Zombie Movies
If you’ve been looking for more must watch lesser known zombie movies only to be let down with concepts that fall dead on their face look no further. In this post, I’ll outline 5 fantastic lesser known zombie movies to add to your list.
It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I’m a huge fan of horror movies. Zombies have been a personal favorite of mine since I was a kid. When Shaun of the Dead; the greatest zombie movie of all time, came out in 2004 I was beside myself. It remains my favorite zombie movie to this day, but it exists in a genre that has been done to death. Since the advent of the Walking Dead there has been a tsunami of zombie movies and tv shows. Some obviously better than others. Who knew the dead would sell so well?
With that said, there are still quality zombie movies still being created. The following 5 movies are Dystopian masterpieces that flew under the radar. All 5 have come out fairly recently and have something new or exciting to add to the bloated carcass market.
#5 COOTIES
Please Don’t Feed the Children, You Are What They Eat
Cooties is a very tongue in cheek; pun intended, comedy horror flick. In this iteration of the zombie genre only the young who haven’t been through puberty are affected. It’s an interesting and comical spin that we haven’t seen yet in zombie history. This story takes place in a small town in Illinois elementary school. Ironically the first student to succumb to the zombie disease is infected by a tainted chicken nugget.
The film features a great comedic cast of pre-pubescent walker wasters including Rainn Wilson, Elijah Wood and Allison Pill to name a few. Admittedly this movie comes in at #4 on the list, but is no less worthy of seeing then the rest. With a list this strong you have to start somewhere. Cooties offers gore, comedy and just a smattering of grade school murder done in the best taste possible.
#4 The Autopsy of Jane Doe
Every Body Has a Secret
This is the creepiest movie about zombies I’ve possibly ever seen and I’m not even sure if it can be classified as such. The story begins in a family owned morgue with a father son coroner duo closing up shop for the night when the town sheriff delivers one final stiff. Without giving too much away this story is based in witchcraft that invokes the stories lifeless cast. While there are less than a handful of walkers in this entire film the way they are portrayed is as suspenseful as it is terrifying.
I watched this one during a winter storm that rendered 800,000 people in the Detroit area without power. The lights were low. The volume was high. Give it a shot and see if you don’t find yourself looking over your shoulder next time you go into the basement.
#3 The Girl with all the Gifts
Our Greatest Threat is Our Only Hope
The Girl with all the Gifts is very reminiscent of 28 days later if it had a bastard child with Mad Max. It’s different from any zombie flick I’ve seen before. It starts off in a bunker containing young hosts strapped into wheelchairs being forced into classrooms to see if they can be trained and or reasoned with. As with all distopian movies things go horribly wrong and the gifted girl exits the base into a full on zombie riot.
A small team of soldiers, one doctor and one teacher make their way through the zombie filled streets and realize the creeps are blind to their presence. They can smell and hear the living, but can be avoided if everyone stays dead quiet. It would seem that staying away from the dead is easy enough to do, but the new form of mob justice isn’t.
#2 Train to Busan
Get on Board to Stay Alive
Lesser known zombie movies #4 The Train to Busan is by far the best zombie action thriller I’ve seen in a long time and it’s up against 2 caveats that can kill a movie watching experience. It’s long and it’s foreign with subtitles. That being said, this 2 hour long Korean zombie thriller dished out the gore and drama with expertise. The zombies in this film are a pretty twisted and contorted bunch of people munchers.
Not only was Train to Busan one of the best zombie horrors I’ve seen in a long time, but it’s one of the best action thrillers to boot.
#1 The Dead Don’t Die
The Road to Survival Could be a Dead End
The Dead Don’t Die is a drowsily hilarious zombie romp that flew under the radar. This star-studded cast includes Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Chloë Sevigny, Danny Glover, Sara Driver, Selena Gomez, Steve Buscemi & Iggy Pop to name just a few. There are so many more.
The movie starts off with a sun that doesn’t ever want to set. A small town police team investigates a series of brutal murders befalling this tiny burg. Things escalate when this star studded cast keeps up with a pace started by George Romero that is a fitting tribute to the fallen director. The movie is as funny as it is gory. If you’re a fan of the walking dead don’t; and I don’t mean the AMC show, and funny don’t let this movie go unseen.
