When 28 Days Later came out in 2002, it was a zombie movie unlike any other. Rather than being a traditional film about the rotting undead coming back to life and shambling around in search of human flesh to eat, Danny Boyle and Alex Garland created monsters which were still technically alive and driven mad by a rage virus.
Forgetting slow walkers, these creatures moved fast. That approach, along with a terrifying script, and the acting ability of stars like Cillian Murphy, made 28 Days Later arguably the best zombie movie of the 21st century. In the near quarter of a century since, through the zombie fad launched by The Walking Dead, many great zombie movies have been made. Some, like Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland, have a comedic approach, but these ten went all in on the scares.
10
‘The Crazies’ (2010)
The horror reboot craze took over the 2000s with unnecessary reimaginings of classics. The Crazies was different. As gifted as the iconic George A. Romero was, his 1972 version of The Crazies had a great idea but flawed execution. Breck Eisner‘s approach gets it right. When a virus infiltrates a small Iowa town, turning its residents into rabid monsters, it’s up to Sheriff David Dutten (Timothy Olyphant) and others to save the day.
The Crazies is the rare remake that’s better than the original. Romero’s was awkwardly paced, but this one introduces its characters then goes all out in a sprint. Yeah, it has lots of modern jump scares, but they’re used effectively rather than a cheap attempt at tension. It has plenty of gore, great acting by Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson, and others, and is fun despite being predictable. The Crazies surprised everyone.
9
‘Pontypool’ (2008)
If you want unpredictable, check out Ponytpool. Written by Tony Burgess, and based on his novel Pontypool Changes Everything, this Canadian-made chiller from director Bruce McDonald stars Stephen McHattie as radio DJ Grant Mazzy. From his studio booth he learns about a zombie outbreak, but this isn’t your usual infection; these zombies are created from the English language.
The premise alone is intriguing enough to demand a watch. Pontypool is more than that though by delivering the scares. It doesn’t do it the usual way either, with one zombie attack after another. McDonald and Burgess prefer to take their time, winding the tension and building the dread while also tapping into paranoia. It’s not about jump scares. Pontypool infects you through your imagination.
8
‘The Sadness’ (2021)
The Sadness is one of the sickest, goriest, bleakest, most messed up zombie movies ever made, which is saying something from a subgenre that has done so much. Written and directed by Rob Jabbaz, the Taiwanese film takes place during the outbreak of a strange virus that turns its victims mad.
The main storyline might involve a man named Jim (Berant Zhu) trying to get back to his girlfriend, Kat (Regina Lei), but it’s everything they go through and witness which will leave you terrified. These rage-filled antagonists aren’t like 28 Days Later, where they rapidly kill their victims and move on. These monsters take their time, torturing their victims and doing the unspeakable. Audiences have never seen zombies like these and won’t soon forget them.
7
‘Overlord’ (2018)
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