History's greatest villains have also made for some of cinema's scariest foes and the Nazi zombie movie offers a terrifyingly cathartic cinematic experience. The zombie as both allegory and a beast of carnage was popularized by the grisly classic Night of the Living Dead, and the undead's reputation as resurrected titans of the screen was cemented by the likes of Dawn of the Dead, 28 Days Later, and Shaun of the Dead. Offering a grisly subgenre to the usual zombie fare, Nazi zombies represent a unique opportunity to scare that is drenched in the real-life terrors of history.
Since Romero devised the shambling undead concept in 1968, a variety of different zombie species have emerged in popular culture, and the zombie idea is one of the most flexible in horror history. The most influential zombie movies have totally revolutionized horror, and Nazi zombies have actually been around in cinema since WWII. Due in part to their prominent inclusion in video games like Call of Duty and Wolfenstein, modern filmmakers have rekindled the fascination with the horrific concept on a bigger scale than ever before.
Zombie Lake (1981)
Nearly four decades after the end of WWII, the scars of the conflict were still felt across Europe, and 1981's Zombie Lake was French director Jean Rollin's way of dealing with it. In the Nazi zombie movie, a small French village is terrorized by undead German soldiers from WWII who rise from a lake to attack unsuspecting women. Though the zombie makeup was laughably cheesy, the movie's revenge plot was quite gothic in its execution. Hiding beneath its simple zombie concept was a more complex story that drew upon France's experience during WWII as inspiration.
- Zombie Lake is available to stream on Plex and Arrow Video
Revenge Of The Zombies (1943)
Though the Nazi zombies trend really took off in the decades after WWII, Revenge of the Zombies was one of the few to come out while the war was still raging. Scott Warrenton (Mauritz Hugo) investigates the mysterious death of his sister, and discovers that a Nazi scientist is attempting to create a zombie army. Zombie movies before Night of the Living Dead relied on voodoo or science to resurrect their dead, and Revenge of the Zombies was no different. While not fondly remembered for its actual content, which was lacking, the movie helped plant the seeds of a much larger idea.
- Revenge of the Zombies is available to buy or rent on Vudu
The Frozen Dead (1966)
Mad scientists are a key ingredient to the Nazi zombie movie, and the 1966 British shocker The Frozen Dead was a modern-day Frankenstein. Decades after the war, scientist Dr. Norberg (Dana Andrews) uses the brain of a young woman to resurrect a horde of Nazi soldiers. Limited by 1960s British standards and censorship, the movie was still macabre enough to live up to its title. Though The Frozen Dead stretched the Nazi zombie concept rather thin, it was an effectively eerie chiller anchored by Andrews' performance. More importantly, the film played on the paranoia of the British public, who remembered all too well the ravages of WWII.
- The Frozen Dead is currently not available to stream or rent
Outpost (2008)
Nazi zombies naturally lend themselves to horror action films, and 2008's Outpost brought its excitement and thrills to the modern day. In war-torn Eastern Europe, a group of mercenaries is hired to protect an eccentric millionaire, but they soon discover a stash of undead Nazi soldiers. Gory and action-packed, what Outpost lacked in story it made up for with genuine scares and a high body count. The 2008 film spawned the Outpost franchise, and several sequels were made to dwindling returns. Ultimately, it was Outpost's simple-but-effective approach that helped to re-invigorate the Nazi zombie movie trend.
- Outpost is available to buy or rent on Apple TV, Amazon Video, and YouTube
Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge (1991)
The third entry in this long-running horror franchise, Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge took the series in a different direction. The film follows a puppeteer who is commissioned by the Nazis to create an undead army and instead uses his puppet creations to exact his revenge. Like many of Charles Band's films, Toulon's Revenge has a sillier tone than conventional horror movies. Nevertheless, the puppets manage to be scary at times, and the Nazi zombies simmer in the background as opposed to dominating the story. Brilliantly, Puppet Master III turned the villains into heroes, and it was surprisingly cathartic to see the puppets take revenge on the Nazis.
- Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge is available to stream on Peacock, AMC Plus, and The Roku Channel
Blood Creek (2009)
Though the Nazi zombie movie genre is typically reserved for grindhouse cinemas and drive-ins, 2009's Blood Creek actually came from acclaimed director Joel Schumacher. While camping in the woods of West Virginia, two brothers find themselves caught in the middle of a decades-old Nazi occult ritual. Blood Creek completely flew under the radar, but touted a laundry list of future stars including Henry Cavill, Micheal Fassbender, and Emma Booth. The story was somewhat scattered, but the scares were more than effective, and it went places that the typical Nazi zombie movie didn't go. Blood Creek had true franchise potential with a memorable villain, but no sequel ever materialized.
- Blood Creek is available to buy or rent on Apple TV, Amazon Video, YouTube, and Vudu
Frankenstein's Army (2013)
The mythos of Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein has had as large an impact on the concept of zombies in cinema, and Frankenstein's Army combined both for a one-of-a-kind nightmare. Towards the end of WWII, Russian soldiers go on a mission to East Germany to recover fallen comrades but discover a Nazi plot to resurrect the dead. Unlike other zombie war movies which merely reanimated corpses, Frankenstein's Army saw them pieced together in a stomach-turning display of special effects magic. Imaginative and unbelievably grisly, Frankenstein's Army had the classic grindhouse energy of the 1970s but with a modern flare for the dramatic.
- Frankenstein's Army is available to stream on Tubi TV, Plex, and Freevee
Shock Waves (1977)
Most known for his work in gothic horror films, iconic actor Peter Cushing starred in his own Nazi zombie movie with 1977's Shock Waves. Visitors to a remote island find themselves face-to-face with a reclusive Nazi commander (Cushing) who brings a sunken battleship full of soldiers back to life to do his bidding. The evocative image of the zombies with goggles made for a distinct villain, and Cushing turned in his usual maniacal performance. Though not gory, the suspenseful kills and use of watery locations made for a classic scary good time, and it hearkened back to the earliest Nazi zombie movies.
- Shock Waves is available to stream on Prime Video, Peacock, and Pluto TV
Dead Snow (2009)
Video games like Call of Duty might have sparked interest in Nazi zombies in the 21st century, but Dead Snow was what made them cinematically viable again. The Norwegian film follows a group of med students on a ski trip who accidentally unleash a horde of Nazi zombies. Often considered one of the goriest zombie movies of all time, Dead Snow's white backdrops were the perfect canvas for its over-the-top bloodshed. Though incredibly simple in its approach, the film delivered what audiences were looking for and hit the nail on the head with a blood-soaked horror comedy romp.
- Dead Snow is available to stream on Tubi and Plex
Overlord (2018)
The popularity of the Nazi zombie movie comes in waves, and 2018's Overlord came at a time when audiences weren't clamoring for more. On the eve of D-Day, Allied troops go behind enemy lines to destroy a communication relay, but are confronted by an undead army. With an increased budget and backing from producer J.J. Abrams, Overlord was the highest-profile Nazi zombie movie up to that point and upped the ante like never before. The film not only delivered action but gory and effective scares through the use of astonishing practical effects like animatronics. Though Overlord failed to move the needle, it proved that Nazi zombie movies weren't going anywhere.
- Overlord is available to buy or rent on Apple TV, Amazon Video, YouTube, and Vudu