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- The director Danny Boyle and the writer Alex Garland breathed new life into zombie movies with “28 Days Later.”
- Over 20 years after the original, they’re back with “28 Years Later.”
- Here are the best zombie movies to watch after you recover from the frights of “28 Years Later.”
Sure, purists might argue the infected in “28 Years Later” aren’t technically zombies.
But when a film franchise redefines a classic genre (by making the zombie-like creatures fast and relentless, rather than slow and bumbling) there’s arguably room for creative license.
It all started in 2002 with “28 Days Later,” where a bite from a person infected with the Rage Virus transforms them into a mindless killer who hungers only for flesh and blood.
In “28 Years Later,” the director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland explore how the infected have evolved, and how the survivors have managed to keep calm and carry on.
Since then, other filmmakers have taken to the idea of fast zombies, infections, and adrenaline-fueled terror in their own projects, while films like “Night of the Living Dead” are still undeniable classics.
Here are the nine best zombie movies to watch after “28 Years Later,” according to their Rotten Tomatoes scores.
“Night of the Living Dead” (1968)
Critics’ Consensus: “George A. Romero’s debut set the template for the zombie film, and features tight editing, realistic gore, and a sly political undercurrent.”
Tomatometer score: 95%
Popcornmeter: 87%
“Train to Busan” (2016)
Critics’ Consensus: “‘Train to Busan’ delivers a thrillingly unique — and purely entertaining — take on the zombie genre, with fully realized characters and plenty of social commentary to underscore the bursts of skillfully staged action.”
Tomatometer score: 95%
Popcornmeter: 89%
“REC” (2007)
Critics’ Consensus: “Plunging viewers into the nightmarish hellscape of an apartment complex under siege, ‘Rec’ proves that found footage can still be used as an effective delivery mechanism for sparse, economic horror.”
Tomatometer score: 90%
Popcornmeter: 82%
“The Girl with All the Gifts” (2017)
Critics’ Consensus: “‘The Girl with All the Gifts’ grapples with thought-provoking questions without skimping on the scares — and finds a few fresh wrinkles in the well-worn zombie horror genre along the way.”
Tomatometer score: 86%
Popcornmeter: 67%
“Dawn of the Dead” (2004)
Critics’ Consensus: “A kinetic, violent and surprisingly worthy remake of George Romero’s horror classic that pays homage to the original while working on its own terms.”
Tomatometer score: 77%
Popcornmeter: 77%
“The Crazies” (2010)
Critics’ Consensus: “Tense, nicely shot, and uncommonly intelligent, ‘The Crazies’ is a horror remake that, unusually, works.”
Tomatometer score: 72%
Popcornmeter: 57%
“World War Z” (2013)
Critics’ Consensus: “It’s uneven and diverges from the source book, but ‘World War Z’ still brings smart, fast-moving thrills and a solid performance from Brad Pitt to the zombie genre.”
Tomatometer score: 67%
Popcornmeter: 72%
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