Last Updated on August 3, 2021
Before 2000, zombie movies were a lost genre. Sure, we got a ton of them in the 1960s and 1970s thanks to George Romero's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, but at the beginning of the 21st Century, they were a rarity on the big screen. Thanks to a couple of filmmakers who appear on this list, the zombie genre is back and verging on burning itself out. But that doesn't mean there haven't been some amazing undead horror films over the last twenty years. In honor of ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP hitting theaters today, here is our list of the best Zombie movies of the 21st Century, If you disagree or think we missed one, let us know in the comments below.
SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004)
Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Edgar Wright have all become huge stars thanks to this breakout hit. Their geek TV series Spaced was the template for their brand of humor, but their Romero tribute and the first rom-zom-com is their crowning achievement. Blending the classic zombie rules with a modern sense of humor made this movie one of the most unique horror movies of all time. With a great soundtrack, SHAUN OF THE DEAD remains one of the films that proved the zombie genre could do more than be violent.
DAWN OF THE DEAD (2004)
Remaking George Romero's iconic zombie epic was not looked at kindly when this film was announced. Director Zack Snyder, who has since become one of the biggest filmmakers in the industry, brought his music video acumen to a very different kind of zombie movie. Led by Sarah Polley and Ving Rhames, this movie keeps the shopping mall setting and pays homage to the 1978 version but gives us fast zombies and tons of gore. This movie does have a sense of humor but also kickstarted the genre for a new generation.
PARANORMAN (2012)
Before you scoff at an animated film making this list, give PARANORMAN a chance. LAIKA's stop-motion horror movie is an achievement of character design but also tells a really powerful story about acceptance, tolerance, and fear. Plus, it has zombies and some pretty gnarly creature designs. Definitely too scary for younger kids, this is a great entry level zombie movie for young horror buffs but also a movie that adults can appreciate on many levels.
PLANET TERROR (2007)
Robert Rodriguez's half of the GRINDHOUSE double feature took a kitchen sink approach to the zombie film by combining the military, body horror, motorcycles, sexy doctors, and incredibly gross undead monsters. The result is a movie that is more spoof than serious but still manages to be a hell of a lot of fun. Rodriguez clearly has an affinity for the genre and it shows as he brings an all star cast into his wacky world of mad scientists and neon green zombie goo.
REC (2007)
With the found footage style gaining popularity in the early 2000s, the zombie genre took full advantage. Spanish filmmakers Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza were one of the first to play with the format with REC. Going on to spawn three sequels as well as the English language remake QUARANTINE, REC builds tension by showing an apartment building slowly descending into an animalistic nightmare. A great example of how found footage can work well.
DEAD SNOW (2009)
With zombies resurging in popularity in the 2000s, it was only a matter of time before the very specific sub-genre of “Nazi zombies” would re-emerge. 2009's DEAD SNOW is a perfect example of how you can take an insane idea and make it a lot of fun. On their own, both Nazis and zombies are abhorrent and evil, but combine them and you have the most fun killing deserving monsters outside of Wolfenstein. The sequel is not nearly as fun, but the original DEAD SNOW is worth checking out.
WORLD WAR Z (2013)
Marc Forster's film was stuck in production hell for a long time. Reshoots, a ballooning budget, and tons of behind the scenes issues almost doomed the film (and may be why David Fincher's sequel has never come to be), but WORLD WAR Z is still a very exciting film. I would have rather seen a more faithful adaptation of Max Brooks' book, but there are some amazing set pieces that could never have been achieved outside of a major studio budget. For that alone, WORLD WAR Z is worth seeing.
TRAIN TO BUSAN (2016)
South Korea delivered not just one of the best zombie films of recent memory but one of the overall best movies. TRAIN TO BUSAN confines the horror to a moving train which makes this movie both claustrophobic and epic at the same time. With some similarities with WORLD WAR Z, TRAIN TO BUSAN manages to add a thrilling and emotional story to the action that puts this closer to another Korean genre winner, THE HOST. Forget the fact that this movie is subtitled, if you haven't seen it yet, you better check it out now.
28 DAYS LATER (2002)
Danny Boyle's small budget film was the first contemporary movie to play with the concept of “fast zombies”. While these are not technically zombies, the tropes of the genre are all on display. With excellent performances from Cillian Murphy and Brendan Gleeson, no film can match the haunting look of a London populated by no one. Followed the the solid sequel 28 WEEKS LATER, we are all left waiting to see if we will ever get a 28 MONTHS LATER or even 28 YEARS LATER.
ZOMBIELAND (2009)
Ruben Fleischer and writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick crafted a hilarious take on the zombies as told through the perspective of a nebbish guy played by Jesse Eisenberg. With firm rules for surviving zombies, ZOMBIELAND is the best comedy in the genre since SHAUN OF THE DEAD and managed to give the world one of the single best cameos of all time. A very fun movie with a top notch cast, ZOMBIELAND is one of the few movies in the genre that should get countless sequels.
Follow the JOBLO MOVIE NETWORK
Follow us on YOUTUBE
Follow ARROW IN THE HEAD
Follow AITH on YOUTUBE