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[Rachelle Kun]

Zombie films are nothing new. In fact, they date back as far as the 1930s. Since then, they've since been popularized by the legendary George A. Romero through such classics as Night of the Living Dead, as well as in more recent iterations, like 28 Days Later and the series The Walking Dead. That being said, the zombie genre (or arguably horror subgenre) is still alive and kicking to this day. From action-packed thrill rides to dark turns that leave us pondering, this gory brand of cinema has survived all these years thanks to filmmakers being willing to twist the genre to make it their own.

Netflix continues to offer a variety of critically acclaimed movies based around the undead. From Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead and its spinoffs to zombie films with international flare, here's a closer look at the best offerings currently on the popular streamer.

Updated May 12, 2023: If you're a fan of blood-pumping action (and still have a Netflix subscription), you'll be happy to know that this article has been updated with additional content by Amanda Minchin.

This version of Dawn of the Dead film follows a ragtag group of survivors who take refuge in a mall. Snyder is known for his intense action scenes and use of visual effects, and he did not disappoint here. The crew even resorted to using plastic sheeting during filming as they were constantly in the splash zone.

This new, iconic take on zombies is effortless in all the right ways. Few films outside of Shaun of the Dead had portrayed zombies as funny before this premiered in 2009. This version, however, is all-American to its core, from the amusement parks to the Twinkies.

Valley of the Dead, also known as Malnazidos, is set during the Spanish Civil War in 1938. The story chases two opposing platoons who join forces in order to survive an intense onslaught of the undead following a nefarious Nazi experiment. Now the warring sides must unite to protect the civilians of their country despite their own inner turmoil and hate, all while the zombies leave blood and gore in their terrifying wake. The adrenaline-pumping Spanish picture is an adaptation of Manuel Martn Ferreras' novel Noche de Difuntos del 38, and, needless to say, it's a fun and unique take on the ever-popular zombie genre.

The film had its worldwide premiere at the Sitges Film Festival, where it earned positive reviews for its impressive production design, sharp humor, and sensational action sequences. Valley of the Dead has also been nominated for two of Spain's prestigious Goya Awards.

The Outback serves as the unusually haunting backdrop to a zombie outbreak in this Australian horror film, which takes a restrained, character-driven approach to the apocalypse. Cargo follows Andy (Martin Freeman), who must navigate the dangerous new normal of Australia's zombie-infested interior alongside his wife and infant daughter.

This post-apocalyptic horror drama film from Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke was based on their 2013 short film of the same name. It received positive reviews from critics and was praised by all for its emotional depth and Freeman's performance, though some argue the project is a nod to the 2009 film The Road, starring Viggo Mortensen.

While the rest of the cast is equally star-studded, and the compelling visuals of zombie hordes overtaking whole swaths of land are truly stunning, this film suffers from trying to fit too much into a short time frame. It is, however, a good resource for those wanting to crack open the book. We recommend watching the film for reference first before diving right in.

Robin Aubert directed the critically-acclaimed French-language horror knockout Ravenous, which is also known as Les Affams. The story centers around the inhabitants of a remote, rural town in Quebec as they are plagued by the flesh-craving undead. Their hopes of finding salvation and safety are swiftly dashed when they realize there is no place left to go to escape the vicious horde. Aubert drew inspiration for the look and feel of the film from fellow auteurs Andrei Tarkovsky and Robert Bresson. His version of zombies features the creatures being mindful enough to have a religion in which they are able to assemble altars of worship.

Ravenous debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it nabbed the award for Best Canadian Film. It also went on to receive a whopping five Canadian Screen Awards. Variety praised the gripping flick in a glowing review, writing, "Robin Aubert's idiosyncratic and nuanced drama breathes fresh life into the zombie apocalypse subgenre."

The recent zombie film out of South Korea revolves around a video game live streamer's struggle for survival as he is forced to stay alone at his Seoul apartment during a zombie apocalypse. As the grisly virus takes hold of the city, the streamer remains locked in his apartment, cut off from the world, but with a dogged will to survive nonetheless.

#Alive, also known as #Saraitda, premiered on Netflix in September 2020. It achieved global first place on the platform just two days later, going on to top the Netflix daily chart in 35 countries. It ultimately became the first Korean film to top the Netflix Movies Worldwide chart.

The mysterious illness caught by some of the characters is ultimately revealed as men formerly lost at sea returning to take possession of Dakar's inhabitants on the Atlantic coast. Some may argue Atlantics isn't strictly a zombie film; however, director Mati Diop does offer a mysterious examination of the unquiet dead that more than secures it a spot on this list.

The trailblazing action horror extravaganza Resident Evil famously follows the butt-kicking heroine Alice as she takes on both the ruthless undead and the malevolent Umbrella Corporation in a battle to save humanity. This 2002 flick launched a lucrative and enduring film franchise. Loosely adapted from the popular video game series of the same name, Resident Evil stars the stellar Milla Jovovich as notorious zombie assassin Alice, who awakens with no memory of who she is and how she became stuck in a mysterious underground facility brimming with flesh-eating monsters.

The mass appeal and success of Resident Evil went on to spawn five additional films centering on Alice's quest to eliminate Umbrella Corp. The series has grossed over $1.2 billion and amassed a passionate fan following that has only added to its longevity, both as a game and as a film franchise that truly re-creates the gaming experience for viewers.

Zack Snyder delivered one of the great modern zombie movies in 2004 with his Dawn of the Dead remake, and his grand return to zombie horror is scaled suitably to size. Army of the Dead, starring Dave Bautista, turns Vegas into a hive of undead depravity. The opening credits sequence (a Snyder specialty) presents this takeover in a series of slow-motion tableaux that easily sets up a promising franchise.

Critics praised the humor in the film, which became one of the most-watched originals on Netflix with an estimated 75 million viewers. The film spawned the prequel Army of Thieves, the upcoming anime series Lost Vegas and a direct sequel titled Planet of the Dead, which is currently in stop-and-go development.

It took a while for audiences to catch up with this one, but like fine wine, Dead & Buried only gets better with age. Set in a quaint, coastal town confronted with one grisly murder after the other, Sherriff Dan Gillis (James Farentino) discovers that the town coroner (Jack Albertson) has been pulling the strings all along. As the body count rises, the coroner adds more ammo to his zombie arsenal. The question here is, can one man take down a whole town of zombies?Watch on Peacock

Part zombie movie, part socio-political statement, David Freyne offers a fresh take on zombiism by calling it the Maze Virus. Set in the aftermath of the outbreak, humanity attempts to rebuild itself and even administers a vaccine that works on 75% of the infected population. Naturally, this creates a further division between the uninfected, cured, and the infected, which makes for some uncomfortable dynamics. In a wake of uncertainty, underground resistance groups begin to form, triggering governmental intervention. A bit slower than your average zombie horror, this is a thought-provoking picture flanked with violence and gore.Watch on AMC+

One of the more inventive and reflective works of zombie horror in recent memory, The Girl With All the Gifts sets a very high bar of what is possible in the well-tread genre. It all centers on young Melanie, played with an incredible sense of maturity by first-time actor Sennia Nanua in her feature debut. Held in an underground facility, she is taught while being restrained to a chair. The reason for all this is that Melanie is one of many children who have been infected with a zombie virus where they are still able to cling to some sense of consciousness while hungering for human flesh. When things go wrong, she tries to escape with her kind teacher Helen (Gemma Arterton) and a group of remaining survivors into what is left of the world. Based on the novel of the same name by Mike Carey, the film finds new heights with an eerie yet all-encompassing score by Cristobal Tapia de Veer that takes us deeper into its world. It is a film that gets at more fundamental questions of what it means to be human and whether the world is even ours to save, arriving at a destination as stunning as any such work can be. - Chase HutchinsonWatch on Tubi

There have been many movies and TV shows this year that feel eerily timely and relevant in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic. But, as the world tries to create and enjoy pop culture while a deadly virus devastates the globe, no other genre feels as readily made for this particular moment in history as the zombie genre.

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