By Nico Zeballos

Warning: Zombie movie spoilers ahead. 

Imagine waking up in a world where the comforting buzz of traffic and the chatter of nextdoor neighbors were replaced by an eerie silence, filled only with the inhumane sounds of the undead wandering around. This calamity of a scenario has engrossed audiences for decades in a popular horror genre: The Zombie Apocalypse. Whether it’s the slow-waddling hordes of The Walking Dead, the obsessively aggressive infected of 28 Days Later, or the overwhelming swarms of World War Z, the genre has grown to touch the deepest of human fears and anxieties. 

The modern zombie owes a great deal to George A. Romero’s 1968 film Night of the Living Dead. Romero created his zombies to be walking, flesh-eating corpses. This film set the blueprint for many more movies and series involving these creatures. Romero was inspired by the 1958 novel I Am Legend, (adapted into the film I am Legend in 2007) in which vampiric creatures overrun a post-apocalyptic world hunting one man—zombies derived from the vampires. Many writers and directors have added their own spinoffs and creative characteristics to their undead and infected since then.

Image courtesy of AMC Studios.

The television series The Walking Dead, which originally aired on AMC from 2010-2022 and is based on Robert Kirkman’s comics, follows survivors, led by former sheriff Rick Grimes, through the world of the undead. Rick Grimes, played by Andrew Lincoln, wakes up one day from a coma to see an empty city and his family missing. He soon discovers the undead as he wanders through the city. The zombies are called “walkers,” and they are mindless, deteriorating bodies that are attracted to any noise. Nobody knows anything about the origin of the virus, except that everybody is infected. The virus only takes its toll once a person is bitten or dies. The series emphasizes human relationships through the apocalypse. Humans turn on each other, create alliances, blend in with the walkers, and more. The Walking Dead has since spawned spinoff series, including Fear the Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, The Walking Dead: Dead City, and more.

When fans of the show were asked how they would deal with the zombie apocalypse, they didn’t seem to worry too much about the walkers. Some critics of the show even went on to explain that  these zombies wouldn’t cause much of a problem due to their slow speed. Nicholas Crowl (‘25) stated that “they aren’t very physically imposing, and they don’t strike much fear into me.” His mindset seemed to change once he saw other types of zombies, however.

Image courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures.

In Danny Boyle’s 2002 film 28 Days Later, Jim, played by award-winning actor Cillian Murphy in a role that brought him international attention, wakes up in an abandoned hospital in London to discover that a virus has wiped out most of the human population. Jim finds fellow survivors and attempts to navigate the infected city. The “Rage Virus” spreads through bodily fluids such as blood and saliva and turns the infected into bloodthirsty maniacs within seconds. These zombies are alive but are driven to uncontrollable violence, resembling advanced symptoms of rabies. Unlike “walkers,” these infected can run and are physically enhanced, as if they are constantly fueled by adrenaline. 

The 2007 sequel 28 Weeks Later expands on this storyline, showing the efforts of recovery and the rebuilding in London. The virus re-emerges, causing another outbreak. Even though this movie did not receive the same praise as its older counterpart, it was able to create one of the most iconic scenes of the genre. The scene opens with Don (Robert Carlyle), his wife, and other humans hiding out in a rural farmhouse. A young boy approaches the farmhouse in an attempt to escape from the undead. Instead, he leads them right to the farmhouse. As the infected bombard his house, Don and his wife retreat upstairs with the boy. 

The rest of the humans scatter in an attempt to live. As the infected close in, Don makes the brutal decision to leave his wife for his own self-preservation. As he hops out the window, his wife screams for him and bangs on the glass but is taken by the zombies. Not looking back, Don begins to make his way to a boat at the river. The zombies are still tracking him, and we see many descend the hill in an ultimate chase. Our main protagonist is able to make it to the boat but must sacrifice another survivor, as the infected even jump into the water. Don drives away as the only living human from that incident. The sheer determination to live and the unpredictable nature of the scene helps the audience feel a part of the situation. Unfortunately, the movie didn’t achieve the critical acclaim of its predecessor. 

After seeing the film for the first time over winter break, Noah Kantner (‘25) said in a state of disbelief, “How could something this brutal be allowed for the public eye?” He determined that these were the scariest zombies he’d ever seen.

Image courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

Running zombies was also the main theme of World War Z, a 2013 film based on the 2006 novel of the same name, written by Max Brooks. The film follows former UN investigator Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) as he tries to find the source of a global zombie pandemic and the cure. The movie begins with Gerry’s family being in Philadelphia traffic at the time of the outbreak. These zombies are relentless and terrifyingly operate in organized groups that can scale walls. Crowl said, “These are by far the fastest zombies I’ve seen. Their agility and athleticism is unmatched.” He also went on to say, “The scene had an end-of-the-world feeling to it.” One thing that kept Crowl on edge was the time and nature of the infection process, only five seconds, revealed through a haunting count on a toy belonging to Gerry’s daughter. 

Personally, I find the 28 Days Later zombies to be the most interesting due to the plotline and the realism of the movie. The use of handheld cameras kept me even more on edge, with the eerie emptiness of London adding to the tension. Even though I enjoy this movie the most, I also enjoy all the other different adaptations of the zombie apocalypse. Crowl said he enjoys the genre for “its different depictions of how humans adapt to these catastrophic situations.” He is fascinated by how the military reacts in the various fictional scenarios. Kantner is most interested in the “action-filled horde scenes.” The zombie genre has provided a whole dimension for the film world in which anything can be done with it. 

The zombie universe is excited and waiting in anticipation, as 28 Years Later is set to come out this summer as the successor of 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later. A fourth film, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, was filmed simultaneously and is scheduled to be released in January 2026. The third film will include stars such as Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jack O’Connell, and Ralph Fiennes. The trailer is captivating, with the immediate sound of Teletubbies playing hauntingly, followed by Rudyard Kipling’s repetitive “Boots” poem, adding to the suspense of how the narrative will unfold. 

Featured photo credit: Scott Beale.