Zombie movies are a blast to watch. They’ve been around for a few decades. One of the first zombie movies ever made was the iconic “White Zombie.” This 1932 film was directed by Victor Halperin. It was based on the novel, “The Magic Island” by William Seabrook. Not a lot of recent zombie movies use the same ideas in “White Zombie.”
“White Zombie” was about a Haitian voodoo master who uses his power and knowledge to turn others into zombies. This includes the main character, Madeleine Short. While Madeleine acted strangely, in the film she didn’t resemble what we consider a zombie. But that’s the thing, there are so many different types! The diversity and creativity in zombie movies is what makes them so interesting.
In some films, zombies are grotesque creatures. They are humans that have been infected with a virus or radiation that transforms into something else. They are the undead. In these movies, zombies are often green or pale with rotting and missing body parts. Not all zombies look like they are falling apart. For instance, zombies are even shown in kids’ movies and TV shows.
A popular Disney show about zombies is “Zombies.” This movie received two sequels. It’s a romance musical comedy about a school that starts accepting zombies. The zombies aren’t rotting in this movie and instead are just slightly green. The main character, Zed, a zombie who wants to play football, falls in love with a human girl, Addison.
So in other words, zombie movies can be about anything. They can be silly romance musicals, gruesome horror flicks, or anything in between. (Click here for 15 classic horror films that are still terrifying.)
To determine the best zombie movies, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of June 2024, weighting all ratings equally. Documentaries were not considered. Director information is from IMDb.
50. I Sell the Dead (2008)
Source: Courtesy of IFC Films
Source: Courtesy of IFC Films
- IMDb user rating: 6.1/10 (10,642 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 47% (8,364 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 72% (46 reviews)
- Directed by: Glenn McQuaid
49. Splinter (2008)
Source: Courtesy of Magnet Releasing
Source: Courtesy of Magnet Releasing
- IMDb user rating: 6.1/10 (35,635 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 49% (13,245 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 74% (38 reviews)
- Directed by: Toby Wilkins
48. The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (26,240 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 56% (15,417 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 65% (34 reviews)
- Directed by: Wes Craven
47. Prince of Darkness (1987)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (40,089 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 60% (13,944 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 58% (36 reviews)
- Directed by: John Carpenter
46. Land of the Dead (2005)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (94,462 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 51% (137,520 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 74% (179 reviews)
- Directed by: George A. Romero
45. Dance of the Dead (2008)
Source: Courtesy of Ghosthouse Underground
Source: Courtesy of Ghosthouse Underground
- IMDb user rating: 5.8/10 (11,503 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 51% (3,282 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (5 reviews)
- Directed by: Gregg Bishop
44. Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (2006)
Source: Courtesy of Troma Entertainment
Source: Courtesy of Troma Entertainment
- IMDb user rating: 6.1/10 (8,239 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 64% (4,025 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 64% (25 reviews)
- Directed by: Lloyd Kaufman
43. The Crazies (2010)
Source: Courtesy of Overture Films
Source: Courtesy of Overture Films
- IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (115,607 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 56% (199,247 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 70% (155 reviews)
- Directed by: Breck Eisner
42. Evil Dead (2013)
Source: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group
Source: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group
- IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (162,715 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 63% (77,430 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 63% (203 reviews)
- Directed by: Fede Alvarez
41. Trancers (1984)
Source: Courtesy of Empire Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Empire Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.1/10 (6,060 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 53% (5,019 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (6 reviews)
- Directed by: Charles Band
40. Night of the Comet (1984)
Source: Courtesy of Atlantic Releasing
Source: Courtesy of Atlantic Releasing
- IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (19,746 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 58% (9,291 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (33 reviews)
- Directed by: Thom Eberhardt
39. Dead & Buried (1981)
Source: Courtesy of AVCO Embassy Pictures
Source: Courtesy of AVCO Embassy Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (11,370 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 59% (5,136 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 76% (17 reviews)
- Directed by: Gary Sherman
38. Tales of Terror (1962)
Source: Courtesy of Kino Lorber
Source: Courtesy of Kino Lorber
- IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (6,909 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 63% (5,005 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 71% (14 reviews)
- Directed by: Roger Corman
37. Night of the Living Dead (1990)
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (40,511 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 68% (64,217 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 66% (32 reviews)
- Directed by: Tom Savini
36. White Zombie (1932)
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (9,933 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 58% (6,837 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (21 reviews)
- Directed by: Victor Halperin
35. 28 Weeks Later (2007)
Source: Courtesy of Fox Atomic
Source: Courtesy of Fox Atomic
- IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (285,718 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 66% (638,747 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 72% (198 reviews)
- Directed by: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
34. Phantasm (1979)
Source: Courtesy of AVCO Embassy Pictures
Source: Courtesy of AVCO Embassy Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (34,292 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 67% (24,727 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 74% (46 reviews)
- Directed by: Don Coscarelli
33. World War Z (2013)
Source: Andreas Rentz / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
Source: Andreas Rentz / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (625,834 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (305,338 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 66% (279 reviews)
- Directed by: Marc Forster
32. The Battery (2012)
Source: Courtesy of Filmbuff
N/A
Source: Courtesy of Filmbuff
- IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (9,079 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 66% (922 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (10 reviews)
- Directed by: Jeremy Gardner
31. I Am Legend (2007)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (712,870 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 68% (1,130,096 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 68% (215 reviews)
- Directed by: Francis Lawrence
30. Night of the Creeps (1986)
Source: Courtesy of TriStar Pictures
Source: Courtesy of TriStar Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (22,185 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 70% (10,239 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 74% (19 reviews)
- Directed by: Fred Dekker
29. Overlord (2018)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (92,909 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 67% (4,314 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (227 reviews)
- Directed by: Julius Avery
28. The Last Man on Earth (1964)
Source: Courtesy of American International Pictures
Source: Courtesy of American International Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (18,637 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69% (11,627 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (26 reviews)
- Directed by: Ubaldo Ragona, Sidney Salkow
27. Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead (2014)
Source: Courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment
Source: Courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment
- IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (23,779 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69% (5,883 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (31 reviews)
- Directed by: Tommy Wirkola
26. Warm Bodies (2013)
Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate
Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate
- IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (224,580 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (131,644 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (209 reviews)
- Directed by: Jonathan Levine
25. Planet Terror (2007)
Source: Courtesy of Aurum Producciones
Source: Courtesy of Aurum Producciones
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (204,876 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 77% (181,797 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 76% (29 reviews)
- Directed by: Robert Rodriguez
24. Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (158,135 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (11,205 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 69% (251 reviews)
- Directed by: Ruben Fleischer
23. Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (245,727 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 77% (404,207 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 76% (193 reviews)
- Directed by: Zack Snyder
22. I Walked with a Zombie (1943)
Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures
Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (11,707 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (5,040 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 85% (34 reviews)
- Directed by: Jacques Tourneur
21. Day of the Dead (1985)
Source: Courtesy of United Film Distribution Company
Source: Courtesy of United Film Distribution Company
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (66,129 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (64,596 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (40 reviews)
- Directed by: George A. Romero
20. Carnival of Souls (1962)
Source: Courtesy of Herts-Lion International Corp.
Source: Courtesy of Herts-Lion International Corp.
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (22,635 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (9,514 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (37 reviews)
- Directed by: Herk Harvey
19. ParaNorman (2012)
Source: Courtesy of Laika
Source: Courtesy of Laika
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (97,791 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (83,157 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (185 reviews)
- Directed by: Chris Butler
18. Resident Evil: Damnation (2012)
Source: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
N/A
Source: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
- IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (20,783 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69% (1,000 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (5 reviews)
- Directed by: Makoto Kamiya
17. Corpse Bride (2005)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Brothers
Source: Courtesy of Warner Brothers
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (254,567 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 77% (553,528 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (196 reviews)
- Directed by: Tim Burton, Mike Johnson
16. The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate
Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (392,780 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (207,614 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (288 reviews)
- Directed by: Drew Goddard
15. Army of Darkness (1992)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (168,204 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (218,708 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 73% (48 reviews)
- Directed by: Sam Raimi
14. Little Monsters (2019)
Source: Courtesy of Neon
Source: Courtesy of Neon
- IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (15,650 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 100% (09 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (131 reviews)
- Directed by: Abe Forsythe
13. Beetlejuice (1988)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (275,517 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (917,317 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 85% (59 reviews)
- Directed by: Tim Burton
12. The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (57,600 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (55,385 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (44 reviews)
- Directed by: Dan O’Bannon
11. Grindhouse (2007)
Source: Courtesy of Dimension Films
Source: Courtesy of Dimension Films
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (181,333 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (330,360 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (196 reviews)
- Directed by: Robert Rodriguez, Eli Roth, Quentin Tarantino, Edgar Wright, Rob Zombie
10. Re-Animator (1985)
Source: Courtesy of Empire Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Empire Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (60,101 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (37,271 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (61 reviews)
- Directed by: Stuart Gordon
9. 28 Days Later (2003)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
N/A
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (429,321 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (482,890 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (235 reviews)
- Directed by: Danny Boyle
8. Zombieland (2009)
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (541,908 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (643,581 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (257 reviews)
- Directed by: Ruben Fleischer
7. The Evil Dead (1981)
Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (194,931 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (202,972 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (61 reviews)
- Directed by: Sam Raimi
6. Train to Busan (2016)
Source: Courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment
Source: Courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (239,451 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (13,743 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (125 reviews)
- Directed by: Sang-ho Yeon
5. Evil Dead II (1987)
Source: Courtesy of Rosebud Releasing Corporation
Source: Courtesy of Rosebud Releasing Corporation
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (154,088 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (148,534 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (60 reviews)
- Directed by: Sam Raimi
4. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Source: Courtesy of Continental Distributing
Source: Courtesy of Continental Distributing
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (121,700 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (130,710 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (74 reviews)
- Directed by: George A. Romero
3. One Cut of the Dead (2017)
Source: Courtesy of Shudder
Source: Courtesy of Shudder
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (24,132 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (500 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (95 reviews)
- Directed by: Shinichirou Ueda
2. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
Source: Courtesy of United Film Distribution Company
Source: Courtesy of United Film Distribution Company
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (115,719 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (204,847 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (47 reviews)
- Directed by: George A. Romero
1. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Source: Courtesy of Focus Features
Source: Courtesy of Focus Features
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (530,779 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (498,702 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (213 reviews)
- Directed by: Edgar Wright