Top 20 Worst Zombie Movies Ever
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 Worst Zombie Movies. For this list, we’ll be looking at the silliest and most critically maligned zombie films ever made. Have you seen any of these? If so, what did you think? Let us know in the comments below!
#20: “Night of the Living Dead 3D” (2006)
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The 1990 remake of George A. Romero’s legendary classic was surprisingly enjoyable. This is a travesty. Romero’s original has long fallen into the public domain owing to a critical copyrighting mistake, meaning anyone can show or recreate the film without legal penalty. Unfortunately, that has resulted in director Jeff Broadstreet’s “Night of the Living Dead 3D.” The movie is a resounding failure on every level, featuring high school theater-grade performances, cheap production values, and a lack of the political undertones that made the original such an intelligent classic. Even the 3D effects stink, and that’s the chief draw of the movie. Put simply, it’s an injustice to Romero’s legacy.
#19: “Zombie Fight Club” (2014)
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We mean, do you really expect masterful cinema from a movie called “Zombie Fight Club?” No, but the premise could make for an entertaining B-movie. This isn’t that. “Zombie Fight Club” is a Taiwanese film released back in 2014, and it concerns human survivors battling against zombies in an elaborate gladiatorial arena. However, that’s a very basic description of the storyline. In truth, “Zombie Fight Club” is a mess of a movie with no true direction, mixing tones and disparate genres like zombie horror and martial arts action. This could have proven a unique combination under the right director, but instead, it's just a nonsensical mess with lots of CGI blood and gore that is entirely unconvincing.
#18: “Rec 3: Genesis” (2012)
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The “Rec” series bears a lot of similarities to “Resident Evil.” Both start off well enough, but they quickly devolve into utter nonsense that betrays the character of the original. The first “Rec” is a modern horror classic, and the second was a decent-enough follow-up. And then came “Rec 3.” This film is nothing like the first two (and not in a good way), switching the genre from horror to action, the tone from serious to comical, and doing away with the found footage concept. It also serves as an unwelcome divergence in the series’ chronology, as Manuela Velasco’s Ángela is entirely absent. This is not “Rec.” This is a tongue-in-cheek horror comedy under the “Rec” brand, and fans would do well to stay clear.
#17: “Automaton Transfusion” (2006)
The concept behind “Automaton Transfusion” is actually pretty interesting, and it carries some potential as a B-movie. In the midst of the Vietnam War, a dejected United States Army attempts to revive the recently dead to use as soldiers. The experiments failed, but they were tried again in the early 2000s. Unsurprisingly, the tests again go horribly wrong, and zombies are unleashed in Grover City. Unfortunately, the movie just can’t overcome its amateurish production values. It’s very obvious that the film was shot for pennies with inexperienced filmmakers, complete with horrible performances and glaring continuity errors. Watching “Automaton Transfusion” is paramount to watching someone’s home movie that was shot on a camcorder.
#16: “Zombie Apocalypse” (2011)
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Yes, this movie is just as lame as its title. A Syfy original, “Zombie Apocalypse” follows a band of survivors attempting to reach zombie-free sanctuary in Catalina. Despite its derivative storyline, “Zombie Apocalypse” actually contains a decent cast, including Ving Rhames and “Orange Is the New Black’s” Taryn Manning. But despite their strong efforts and commanding screen charisma, this is about the blandest zombie movie imaginable. From the unimaginative title to the generic storyline, “Zombie Apocalypse” adds nothing new to the genre and features some cheap special effects that won’t be convincing to anyone. It’s a schlocky made-for-TV movie and nothing more.
#15: “The Dead Don’t Die” (2019)
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This zombie comedy was probably one of the biggest disappointments of the 2010s. It was directed by Jim Jarmusch, a prominent figure in independent cinema, and it features an incredible cast containing the likes of Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Danny Glover, and Steve Buscemi. By all accounts, this could have been the next “Shaun of the Dead.” And while it certainly isn’t an affront to filmmaking, it is immeasurably disappointing. The movie is entirely kept afloat by the strong cast. Aside from their presence, there’s very little to recommend here. The movie is not only completely aimless, but it’s neither funny nor scary. Let’s just say, there’s a reason “The Dead Don’t Die” was ignored despite the marquee names.
#14: “The Quick and the Undead” (2006)
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Western horror is a unique genre combination that is woefully underutilized. Unfortunately, “The Quick and the Undead” does absolutely nothing to generate interest for more movies of its kind. The story takes place in the Western United States, which has been decimated and left barren by a devastating zombie plague. Bounty hunters hired by the American government hunt zombies and prove humanity’s last hope. Despite some fun references to classic Western films and some decent low-budget cinematography, “The Quick and the Undead” is worth staying dead. It’s a cheap movie filled with bad acting and unconvincing production values, including some abysmal sound design.
#13: “Oasis of the Zombies” (1982)
The late ‘70s and early ‘80s were the Golden Age of zombie films, complete with the greatest and most commercially successful output from George A. Romero. And to think, “Oasis of the Zombies” was plopped right in the middle of it. Unfortunately, this movie is less a welcoming oasis than a misleading mirage. It borrows many aspects from popular movies of the time, including zombies and a Nazi-themed treasure hunt ala “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Watching it only reaffirms how talented the makers of those movies are. “Oasis of the Zombies” is a poorly-made mess with few redeeming qualities and hopes of nothing more than cashing in on a craze.
#12: “Teenage Zombies” (1959)
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Just as the ‘70s and ‘80s were the Golden Age of zombie movies, the ‘50s was the Golden Age of B-movies. Many classics (or not-so-classics) were made throughout this period, including the magnificently misunderstood films of Ed Wood. And while “Teenage Zombies” was going for that same sort of aesthetic and tone, it’s missing some type of vital ingredient. It’s not “enjoyably bad” like most of Wood’s films… just bad. No amount of alcohol will make this movie any funnier. Many people involved in the production have admitted its horrible qualities, including actor Chuck Niles, who has called the film “terrible.” It’s not surprising, given the movie’s absolutely abysmal acting and atrocious visual effects.
#11: “The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies” (1964)
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Reportedly produced for just $38,000, this movie is often regarded as one of the worst ever made. And that’s saying something, considering the silly movies so far found on this list. The film is actually quite notable for its interesting cinematography and creative use of color. This is because the movie was co-shot by Vilmos Zsigmond, who would later work on “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and win an Academy Award. But even the movie’s nice visual qualities cannot save it from the atrocious acting and dialogue. This is the very definition of an incompetently-made film, as virtually all aspects of its production - bar maybe the visuals - are amateurish in nature.
#10: “Resident Evil: Afterlife” (2010)
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It’s amazing how far the “Resident Evil” series fell. While certainly not masterpieces, the first three movies were generally enjoyed by fans of the video games. And then came “Afterlife,” which heralded the downfall of the franchise. Not only was the storyline drastically diverging from the video games (and growing increasingly confusing), but the production values were getting worse and worse. The visual effects and acting found throughout “Afterlife” are truly embarrassing, including a grossly miscast Albert Wesker that saw Shawn Roberts doing his best Agent Smith impression. While the “Resident Evil” movies were never critical darlings, “Afterlife” impressed no one.
#9: “Nazis at the Center of the Earth” (2012)
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We’re not sure if the premise behind this movie is brilliant or brilliantly stupid. Researchers working in Antarctica are kidnapped by Nazis and taken to the center of the Earth where they discover a still-living Josef Mengele. They then uncover Mengele’s plot to begin a Fourth Reich using Nazi zombies. It could certainly make for a fun movie enjoyed by a group of inebriated friends, and the inclusion of Jake Busey lends it a degree of authenticity. It’s obviously not to be taken seriously, but “Nazis at the Center of the Earth” is nevertheless a poorly-made and uninteresting film. There are good Naziploitation films out there that mix goofy fun with professional filmmaking, including 2018’s “Overlord.” “Nazis” is just incompetent, and worst of all, boring.
#8: “Zombie Nightmare” (1987)
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We didn’t think you could go wrong with Adam West, but “Zombie Nightmare” proved us wrong. This movie was a disaster from the beginning and suffered an onslaught of production issues. Firstly, the movie is steeped in racism. John Fasano wrote the movie with Black actors in mind, but investors asked him to make them white in order to secure a wider audience. Secondly, the movie proved a nightmare to make. The production crew thought that Fasano was an assistant director and refused to listen to his directions, resulting in a mess of a movie without any sort of cohesion. The lack of direction is plainly evident, and aside from the admittedly great heavy metal soundtrack, there is absolutely nothing to enjoy here.
#7: “Zombie Night” (2003)
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A weird concoction that mixes zombie and vampire tropes, “Zombie Night” is a cheap film coming out of Ontario. The boring and derivative story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by World War III. The war has not only decimated the planet’s population, but the chemicals used throughout have turned the dead into zombies that only come out at night. The film is not only poorly and cheaply made, but it’s filled with countless genre clichés. “Zombie Night” is good for nothing more than playing zombie movie Bingo and appreciating the work and talent that goes into legitimately good genre films.
#6: “Killing Birds” (1988)
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This movie is such a mess that no one even knows who directed it. Most of the credit is given to Aristide Massaccesi, who also produced and shot the movie under a pseudonym. However, the credited director is a newcomer named Claudio Lattanzi, who was allegedly given credit by Massaccesi himself. It doesn’t really matter, but it speaks to the chaotic nature of the movie. Nothing about this film works or comes together to form a cohesive whole. The storyline is bewildering, and it’s not helped by a horrible script filled with laughable dialogue and stupid characters. Add in some dreadful acting, and you’ve got the recipe for a boring and incompetently-made zombie movie.
#5: “Gangs of the Dead” (2006)
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It should be illegal to call a zombie movie “x of the dead,” as it only brings to mind much better and more entertaining zombie movies that were made by a talented director. But that isn’t the movie’s only sin - in the United Kingdom, it was released under the title “48 Weeks Later” to attract fans of “28 Days Later.” The movie’s shady attempt to capitalize on popular zombie movies clearly didn’t work, as no one remembers “Gangs of the Dead.” And for good reason. The movie is both horribly made and offensive, filled with abounding racial stereotypes regarding Los Angeles gang culture and its respective participants. Despite a unique premise, “Gangs of the Dead” squanders all of its potential.
#4: “Return of the Living Dead: Rave to the Grave” (2005)
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The first “Return of the Living Dead” is one of the all-time classic zombie comedies, earning critical acclaim for its humor and distinctive punk soundtrack. As one could probably surmise from its title, “Rave to the Grave” does a great disservice to its legacy. The fifth installment in the series, this one sees a college student inadvertently creating zombies at a rave by distributing zombie pills. It’s all just so silly, and not in that fun B-movie type of way. It’s even worse than most Syfy channel products, filled with incompetent filmmaking, a script plagued by head-shaking dialogue and plot holes, and some of the worst zombie effects ever put to screen.
#3: “Zombie Strippers” (2008)
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Respect must be given to filmmaker Jay Lee. He conducted virtually all aspects of the production, including directing, writing, shooting, and editing. And he even managed to get Freddy Krueger himself, Robert Englund, in the main role. Unfortunately, Englund couldn’t save the movie from itself. The film is intentionally campy and shares many similarities with “Grindhouse” - including a poster bearing a similar retro style. But whereas “Grindhouse” was made by professionals and experienced directors, “Zombie Strippers” utterly collapses from poor execution. It doesn’t have the intelligence or filmmaking prowess to rise above mere shlock, and it falls prey to the same things it’s trying to poke fun at.
#2: “Redneck Zombies” (1987)
Released in 1987, “Redneck Zombies” was one of the first movies released straight to video. That’s about the only interesting thing about it. The story involves the titular rednecks who make alcohol laced with radioactive waste, turning its drinkers into zombies. These zombies then torment a group of city tourists who get lost in the woods while on vacation. Like many films on this list, “Redneck Zombies” aims to be nothing more than B-movie camp but completely fails in its execution. Unlike the best intentional schlock, the movie isn’t funny and it doesn’t seem to have a loving adoration of the genre in question. It’s just cheap and boring.
#1: “House of the Dead” (2003)
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This film has a double whammy of awful that should scare away all prospective viewers. Not only is it based on a video game (which is almost never a good sign), but it was directed by the infamous Uwe Boll. “House of the Dead” was his first video game movie adaptation, and it instantly made Boll one of the most feared names in the industry. The movie was critically maligned by everyone, with nearly all aspects of the production being criticized to some degree. It’s just one of those nightmares of a movie in which absolutely nothing works. It’s the worst zombie movie ever made, and it should be studied by all aspiring filmmakers so we don’t get anything like it again.
