The scariest zombie horror films: list of films, rating, top best, release years, plot, characters and actors who play in films

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Cinema has repeatedly brought new ideas to the art world. But this man was not enough. He sought to curb and show with the help of film those parts of the world that he is afraid of, or that he imagines in his own fantasies. Thanks to this, such a genre as horror appeared in the world of cinema. The fact is that a person is the only creature on the planet who consciously wants to be scared.

The history of zombie horror films (the best and scariest we will look at in the article) is not as interesting as cartoons or dramas. But it also has some interesting pitfalls that will be able to please film fans so well.

It is known that the main feature of any horror movie is fear. Most directors call it from the audience with the help of monsters. At the moment, along with vampires and goblins, zombies occupy a worthy place.

Cinema and Zombies

Zombie is a resurrected human body (most often a curse or a virus) that experiences the only feeling -hunger. For the first time in cinema, George Romero took up the theme of the resurrected dead, by the way, he gave rise to a large subgenre, which is called zombie films. He laid the foundation for any film project that de alt with zombies. There are not quite smart main characters, and the immortality of the dead, and imaginary rumors about a place where there are no dead, and bites. This list could go on for quite some time. Until 1981, most of the rules set by George Romero were not violated, which led to the first stagnation in the subgenre. With the arrival of Sam Raimi and his long-suffering Evil Dead trilogy. Raimi showed the unsurpassed Bruce Campbell in the role of Ash, and turned the film itself into a chamber horror, from which even the most courageous people become embarrassed. Sam Raimi broke almost every Romero rule, which led to a slight rebirth of the genre.

The film, where the confrontation between the living and the dead reached its most burning point, and it was not clear who would win, was able to collect a large box office, and make the director very successful in Hollywood.

Great makeup, quality acting, brand new camera stunts have created a new level of quality zombie film that can scare the audience.

In 1991, Peter Jackson decides to show the zombies the way he sees them. Imagination led to the fact that "The Living Dead" comes out into the world. A brutal, vile, scary film where the dead, like pets, were chained by people. Peter Jackson took everything from The Evil Dead and doubled it. The film collected many awards, was officially recognized as one of the most violent andbloodiest in history.

Unfortunately, after "The Living Dead" until 2011, there was nothing innovative in the history of the genre. Yes, Romero still produced posh and scary films like Dawn of the Living Dead, but that was all secondary. But then comes "The Cabin in the Woods" - a project from Drew Goddard, which blows up everything that existed before. And in the end, the Walking Dead series is also rapidly gaining success, which is still the best zombie project in history.

Let's take a look at the top scariest zombie horror movies. We will rank them as follows:

1. Evil Dead;
2. Resident Evil;
3. "28 days later";
4. "Cabin in the woods";
5. "I am a legend";
6. "Dawn of the Dead";
7. "Reanimator";
8. "Train to Busan".

Let's consider each movie from the list separately.

The Evil Dead Trilogy (1981)

First in the list of scary horror films about zombies, this film was not in vain. A small group of people come to an abandoned cabin in the woods for a holiday. But because of their carelessness, they accidentally release an ancient evil. It instantly takes over the body of Ash's girlfriend, the protagonist. And now this very evil will not rest until it destroys all those people who dared to wake it up.

Despite the fact that the third film is more like a black comedy, the first two films were really scary in their time. Even now, compared to films where there is computer graphics, the effects of the first film look decent. Film in the firstthe queue is frightening because the viewer is not explained anything about the ancient evil, but is thrown straight into the thick of things.

Sharp twitches, terrifying laughter - all in one small room. It is not recommended to watch for people who suffer from claustrophobia.

The cast is represented by little-known actors who only appeared in third roles in big projects. The production of the first film only had a good effect on the director's career. Unfortunately, the charismatic actors suffered a series of failures, which provoked their further collapse. Especially sad for the fate of Bruce Campbell, who now and then appears on the sidelines of his friend Sam Raimi.

Resident Evil Saga (2002-2017)

This is one of the best zombie horror movies ever made. Alice and her innate ability to resist the strongest "T" virus caused a long battle. The main character and the large scientific corporation Umbrella have been trying to figure out their relationship for several films, all this against the backdrop of endless deaths and an influx of dark, really terrible zombies.

Every movie could be on this list, as the constant feeling of discomfort and fear makes you shrink back into your chair. Zombies are shown in the best traditions of George Romero. The high-quality study of the smallest details on the part of the make-up artists managed to give birth to legendary monsters such as Nemesis. A truly extensive story of human confrontation with mad scientists who decide to clear the planet fromhumanity. Watch without fail only when the lights are off.

In fact, the whole saga rests only on Mile Jovovich. The rest of the cast is less visible.

28 Days Later (2004)

This is a very scary zombie horror film. The protagonist suddenly wakes up in the hospital all alone. Later, he learns that during his coma, and he was in a coma, a virus hit the world, turning all living beings into zombies. And now, in order to escape, he needs to find other survivors. A powerful military base has settled in Manchester, where there is a safe place. Can the main character get there?

The film is filled with despair, the feeling that there is always someone behind. Any rustle makes you shudder. Already from ten minutes, when the hero wakes up, there is a feeling of fear. Sounds in the distance, repeated shadows in the dark, and more make the heart beat faster.

Danny Boyle and Kilian Murphy were able to create an excellent team that understood each other perfectly. For a rather tiny budget, the director managed to shoot an incredible story. And Kilian Murphy after this project managed to become a celebrity and get leading roles in more expensive works.

"Cabin in the Woods" (2011)

The "Cabin in the Woods" also deservedly entered the top scary horror films about zombies. Several teenagers decide to take a vacation away from the city, but no one thought that this decision of theirs has long been a global plan to save the world. In a small house in the middle of the forest, they accidentally discover a terrible basement, where there are many strange things. After reading the diary of a sadistic family that previously lived in these parts, the hunt begins for the guys. The living dead have risen from the earth. It was not difficult to guess that the zombies that came to life were the same family that the teenagers had read about.

The film has a great script. Despite being considered a parody of the entire genre, it has plenty of scary moments. On the one hand, the viewer is watching a completely ordinary horror film, where clichéd heroes fall into the hands of the dead and die. However, then the other side of the coin opens, and the viewer sees the "designers" of this anarchy. A real gem among all zombie movies.

Really talented actors starred in this project. They created charismatic characters that are fun to watch. Particularly pleased with the actor Fran Krantz, who embodied Marty on the screen.

The film takes worthy places in various ratings and lists.

I Am Legend (2007)

"I Am Legend" is one of the scariest zombie horror films ever made, and a very entertaining one at that. When New York turned into a ghost town, the hero tried to stop the Apocalypse. A strong virus instantly turned people into zombies. As a scientist, he realized that it was necessary to conduct research, that experimental subjects were needed. And so he spent the last three years. In one hand, a gun and a couple of cartridges, and in the other - a syringe for injection.

The film reveals the worldcomplete loneliness. First of all, the atmosphere is frightening with the complete absence of life, with the exception of the main character. The monsters turned out to be realistic, interesting and scary. Each of them at the right moment makes the viewer jump in surprise. Yes, it's a skimmer! It is especially intriguing that the director shot two endings. One sad, and the second - well, just gorgeous. If with a sad ending the hero dies fighting zombies, then the second one makes you horrified in everything that the main character did. Yes, the second ending is not scary because of the sharp jumping of monsters in front of the screen, but because Robert appears before the audience as a mad scientist who ruined more than one life to achieve a non-existent goal.

Will Smith - that says it all. Almost the entire duration of the picture is given to one actor. There are no complaints about the game, it is clear that he gives all one hundred percent. Thanks to his game, you can feel the tension and fear.

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

This film masterpiece deservedly entered the list of the most terrible horror films about zombies. Dawn of the Dead is a small remake of George Romero's original film. Thanks to the director's noir and dark vision, the film turned out to be eerily scary.

Anna accidentally discovers a strange anomaly in a patient. An x-ray showed that the patient was developing an unknown disease. In a short time, this mysterious parasitic virus was able to turn civilized people into real monsters, thirsting only forhuman brains.

The main roles were played by little-known actors, but this did not prevent the creation of an eerie atmosphere, suspense and fear. The film deserves to be called one of the best horror films about zombies.

Reanimator (1985)

A strange film about what consequences you will have to endure if you violate the laws of nature. One of the scariest zombie horror films tells the story of a scientist who is convinced that a dead body made from the particles of several can be brought back to life, thus creating a new creature. However, he falls into his own trap and becomes a test subject.

The film doesn't have a huge budget and the special effects are outdated. But that doesn't stop him from scaring the hell out of him. The film walks on the border of human madness. It seems that an explosion of the psyche is about to happen. The debut work of Stuart Gordon.

"Train to Busan" (2016)

Suddenly, a terrible virus has swept the planet. The last chance to survive is the city of Busan. On its territory, they managed to create a military base, where it is safe. The main characters instantly organize a transit trip to the city. Almost 450 kilometers of the road will have to endure. However, one infected person gets on the train, which is why there is a further confrontation between the living and the dead.

The highest-grossing film in Korea. The film was able to collect a lot of positive criticism, and the audience - to organize the box office. The film is frightening because it cannot be reliably dividedpeople on the dead and the living. Indeed, for the sake of their own lives, many are ready to give up their comrade nearby for slaughter. A beautiful adaptation will make the evening extremely dark.

Other films deserve to be on this list, such as World War Z, New Z Era, Infection, Operation Dead Snow and many others.