While fiction around zombies existed in the 1930s and 1940s, it wasn't until 1968 that the monster originating in Haitian folklore entered the mainstream thanks to George Romero's Night of the Living Dead. Since then, on-screen zombies have evolved and how. From films to shows and a Morgan-Freeman-led documentary—here are five titles that will turn up the thrill factor on your next binge session.
Z Nation (2014)
Z Nation follows a small band of survivors who journey across America to ensure the survival of Murphy—the man who carries antibodies to reverse the zombie apocalypse with the hopes of a vaccine. While doing so, they must battle hordes of zombies, zombie-infested tornados, gangs, starvation, and those out there that want to whisk Murphy away to secret labs with sinister agendas.
Streaming on Netflix
Black Summer (2019)
Z Nation's prequel and a Netflix Original, Black Summer follows an ever-changing assortment of survivors in the early days of Z Nation's zombie apocalypse. A lot darker than Z Nation, Black Summer has been created by Karl Schaefer and John Hyams—and is brutal and gory in its depiction of survival. A complete antithesis to Z Nation, there isn't a moment to lose; Black Summer is all about lost hope, despair, the cruel will to survive, and things it can make you do.
Streaming on Netflix
Exit Humanity: A Zombie Saga (2011)
Set in the decade after the American Civil War, this film is a narration of the fictional journal of Edward Young (Mark Gibson) as he fights his way through a puzzling explosion of the walking dead. As Edward finds his wife horrifically re-animated, he starts to document his experiences as he looks for his missing son. In a world robbed of its humanity, watch as Edward struggles to keep his humanity alive.
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
Savageland (2015)
If you like the found-footage theme of The Blair Witch Project, you will love Savageland. The plot is set in a small Arizona-Mexico border town. One night, the complete population of 57 disappears overnight with nothing but blood trails that lead into the desert. Found covered in the blood is a love survivor, an illegal immigrant, who is instantly taking into custody, given the racial paranoia evident in America. Eventually, compelling evidence emerges showing what truly passed through the town that night and how the danger may not just be over.
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman (2014)
It is a nightmare that has shadowed us for centuries: swarms of human beings mutated into mindless, anthropophagous monsters. But, could this civilisation-ending horror ever become reality? Scientists have identified pathogens that turn insects into the walking dead, and new viruses attack humans every day. Neuroscientists are discovering how easy it is for us to lose conscious control of our bodies. Are we at risk of becoming puppets? Find out!
Streaming on Discovery+
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