I’ve watched a lot of zombie stories and some were very horrifying and loud, some were very quiet, and some of them were totally weird. So I carefully chose the top 10 zombie movies/series that, for me, are worth watching. I’ll tell you why I like them, and as we go I’ll give a quick synopsis so you know what I’m talking about.
10. Cargo
(image source: Netflix)
This one is slow and sad in the best way. After a bite puts a timer on a father’s life, he carries his baby across the Australian outback, trying to find someone who can keep her safe before he turns. I like how quiet it is and how the “monster” problem becomes a parent problem. I mostly praised its emotion and Martin Freeman’s performance, and recent write-ups still recommend it when you want something heartfelt, not just loud.
9. Shaun of the Dead
(image source: IMDB)
This is my comfort pick. It jokes about zombies without disrespecting them, and the heart sneaks up on you. A regular guy tries to fix his life the same day the dead get up, and somehow the pub becomes the plan. Critics still praise how it balances real scares with great comedy, and fans online treat it like a perfect little machine. I smile every time I revisit it.
8. Z World War
(image source:IMDB)
I enjoy the scale here: planes, walls, labs, everything moves quickly, and I like the problem-solving angle. The movie follows a former UN investigator racing around the world to find a way to slow or hide humans from the infected. Some people say it’s too clean; others say it’s a blast if you take it as a big disaster thriller. As for a sequel, it’s been on and off for years; in 2025 there were fresh “maybe” signals, but until cameras roll, I’m treating it as wishful thinking.
7. Zombieland
(image source: IMDB)
When I want laughs to watch a movie with bloodshed, I pick Zombieland. A shy guy with a rulebook teams up with three misfits, and together they road-trip through a ruined America chasing snacks, safety, and some kind of family. It’s clever, fast, and still rewatchable. Fans online keep calling it near-perfect comedy-horror with an all-timer cameo. I won’t argue.
6. 28 Days Later
(image source: Fandom)
The first time I watched that empty London sequence, I felt the air change. A man wakes up to find the “Rage” infection has torn through Britain; he finds a few survivors and has to decide what’s left of humanity. I love the mood, the speed of the infected, and the way silence becomes scary. As a bonus, 2025 brought a new sequel, 28 Years Later, which critics have praised for bringing back the intensity and expanding the world. So if you start here, you can keep going.
5 Zombie Night 
(image source: Rotten Tomatoes)
I have a soft spot for this scrappy TV movie. One bad night, slow walkers rise, neighbors panic, and everything falls apart in small, human ways. It’s rough around the edges, but I like the old-school shamblers and the midnight-movie vibe. Critics weren’t impressed back then, yet you’ll find retro takes defending the “grave-crawler” style and honestly, that’s the charm for me too.
4. Kingdom (series)
This movie is set in 17th-century Korea, this follows Crown Prince Lee Chang as a strange illness around the king explodes into a fast, terrifying plague. I like it because it mixes palace politics with real survival fear. Day feels like a countdown and night is a nightmare. It’s tight because it has only two seasons + the Ashin of the North special, looks gorgeous, and moves with purpose; whenever it slows, it’s to reveal something clever or awful about how the infection works. Fans and critics both rate it highly, and I agree that it’s one of the few shows that horror lovers and drama fans can enjoy together.
3. I Am Legend
(Image source: Netflix)
I honestly rewatched this movie and I didn’t do it for zombies or the story only, I did it for the loneliness as well. The idea is simple. A lone scientist in an empty New York tries to survive, find a cure, and not lose his mind. Will Smith follows a typical routine, he sets up the traps, does testing with zombie blood, and he talks with mannequins. The good thing is that the movie is getting a sequel: updates keep popping up with Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan attached and the team saying it’ll lean closer to the book’s ideas; no firm date yet, but the chatter is real. I’m hopeful because the world still has room for a thoughtful follow-up.
2. Train to Busan
(image source: IMDB)
This one surprised me. The movie really does well to keep the audience hooked. The story is about a father and daughter boarding a train just as a zombie outbreak begins, and each stop becomes a new test of your love, it makes it hard to choose who you’ll protect and what you’ll risk. It’s tight, fast, and emotional. Most people online agree it’s one of the best modern zombie films with tense set pieces, strong characters, and a finale that hits you in the chest.
1. Resident Evil Movie Franchise
(image source: IMDB)
I grew up on this franchise, so even though the series gets messy, I still have fun with it. The setup across its movies is simple but addictive. It’s about a shady corporation named Umbrella messes with bio-weapons, the virus leaks, and we follow survivors, especially Alice through labs, cities, and wastelands, trying to shut it all down. I like the energy, the creature ideas, and the wild action. The so-called critics were never kind, but the series became a billion-dollar hit and the most successful live-action game adaptation for years, which says a lot about how fans embraced it. However, the normal people like me seem to have different takes on it. The conversation on the internet is always split: some praise the style and Milla Jovovich’s lead turn, others complain it drifts from the games. I’m somewhere in the middle.
Final Thoughts
I like this genre in every mood: big city chaos, one-location survival, silly-but-smart comedy, and quiet heartbreak. If you’re just starting from my list, I’d say go with Train to Busan for feels, 28 Days Later for mood and speed, Zombieland for laughs, and World War Z for scale. Then save Cargo for a late night when you’re okay with something gentle and heavy at the same time. And yes, I’m still watching the I Am Legend 2 news like everyone else. If I missed your favorite, tell me. I’m always down for another weird, loud, or quiet night with zombies.