George A. Romero's Night Of The Living Dead has been remade nearly thirty times but only four are considered direct remakes. The question, of course, with anything that is adapted multiple times is to deciphering how they compare to one another - here's each of them ranked, worst to best.
In 1968, director George A. Romero debuted the first movie in his Night Of The Living Dead series. The original movie stars Duane Jones as Ben, a Black man who survives right until the very end, and Judith O'Dea as Barbra, a young woman whose fear tends to get the best of her. When the zombie apocalypse starts in western Pennsylvania, they seek refuge in a farmhouse not too far from the cemetery Barbra and her brother were visiting at the very beginning of the movie. Night Of The Living Dead was the start of Romero's long career with the cannibalistic undead. He went on to create several sequels to his first movie including Dawn Of The Dead, Day Of The Dead, Land Of The Dead, Diary Of The Dead, and Survival Of The Dead. Matt Birman is currently in the process of bringing Road Of The Dead to life with the script he helped create with Romero. At this moment, it is unknown whether or not this will actually happen. In 2020, Dan Kraus wrote and released The Living Dead, a novel constructed from manuscripts, notes, and the timeline Romero created with the assistance of Suzanne Desrocher-Romero.
It wasn't until 1990 when Tom Savini, a fellow Pittsburgher, and notable special effects makeup artist, made a direct remake of Night Of The Living Dead. Once he had the opportunity to do so, several others followed in his footsteps. Since 1990, there has been an animated movie and even one in 3D. Here's how all four compare to one another.
4. Night Of The Living Dead: Darkest Dawn
Night Of The Living Dead: Darkest Dawn is the most recent direct remake of Romero's 1968 movie. It's completely computer animated and takes place in a contemporary setting. Directed by Krisztian Majdik and Zebediah De Soto, it follows a group of survivors in New York City. Rather than utilizing the eerie setting of Pennsylvania farmland, they opted for the unsettling nature of a massive city in the wake of the zombie apocalypse. Darkest Dawn shows a completely different atmosphere than the original, but it wasn't enough to make it the best direct remake, regardless of how the contemporary setting amplified the threat of the undead. Night Of The Living Dead: Darkest Dawn is an underwhelming rendition of a classic zombie movie that has only one redeeming feature: horror icon and star of Candyman, Tony Todd, voices Ben.
3. Night Of The Living Dead: Resurrection
James Plumb's Night Of The Living Dead: Resurrection tells the same basic premise of the original movie, but opts for a final girl over the classic Ben character. Released in 2012, it stars Sule Rimi as Ben, Kathy Saxondale as Karen, and Lee Bane as Kevin. When the zombie apocalypse begins, a family locks themselves inside their home in hopes of surviving the undead. When it concludes, the last surviving woman is taken to an unknown location where it's alluded that she will be used for procreation against her will. While the use of a final girl could've been a refreshing take on the story, it wasn't enough to warrant positive reviews from either fans or critics.
2. Night Of The Living Dead 3D
Night Of The Living Dead 3D fell victim to its attempt to tell Romero's story in 3D. When classic horror movies are remade in this format, it's very rare that they succeed. This goes for both Friday The 13th Part 3 as well as Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare. The 3D remake is the second one to be made after Tom Savini's 1990 version, but it does not compare to either Romero's or Savini's Night Of The Living Dead movies. One of the better qualities of the movie is its cast, which features House Of 1000 Corpses' star and undisputed horror legend, Sid Haig.
1. Night Of The Living Dead
Tom Savini's remake of Night Of The Living Dead is the best one to date. It was the first, and it should've been the last considering those that succeeded it. Starring Tony Todd as Ben, the movie features a re-written script by Romero, a friend of Savini's, that revamps the story for a contemporary audience. It completely alters the dynamic of the 1968 movie's characters, making Barbra a strong woman - a proper final girl - instead of one who cowers in fear. While none of these movies can compare to the original Night Of The Living Dead, Tom Savini's 1990 remake is the best due to Romero's involvement with the project and the overall inventive nature of the new script.