zombie flicks audiences will ever experience. Set in a world where Romero’s zombie flicks are based on an actual tragedy, it sees a colorful group of warehouse workers and punks as they battle a horde of unkillable talking zombies that were reanimated after being exposed to toxic chemical waste.

The Return of the Living Dead is a blast from start to finish. Admittedly, it leans more towards campy humor for much of the runtime, but it’s not without its terrifying moments. The idea of zombies that can’t be killed or stopped, even when their heads are removed or are reduced to nothing but bones, is an unsettling concept that raises the stakes in this story and fills audiences with so much dread. Not to mention, everything seen with the creepy-looking Tarman zombie is pure nightmare fuel. Overall, it’s a fascinating flick that has the ability to make viewers laugh as well as have them shivering with fear.

5

‘Dawn of the Dead’ (1978)

Directed by George A. Romero

Hailed today as one of the most perfect zombie movies of all time, Romero’s wildly successful sequel to Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, is often debated as a sequel that outshines its predecessor. With flawless acting, a chilling atmosphere, and thought-provoking social commentary, this story follows four survivors as they grow to work together to fortify an enormous shopping center during the early stages of a zombie apocalypse.

Dawn of the Dead is a film that every zombie lover needs to see. It’s compelling and full of so many iconic moments and even scenes that can still unsettle viewers to this very day. Admittedly, it does have a slower pace than some other films, and the slow-moving zombies don’t always look all that threatening, especially since some of the makeup makes them appear blue. However, it’s a film dripping with tension and dread, and every moment leading up to the final battle fills audiences with the lingering thought that the zombies will swarm in and consume the characters at any time. Its gore is also exceptionally brutal and, at times, hard to watch. Dawn of the Dead is a masterpiece through and through and can be enjoyed by all.

4

‘Night of the Living Dead’ (1968)

Directed by George A. Romero

It’s not a zombie list without including the one that started it all, George A. Romero’s timeless horror classic, Night of the Living Dead. This is the film that birthed the modern zombie subgenre, and it’s a game-changer that terrified audiences at the time and continues today with its fresh take on the idea of flesh-eaters. It tells the iconic tale of a group of strangers holding out in an isolated farmhouse as they struggle to ward off a horde of the undead that were brought back to life by a radioactive downed satellite.

Night of the Living has never lost its ability to scare. Despite coming out over fifty years ago and shot in black and white, it’s still incredibly atmospheric and full of uncomfortably disturbing imagery. It’s a classic that continues to amaze and shock audiences with its intense violence and gore. Truly, it will never cease to terrify anyone watching it.

3

‘(•REC)’ (2007)

Directed by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza

Showing that zombie horror and found footage makes for an excellent pair, 2007’s (•REC) is an intense and claustrophobic nightmare film that’s truly shocking from beginning to end. The story follows a Barcelona news reporter (Manuela Velasco) and her cameraman as they follow a team of first responders to an apartment complex that’s quickly swarming with supernaturally infected killers.

With tense chases, uncomfortable imagery, and a constant sense of impending doom, (•REC) is truly one of the most frightening zombies ever created. There’s just so much here to keep viewers on the edge of their seats in anticipation of what horrible thing will happen next. Its ending will leave viewers speechless with how epically terrifying it is.

(REC)

Release Date

November 23, 2007

Runtime

78 Minutes

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2

‘Train to Busan’ (2016)

Directed by Yeon Sang-ho

For nonstop action and intense scares, look no further than Train to Busan, the 2016 zombie action horror thriller by director Yeon Sang-ho. This roller-coaster ride of pure chaos sees passengers aboard a high-speed bullet train from Soul to Busan fight for survival as South Korea is ravaged by a quickly spreading zombie epidemic.

It’s a high-octane thriller featuring incredible action and plenty of disturbing imagery. This has one of the most unsurvivable zombie apocalypse settings in movie history with its depiction of fast, aggressive, and highly contagious zombies that multiply exponentially within a matter of minutes. Train to Busan is bleak and unrelentingly scary, and that’s what’s made it such a fascinating modern horror masterpiece.

Train to Busan

Release Date

July 20, 2016

Runtime

118 minutes

1

’28 Days Later’ (2002)

Directed by Danny Boyle

Finally, at number one is the 2002 Danny Boyle-directed zombie horror masterpiece 28 Days Later. Starring Academy Award-winner Cillian Murphy, it sees an ordinary bike messenger as he awakes from a coma and navigates through an apocalyptic Great Britain after experimental chimps escape from their captivity and infect victims with a deadly virus that turns them into aggressive killing machines.

Today, seen as a landmark of the subgenre, 28 Days Later was the film that kept zombies growing more popular in the modern century. It was bleak and intense, and thrilled audiences with its iconic take on the zombie formula with its frightening depictions of fast-moving, aggressive that sprint towards their victims. Though it wasn’t the first to show this type of zombie, the movie was the first to popularize the idea, and as a result, it continues to be seen as one of the scariest horror movies of its time.

NEXT: 10 Essential Zombie Movies, Ranked