I have done a list of the best zombie movies ever, obvious picks that I am sure you have all watched, but here are eight zombie films that may not be that well known, but they each bring something unique, weird, and often surprisingly funny or touching to the table.
Doghouse
Doghouse is like if a group of bros decided to make a horror movie during a lads weekend, and they somehow succeeded, where a group of men go on a trip to a small village, only to find the women have turned into bloodthirsty zombies.
Plenty of dry humor in this one, and the way it leans into ridiculous gender commentary without feeling preachy is brilliant - incredibly British and incredibly stupid, but lots of fun.
Ravenous
Ravenous takes zombie tropes and twists them into something almost historical, almost arthouse, but still completely grimy, as, it mixes cannibalism, isolation, and creeping horror in a way that hits differently than your usual brain-munching undead.
The Battery
The Battery is proof that you don’t need explosions or massive hordes to make a zombie movie interesting, as it’s basically two guys driving around New England, surviving the undead, and gradually realizing the bigger threat might actually be each other.
There’s a sadness here in this film that is painfully realistic, and it makes you feel the boredom and isolation between the characters.
One Cut of the Dead
This one is cheating in a way, because the first 30 minutes are deliberately low-budget and awkward, but trust me, stick with it, as while One Cut of the Dead starts like a messy indie project, it hen completely flips the script.
It’s funny, smart, clever, and the single-take gimmick in the opening sequence is brilliant, before it spirals into this meta-commentary on filmmaking.
Anna and the Apocalypse
I know, a zombie musical sounds like a terrible idea, and it kind of is, in a brilliant way, and Anna and the Apocalypse is completely unapologetic about its mix of cute teenage moments and zombie deaths, where the songs are also weirdly catchy.
Watching the characters face impossible situations while singing about their feelings is both absurd and hilarious.
Dance of the Dead
Dance of the Dead is a high school zombie movie with a focus on the social dynamics you never knew you cared about.
It’s fun, full of sarcastic humor, and the way it leans into teenage absurdity where the zombies feel almost symbolic, representing every awkward, terrifying thing about being young.
Just some dumb fun.
Blood Quantum
Blood Quantum is quite a political film, especially for a zombie movie, about survival, history, and inherited trauma, and it’s one of the few zombie films that made me feel rage, fear, and hope all at once.
It’s not trying to please everyone, and that’s why it works so well.
Juan of the Dead
Finally, Juan of the Dead is basically Cuba’s answer to Shaun of the Dead, where the satire on politics and social structures is sharp, and Juan himself is charming in that lovable slacker way you can’t help rooting for.
It is exactly the rollercoaster ride you want from a zombie movie.
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