One of the oldest and most overdone concepts in both television and film is that of zombies. There have been countless movies and shows focusing on the idea of the undead rising up and wreaking havoc on the world around them. After decades, it would seem like there was nothing left to do with zombies.
Of course, some of the most creative minds in the world have managed to take zombies and pull off something unique. They've used it in comedies, musicals, animation, and even romance. In order to stand out in the genre these days, a filmmaker has to put a brilliant spin on the concept.
[REC]
It may not have been around as long as zombie movies but the found footage genre rose to serious prominence for a few years. So, it only makes sense that the two crossed paths at some point. That happened in 2007 with the well-received Spanish film [REC].
The premise was simple enough, centering on a news reporter and cameraman covering a story at an apartment building in Barcelona. A virus causes the occupants to become the deadly antagonists in this tense thriller. The 2008 English remake Quarantine received mixed reviews.
Shaun Of The Dead
These days, comedy has been injected into the zombie genre pretty often. Back in 2004 though, it was still a relatively fresh concept and to this day, nobody has really done it better than Shaun of the Dead, although 2009's Zombieland would probably be second.
Shaun of the Dead benefitted from the great work of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, as well as the directorial style of Edgar Wright. There was also a surprising amount of action when battling the zombies. The ending managed to do something else unique, putting the remaining zombies into civilization in an interesting fashion.
ParaNorman
Zombies aren't often depicted in animation unless it's pure humor like Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island since they tend to be too scary for children. Thankfully, ParaNorman managed to strike a pretty impressive balance when they brought zombies to the animated big screen.
The 2012 stop-motion fantasy film first centers on a boy who can communicate with ghosts and must help save his town when the dead rise. In terms of how the zombies were depicted, this wasn't all that original but the animation style was.
Little Monsters
One of the most recent entries on this list, Little Monsters was released in early 2019 and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival before coming to Hulu later that year. When you hear that the main characters are a schoolteacher, a television personality, and a washed-up musician, you don't expect what the rest of the film is about.
Little Monsters sees the three main characters come together while chaperoning a school field trip. When the outbreak happens, the three must protect the children from the zombies, who oddly respond well to the music played by the teacher.
28 Days Later
Sometimes, you don't have to totally reinvent the wheel to do something different with a genre. 2002's 28 Days Later is all the proof needed. To that point in history, most zombies had been depicted as being slow-moving, which makes them seem less scary when looking back.
So, when 28 Days Later chose to include zombies who moved quickly and would even run, it upped the stakes to another level. The main setup involving the outbreak of a virus wasn't all that inventive but this simple change to zombies helped make this a harrowing film.
Warm Bodies
If there are tw0 things that don't seem to go hand-in-hand, it's zombies and romance. Whenever you think about a love story in the most popular zombie mediums like The Walking Dead or Zombieland, it's between the human characters and never involves the undead.
That changed with 2013's Warm Bodies, which is based on a novel of the same name. Told from the perspective of a zombie (unique on its own in that aspect), it sees the protagonist develop feelings for a human girl, which changes him in the process. There's a surprisingly heartfelt romance in this tale.
Army Of The Dead
On paper, the zombies in 2021's Army of the Dead don't seem all that much different from others, at least at first glance. The thing that makes them unique comes with how they operate and you don't find that out until the movie gets going and the plot unfolds.
Although there are traditional zombies involved, there is a second group considered to be the "alphas." These zombies are more advanced and have critical thinking capabilities, coming up with plans and uniting against the humans, making them harder to kill. This movie also features a zombie tiger based on the trailer.
One Cut Of The Dead
It's almost always cool to see a piece of media get meta and that's basically the entire idea behind One Cut of the Dead. This 2017 release focuses on a film crew who is working on the set of a zombie movie titled One Cut of the Dead. On its own, that's enough to make it on the list.
However, the twists and turns continue as the second act sees an actual zombie invasion begin, which the hack director chooses to continue filming. Though made on a tiny budget, it was met with widespread acclaim and holds a certified fresh 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Fido
Fido is traditionally a name known to be given to household pets, especially for dogs. So, when audiences saw it was the name of a 2006 Canadian film, they probably didn't think they'd be seeing something based around zombies. Fido is actually an apt name for this story though.
The film is set in the 1950s and sees a world where radiation turned the dead into zombies. However, things have been calmed down and many of the undead are controlled by collars to do menial work. In one family, a child befriends the zombie who does chores around their home, named Fido.
Anna And The Apocalypse
The trailer for 2017's Anna and the Apocalypse includes a review that calls it, "Shaun of the Dead meets La La Land" and that's pretty appropriate. The British movie is indeed a musical that is set in the midst of a horrifying zombie invasion, focusing on high school teens.
Starring Dickinson's Ella Hunt in the lead role, the film does such a great job in blending the zombie action with the music. The songs are catchy, there are plenty of twists in the story, and it pays homage to the genre while doing something unique with it. Also, the Christmas setting isn't found often when zombies are involved.