Today on the agenda of the film day are films about zombie viruses and epidemics. The living dead began to appear in cinema since 1932. When a horror movie called “White Zombie” came out. Since then, zombies have become frequent guests of the horror industry. The main breakthrough in the genre, popularizing the idea of ​​an invasion of animated corpses, is considered to be the film of George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" (1968). Despite the fact that quite a long time has passed since the release of the picture, and it may seem outdated, experts strongly recommend that you familiarize yourself with it not only for all lovers of films about the zombie virus, but also for every self-respecting movie fan. Since this is a real classic, you can not mention it in the main list of recommendations. Fortunately, in the cinema there are enough other films that can be described in this article. We read and take note!
"A Zombie Named Shawn" (Shaun of the Dead, 2004)
A true English comedy and horror film about the 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 main character of the film is a simple guy named Sean, he is 30 soon, he works in a boring position as a sales assistant in a hardware store and does not know at all what he wants out of life. Sean’s relationship is also bad, and it doesn’t matter at all whether this is his own mother, a girl or his best friend — it seems like they all turned up against him. In general, the life of our hero is a complete torment. And then the zombie apocalypse came 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 also proved by Sean. "Welcome to Zombieland" is the American response to how deadly an apocalypse with animate dead can be. The film does not stand on ceremony with its audience and explain what’s already happening from the very beginning: the virus infected most of the US population, survivors try to survive, and infected people bite. In the center of events - four crazy reckless strangers who find themselves together in the same car and begin their journey through the devastated states. The film has a lot of blood, dismemberment, black humor and famous actors. And there, Bill Murray starred in his best cameo!
Diaries of the Dead (2007)
One of the last directorial works of George Romero and one of the best horror films about the zombie virus. Even before the creation of the "Land of the Dead," the maestro spoke of his desire to make an unusual movie. In which two themes would combine - zombies and the development of digital technology. The plot of the "Diaries" is focused around a group of friends from one college who find themselves right in the midst of an outbreak of a zombie virus epidemic. Throughout the film, the characters are trying to get from point A to point B, simultaneously meeting other colorful characters who are trying to survive in a changed world, as well as getting into various unpleasant troubles. The Diaries of the Dead is an excellent example of a classic zombie virus movie. The dead here, as in George Romero’s previous works, are still slow, and humanity is still hopeless.
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Yes, many love and respect George Romero for the enormous contribution he made to the development of the zombie horror genre. Yes, his films are considered classics and they are advised to watch them for every interested viewer. But it must be admitted that remakes based on his work can equally be a good movie. Not all restarts fail, and Dawn of the Dead 2004 is a good example of this. Despite the fact that the original script has undergone a revision, many key moments of the plot remained in their places. The plot is well known to all fans of Romero and fans of films about the apocalypse: a group of people affected by the sudden invasion of the living dead decides to take refuge in a huge shopping center. Human drama, developing in a confined 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 debut in a feature film.
War of the Worlds Z (World War Z, 2013)
A very unsuccessful film adaptation of the novel of the same name by Max Brooks, but one of the best films about the epidemic. The zombie virus, its consequences and impact on the world - this is the main theme of the plot of “War of the Worlds Z”, as well as the driving force that helps move this story forward. In the midst of infection, the protagonist named Gerald Lane (played by Brad Pitt) embarks on a dangerous journey with the goal of finding a cure for the infection. The zombies in this film are presented as very aggressive, fast and incredibly strong creatures. They pose a danger to the whole world (hence the name of the picture, "War of the Worlds Z") and only Lane can save the future of all mankind.
Resident Evil
You can say anything about this series of films, but one thing is certain - every fan of the zombie genre will find something for himself in it. 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 story behind Resident Evil is familiar to everyone: once a dangerous virus breaks out into the depths of Umbrella’s secret corporation, it starts turning people into zombies. In the center of events is a girl Alice, a member of a 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 license plate of this franchise, the more confusing the plot and motivation of the characters. In the latest films, the good old zombies 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. One way or another, Resident Evil really deserves its place in our review of zombie virus films. 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. The plot focuses on eleven teenagers unfamiliar with each other, who all fall into an underground bunker together. Nobody knows exactly how they ended up there and why. The guys exert maximum strength to get out, but on the surface they are waiting for another big unpleasant surprise. It turns out that a mysterious zombie virus was struck all over Moscow, and now crowds of infected people roam the streets. And when, it would seem, the terrible unknown of the bunker was left behind, adolescents are faced with the test is much more difficult and dangerous than the previous one. The only goal is to survive.
The series lasted on air for 3 seasons, received a pretty good rating and a lot of rave reviews from both the audience and the press.