Films about zombies, viruses and epidemics: a list

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

Today on the agenda of the cinema-day - films about zombie viruses and epidemics. The living dead began to appear in cinema since 1932. When a horror film called "White Zombie" was released on the screens. Since then, zombies have become frequent guests of the horror industry. The main breakthrough in the genre, which popularized the idea of an invasion of animated corpses, is George Romero's film "Night of the Living Dead" (1968). Despite the fact that quite a lot of time has passed since the release of the picture, and it may seem outdated, experts strongly recommend that not only all fans of films about the zombie virus, but also every self-respecting movie fan get acquainted with it. Since this is a real classic, it can not be mentioned in the main list of recommendations. Fortunately, there are enough other films in the cinema that can be discussed in this article. Read and take note!

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

A real English comedy and horror film about a virus and zombies in one bottle, which marked the beginning of the famous trilogy of Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg "Blood and Ice Cream". The protagonist of the film is a simple guy named Sean, he is soon 30, he works in a boring position as a sales assistant in a hardware store and does not know at all what he wants from life. Sean’s relationship is also bad, and it doesn’t matter at all whether it’s his own mother, girlfriend or best friend - it seems as if they all took up arms against him. In general, the life of our hero is a complete torment. And then the zombie apocalypse struck like a bolt from the blue. Now Sean will have to prove to everyone and himself that he is not some kind of rag, but a real hero!

"Welcome to Zombieland" (Zombieland, 2009)

The fact that films about the zombie virus can be not only super scary, but also super funny, was proved by "Sean". "Welcome to Zombieland" is the American answer to how killer apocalypse with the walking dead can be. The film does not stand on ceremony with its viewer and explains what's what from the very beginning: the virus has infected most of the US population, the survivors are trying to survive, and the infected are trying to bite. In the center of events - four reckless strangers who find themselves together in one car and begin a journey through the devastated states. The film has a lot of blood, dismemberment, black humor and eminent actors. It also features Bill Murray at his best.cameo!

Diary of the Dead (2007)

One of George Romero's last directorial works and one of the best horror films about the zombie virus. Even before the creation of "Land of the Dead", the maestro spoke about his desire to make an unusual movie. In which two topics would be combined - zombies and the development of digital technologies. The plot of The Diaries centers around a group of friends from the same college who find themselves right in the middle of an outbreak of a zombie virus. Throughout the film, the characters are trying to get from point A to point B, along the way meeting other colorful characters who are trying to survive in a changed world, as well as getting into various unpleasant troubles. "Dead Diaries" is an excellent example of a zombie virus film shot in a classic style. The dead here, as in the previous works of George Romero, are still the same slow, and humanity is still hopeless.

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

Yes, many people love and respect George Romero for the huge contribution he made to the development of the zombie horror genre. Yes, they consider his films classics and advise every interested viewer to watch them. But at the same time, it must be recognized that remakes based on his work can equally be good movies. Not all reboots fail, and 2004's Dawn of the Dead is a good example of that. Although the original script has been reworked, manykey plot points remained in their places. The plot is well known to all Romero fans and fans of films about the apocalypse: a group of people who suffered from a sudden invasion of the living dead decide to take refuge in a huge shopping center. A human drama that develops in a closed space and in conditions of eternal danger - these are the main components of the winning formula of old horror films.

By the way, Zack Snyder was in the director's chair, moreover, this work became his feature film debut.

World War Z (2013)

Very unsuccessful film adaptation of the Max Brooks novel of the same name, but one of the best films about the epidemic. The zombie virus, its effects and impact on the world is the main theme of the World War Z storyline, and the driving force behind it to help move the story forward. In the midst of the infection, the protagonist named Gerald Lane (played by Brad Pitt) embarks on a dangerous journey in order to find a cure for the infection. Zombies in this film are presented as very aggressive, fast and incredibly strong creatures. They represent a danger to the whole world (hence the name of the painting, "World War Z") and only Lane can save the future of all mankind.

Resident Evil

You can say whatever you want about this series of films, but one thing is certain - every fan of the zombie genre will find something in itfor myself. Without fail, we recommend that you get acquainted with the first parts, since it is in them that the living dead are given the most attention. The plot background of Resident Evil is familiar to everyone: once a dangerous virus, developed in the depths of the secret Umbrella corporation, breaks free and begins to turn people into zombies. In the center of events is the girl Alice, a member of the special group working for Umbrella, who decided to betray her superiors for the sake of truth and justice.

Of course, the larger the number in the name of the licensed part of this franchise, the more confusing the plot and motivation of the characters becomes. In recent films, the good old zombies have receded into the background, and powerful "bosses" and various mutants began to appear as Alice's main enemies. It is for this reason that it is recommended to dwell only on the first two or three pictures. Either way, Resident Evil really deserves its place in our Zombie Virus movie review. After all, this is truly a worthy work of directors, screenwriters and actors.

"Survive After" (2013)

But fans of the domestic film industry will surely like this series. In the center of the plot - eleven teenagers unfamiliar with each other, who all fall together into an underground bunker. No one knows exactly how they got there or why. The guys are doing their best to get out, but on the surface they are waiting for another big unpleasant surprise. It turns out thatall of Moscow was hit by a mysterious zombie virus, and now crowds of the infected roam every street. And when the seemingly terrible uncertainty of the bunker is left behind, teenagers are faced with a test much more difficult and dangerous than the previous one. The only goal is to survive.

The series stayed on the air for 3 seasons, received a pretty good rating and a lot of rave reviews from both the audience and the press.