Of course, we wouldn't have the zombie genre in its present form without George A. Romero's ...of the Dead trilogy. Although the first part, Night of..., usually tops these kinds of lists, I nominate Dawn of... from 1978 as the best because it is simply the first zombie film I ever saw. It scared the shit out of me when I was fourteen, and I was plagued by zombie nightmares for years, but now I can see what a well-written and inspired movie it really is. Even though it doesn't look as effective by today's standards, the atmosphere and powerful apocalyptic feeling still works, and by any standards it is a classic whose influence is undeniable. The struggle to survive in a collapsing world, the scavenging and conflict with other groups (in this case, the bikers that break into the mall where our four heroes have barricaded themselves) and the settling down in a safe haven while more and more zombies gather outside the walls - these are all plot points that became integral to zombie films after this. Zack Snyder's popular remake from 2004 is also a masterpiece, but I prefer the old school, slow and numb zombies.
World War Z
Although I actually really like the (very) loose adaptation from 2013 with Brad Pitt (because when have we ever had a big budget $100 million zombie flick), it is nothing compared to Max Brooks' original book. I have rarely read a book that I wished would never end. As you probably know, it's a collection of eye-witness accounts and interviews that describe the global outbreak and the war against the zombies. You can tell that Mr. Brooks is a military history buff, because it reads exactly like a WWII history book. My personal favorites are the Japanese episodes, the story of the Chinese submarine crew who flee mainland China with their families, and the one with an American soldier who survives a crash landing in a territory overrun by the infected and is guided to safety by the voice of a ghost on the radiocom. The "realism," if you will, is strong, and the author has thought of everything, covered every aspect of the zombie outbreak, every geo-political impact, every social and environmental aspect. Of course that could never translate well to the confines of a 100-minute feature film, but fortunately the book can be read repeatedly because it's so heart-stoppingly entertaining!
Day of the Dead
The third part of Romero's "trilogy of the dead" tends to get overlooked in zombie film rankings, which is a disgrace because it is really good. Here, a group of scientists are working towards finding a cure in the safety of a bunker, while a bunch of soldiers boss them around. Day of... is the earliest example of a zombie film (that I can think of at least) where there is an actual chance of a solution, even a cure, something that we've now had a lot of (just look at the film adaptation of World War Z, Warm Bodies from 2013, the very bad but kinda entertaining series Z Nation, among others), because the scientists are working with a subject that seems to respond to training (the poster's Bubba). The claustrophobic environment of the film's underground world is the complete opposite of the previous Dawn of..., and the tension between the characters builds to the goriest ending of the trilogy. It had a mixed reception back in 1985, but has since become a cult classic, and is now regarded as every bit as influential as its predecessors.
Resident Evil
Instead of having to try to single out one game or movie as the best from the incredible invention that is Resident Evil, I've opted for just including the entire franchise in itself. Shinji Mikami and Tokuro Fujiwara's video games are now staples in the Xbox and Playstation output, and Paul W.S. Anderson's first film adaption led to a whole series of films that are apparently the most successful game adaptations ever made. The first two films are the best, after that it gets a bit silly, and even the games seem to move away from classic zombie horror bit by bit, but nevertheless its place in zombie lore cannot be denied and a list of the most important zombie works in any media is inconclusive without at least some part of the R.E. franchise in some form.
Return of the Living Dead
Zombie comedies are now as popular as their horror counterpart, and sometimes as common. You've probably seen Shaun of the Dead (2004), and there are other very cool examples, like Fido (2006), Peter Jackson's Braindead (1992), Zombieland (2009), the Norweigan Dead Snow (2009) and 2015's Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse. But the best, and perhaps first, is Return of the Living Dead. With a punk rock attitude typical of the early 1980's, it irreverently parodies the genre, and is also interestingly the first zombie flick to feature strong and fast zombies. Also, it is the originator of the popular misconception that zombies eat only brains, which if you think about it would not be very practical for them and is not a traditional part of the genre. As you can see, there are many reasons why this zombie comedy by Dan O'Bannon (the genius behind Alien) has become a cult classic - its originality, its in-your-face humor, its high quotability, its soundtrack, its creative effects. In other words, everything about it.
28 Days Later
Technically speaking, this terrifying apocalypse nightmare does not feature any zombies, but people infected with a rage virus that turns them into berserking marauders. Nevertheless, 28 Days Later hits enough marks to place it in the zombie genre, and it is widely regarded as part of the canon. It was even credited with "reinvigorating" the zombie genre when it came out in 2002. Personally, I think it certainly helped make the genre a little more respected. It takes part, as the title has it, 28 days after the outbreak of the virus, thanks to animal activits (a little inspiration from Twelve Monkeys, perhaps?) when Jim (Cillian Murphy) wakes up in a hospital to find London basically deserted. He then meets a group of soldiers and survivors who have holed up in a mansion, and of course tension and conflicts ensue. So, except for the lack of flesh-eating gore and hungry, shambling corpses, it gives zombie apocalypse-thirsty viewers exactly what they want, with a little thought-provoking writing courtesy of the fantastic Alex Garland (author of The Beach), some great acting and beautiful directing from the master Danny Boyle (Trainspotting) to boot.
REC
You can always rely on Spanish filmmakers to deliver really scary movies, and [REC] from 2007 is one of the most terrifying zombie films ever made. Take a bit of the claustrophobia from the early Resident Evil video games, mix it with the fast-paced and violent monsters from 28 Days Later and the suspense and adrenaline of the Dawn of the Dead 2004 remake, and you've got a pretty good idea of what to expect from Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza's now legendary film. Shot in shaky, handheld "found footage" style, a late night live report on a call-out for a team of firemen in Barcelona turns into a nightmare when they become trapped in a building with zombies. Although its sequels are decent films, [REC] is best enjoyed as a stand-alone feature, and is sufficient on its own. Also, in my opinion, with its surprise ending left totally open, it's a lot scarier.
Planet Terror
On the other hand, you can go the way that Robert Rodriguez did for the Grindhouse project back in 2007 and create a deliberately self-conscious and self-parodying tribute to low budget exploitation horror action films of the 1970's. Planet Terror features Rose McGowan as go-go-dancer (not a stripper, there's a difference) Cherry, who after losing a leg during a zombie virus outbreak caused by stolen chemical military weaponry, gets a machine gun for a leg by her boyfriend El Wray (Freddy Rodriguez) as they try to get out of town before it's overrun. There are so many crazy, hilarious, cool things in Rodriguez's companion piece to Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof (as you'd expect from the man who brought us From Dusk Till Dawn and, later, Machete) that were I to list them that would take up too much space on this page. Suffice it to say, Planet Terror is a f****n' blast!
Zombi 2
Despite its title, Lucio Fulci's Zombi 2 is not a sequel. Zombi was just the name of the Italian-dubbed release of George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead, and the two films in question have absolutely nothing in common. However, I couldn't very well compile a list of the most important and outstanding works in the zombie genre and completely ignore the huge array of European contributions that were so popular in the era of "video nasties" in the early 1980's. They're all pretty bad by today's standards, and as usual with Italian B-movies, the acting is laughable and the writing is pretty embarrassing. But what it lacks in quality, it makes up for in imaginative gore, atmospheric sound effects and really cool music. Another thing I like about Zombi 2 - wherein an abandoned boat turning up in New York City leads a woman and a reporter to travel to the Caribbean island it came from to look for her missing father - is that the film kind of takes the zombie outbreak back to its voodoo roots. But, if that don't do anything for you, just check it out for the quite well-known scene where a zombie and a shark go head-to-head underwater.
Dead Set
British filmmakers have made a pretty decent impact on the zombie genre as well. Besides the above-mentioned Shaun of the Dead and the already listed 28 Days Later, you've got the really funny Cockneys vs. Zombies from 2012, Seth Grahame-Smith's mashup novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies from 2009 (and its recent film adaptation), the post-modern zombie drama series In the Flesh from 2013 and The Girl With All the Gifts from 2016. But I would like to highlight the miniseries Dead Set from 2008, by the excellent critic and satirist Charlie Brooker (who also made the intelligent and intriguing sci-fi series Black Mirror, well worth a look). The intense five-episode horror show takes place in the Big Brother house, back when that was still a big deal in the UK, which partly adds to its claustrophobic nature, having the contestants locked up in a TV studio during the zombie apocalypse, but also makes it darkly and absurdly satirical. Since it works both as horror and satire, I think it's both original and at the same time a worthy successor to Romero's original concept of making zombie films with slightly political undertones.
