Let’s face it, most zombie movies and movies based off of video games are terrible. That’s what made the Resident Evil movie so surprising! A zombie video game-based movie that we actually enjoyed??? Unheard of!
If you are like me, just one good zombie movie isn’t enough. While there aren’t many great zombie movies and even less great movies based off of video games, I managed to come up with a pretty good list.
So if you’re jonesing for a scary flesh eating flick, a solid video game movie, or a funny braindead film, you’ve come to the right place!
25. Dawn of the Dead (2004)
In this remake of the 1978 cult classic, a small group of survivors band together at a local shopping mall after the dead start walking around and eating people. This was my first zombie movie, and the movie that started my obsession with the undead carnivores. Of course, I had to start off this list with the G.O.A.T.
24. World War Z (2013)
When a single bite turns regular people into speed-running cannibals in 12 seconds, former U.N. Investigator (Brad Pitt) sets off on a perilous journey to find the source and hopefully, a way to stop it. In my opinion, this movie did not get the notoriety it deserves. It has some of the classic zombie movie tropes while also taking it in a unique direction. This is one of my favorite zombie flicks, and I am eagerly awaiting its sequel.
23. 28 Days Later (2002)
After waking up from a coma in a deserted hospital, a London bike courier (Cillian Murphy) ventures out into the city to find out that the majority of the population has been infected by the “Rage” virus and are now very fast and very hungry for flesh. He bands together with a small group of survivors in an attempt to find safety in this new, terrifying world. While technically not a “zombie” movie but actually a virus movie that makes for zombie-like people, this movie absolutely deserves to be on this list. With the most iconic zombie movie song to lead the soundtrack, this movie is a must-see.
22. 28 Weeks Later (2007)
In this sequel to the 2002 hit, we see the world 6 months after the outbreak where the “Rage” virus has nearly annihilated the British population. US soldiers have set up a safe zone in the city, but when a refugee returns with a deadly secret, that safety is short lived. I am usually wary of sequels, but this one delivers! The classic 28 Days Later song returns, and the infected are even scarier.
21. Train to Busan (2016)
A businessman and his estranged daughter must join their fellow train passengers in a fight for survival when a zombie outbreak plagues South Korea. This is a foreign-language film, so if you are not fluent in Korean or hate subtitles, this is not the movie for you. If you aren’t deterred by the language barrier, you will not be disappointed. With a band of loveable characters and many twists and jump scares, this movie is sure to be a zombie classic.
20. I am Legend (2007)
When a man-made plague goes airborne and turns people into nocturnal, flesh-craving mutants, a scientist (Will Smith) surviving in New York with his German Shepherd, Sam, tries to create a cure. I have a love/hate relationship with this movie. I love it because it’s amazing and has a gripping storyline. I hate it because
*SPOILER ALERT*
The dog dies! In a really upsetting way. To this day, I will leave the room or skip the scene when I rewatch it. It’s a great movie and poor sweet Sam’s fate makes sense for the story, but I can’t handle a dog dying in a movie, man. That’s my weakness!
19. The Girl with All the Gifts (2016)
After a mutated fungal disease turns the majority of the world into brain dead cannibals, a small group of infected children react differently to the virus. Melanie, one of these children, must help her teacher and a group of survivors live long enough to turn her adaptation into a cure. This is such a unique take on the zombie genre, and I can’t believe this film isn’t more popular. I won’t give too much away, but go check this out right now!
18. ZombieLand (2009)
A man ate a tainted burger and started the zombie apocalypse. Now four survivors abide by a list of survival rules and strategies in this zombie comedy that features an amazing cameo by Bill Murray. If you haven’t seen this already, were you in a coma in 2009? This movie is sure to become a classic, and you need to watch it now. Thank me later.
17. ZombieLand: DoubleTap (2019)
Ten long years later, we got the sequel we deserved. Our favorite group of ragtag survivors are back and better than ever. With a slightly larger cast and another amazing Bill Murray cameo, this sequel lived up to the hype in my eyes.
16. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Shaun (Simon Pegg) and Ed (Nick Frost) are a couple of 30-something loser-y best buds living in the outskirts of London when a zombie outbreak takes over the town. They must fight to protect their loved ones in this hilarious take on the zombie genre. This is my favorite zombie comedy of all time, hands down, no contest. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are a dynamic duo, and this film does not disappoint.
15. (Rec) (2007)
Late night news reporter Angela follows the fire department as they respond to a call at a local apartment building. Once inside, the police seal off the building to contain a virus that causes those infected to become violent and hungry. Another foreign language film, this story is gripping and scary. I highly recommend it.
14. Quarantine (2008)
If the story for (Rec) intrigues you but you don’t like subtitles, this is the movie for you. It is an American remake and is surprisingly not worse like most American remakes! It has some small changes, but essentially the story is the same. Another high recommendation from me!
13. (Rec)2 (2009)
In this sequel to the 2007 found footage flick, a doctor and a SWAT team enter into the apartment building hoping to contain the virus and help any survivors that remain. Obviously, it doesn’t go well and chaos ensues. It is a surprisingly good sequel, but remember, it is in Spanish in case that’s not your thing.
12. (Rec) 3:Genesis (2012)
The third installment of the found footage Spanish virus films is shockingly good. Newlyweds have their special day terrorized when the apartment virus gets out and infects the guests. This movie is mostly found footage with a few random shots where it’s like a regular movie. That’s really the only thing I didn’t like about it! Other than that, it’s great and definitely worth a watch.
11. (Rec) 4: Apocalypse (2014)
In the fourth installment of this gripping Spanish zombie/virus series, we join a small group of survivors on a ship where a doctor is trying to contain the virus. I really expected not to like this. I was wrong. It’s rare for a series like this to make this many sequels and have them be good, but this film delivers!
10. The Horde (2009)
In this French language film, police officers tracking down a violent gang find them in a zombie infested apartment building. I found this movie on Netflix back when it first came out and all Netflix was really good for was unknown movies like this. I LOVED it! I was new to watching foreign language films at the time, but this movie gripped me so quickly that I forgot I was reading subtitles and not listening to the actors dialogue instead. This is an absolute must-see for all of you zombie fans.
9. The Crazies (2010)
A small town sheriff (Timothy Olyphant) and his wife try to escape their once peaceful town when an unknown toxin turns the locals into bloodthirsty maniacs. While not a zombie movie in terms of flesh-eating, this movie still fits the bill in my opinion because that is the only zombie element missing. I would say about three times a year this movie pops into my mind, and I get the uncontrollable urge to go watch it. It’s just really good!
8. Doom (2005)
In this video game based film, a team of Space Marines led by The Rock are sent to a facility on Mars to contain an outbreak caused by alien DNA that turns humans into monsters. Not really a zombie movie, but it is a video game movie dealing with people turned into monsters. This movie is probably the most like Resident Evil when you look at it that way.
7. Pandorum (2009)
Two astronauts (Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster) awake from hypersleep with memory loss. They quickly find out they are not alone and must find a way to survive the creatures inhabiting the station. Again, not a zombie movie, but it has that creepy monster feeling and memory loss that made Resident Evil so scary and great.
6. Overlord (2018)
Just before D-Day, a group of American paratroopers drop into a Nazi-occupied village with a mission to destroy a radio transmitter. Realizing something sinister is afoot, they venture into an underground lab and come face-to-face with an army of the undead. It’s a nazi zombie movie, y’all!
5. Chernobyl Diaries (2012)
A group of young tourists go off the beaten path to explore the ghost town of Pripyat, which was home to the workers of Chernobyl prior to the nuclear disaster. After they become stranded and must stay in the radiation-soaked town overnight, they soon find out the town is not as abandoned as they believed. Russian radiation mutant zombies? Yes, please!
4. Redcon-1 (2018)
In this little-known zombie flick, a special forces squad must venture into a quarantine zone to rescue humanity’s only hope for a cure. I became aware of this movie when compiling this list, and I can’t believe I wasn’t aware of it before. It’s a really enjoyable typical zombie movie, and it’s definitely worth a watch!
3. Doomsday (2008)
Twenty-five years after the “Reaper” virus outbreak, Major Eden Sinclair must lead a team into the hot zone she escaped as a child to find a way to counteract the virus that has plagued humanity. Another little-known zombie movie that is deserving of more notoriety, this movie is one that should be on any zombie fans top 25 list!
2. Book of Eli (2010)
After the war turned the world to a wasteland, Eli (Denzel Washington) journeys across it with humanity's only hope. Not a zombie movie (although there ARE cannibals!) but a masterfully told apocalyptic story that stars some of the greatest actors alive. This movie is on my top 25 movies of all time list, not just “apocalypse” movies, so yeah, I recommend it.
1. Maze Runner: Scorch Trials (2015)
In this action packed sequel to The Maze Runner, Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) and his fellow Gladers escape into the Scorch and come face to face with the zombie-like Cranks while running from the evil corporation WCKD. Yes, you need to go watch the first movie before you can see this, but that’s not on the list because it is really not like Resident Evil at all.
THIS one is a lot like Resident Evil. I mean, zombies that have taken over most of the world but an omnipotent and omnipresent evil corporation is still thriving and uses inhumane means to find a cure? Yeah, this movie is a lot like Resident Evil!
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