The hotly anticipated second season of HBO’s The Last of Us is here and fans are itching to learn what it has in store for Pedro Pascal’s Joel Miller and Bella Ramsey’s Ellie. Will it mostly stick with them and newcomer cast members Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced, and Catherine O’Hara, or will it have any critically lauded, single episode detours, as was seen in the first season’s “Long, Long Time,” starring Nick Offerman? One thing is certain, Dever’s character, Abby, will be more than a one-off. She was an integral part of 2020’s The Last of Us Part II, and like how that game led to some volatile discourse, so too has the casting of Dever (primarily for the silly reason fans complained about Abby’s casting, which was that the performer didn’t look like the videogame character).
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While fans of the show will have to wait until May 25 (the date of Season 2’s finale) to have all of those questions answered, they can still go back and binge Season 1 to scratch their The Last of Us itch. For that matter, there are any number of zombie movies, both straightforward and comedic, to do the same. Read our review of Season 2 here.
28 Days Later
Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later is one of the best horror movies of the 2000s and, while its sequel, 28 Weeks Later, isn’t quite as solid, it still stands as one of the best horror sequels of all time. Both films are very much watching whether it’s now that The Last of Us is back or later in the year when 28 Years Later finally makes its debut.
28 Days Later captures the viewer’s attention from moment one, with its brilliant elongated opening scene following Cillian Murphy’s Jim as he awakens from a coma and finds the world he knew devastated and empty. From that point on, the tense narrative never lets up, and thanks to the work of Murphy, Naomie Harris, and Brendan Gleeson, it’s hard to call Boyle’s movie anything less than the most well-acted zombie film to ever hit the big screen.
Rent 28 Days Later on Amazon Video.
Dawn of the Dead
Even those mostly unfamiliar with classic horror know that Dawn of the Dead is the one with zombies in a mall. Sure, part of that is because of Zack Snyder’s surprisingly excellent 2004 remake, but it’s mostly because Romero’s film has such an ingenious core concept.
Equally ingenious is the execution. Dawn of the Dead is a movie with a lot on its mind. The early scene at the tenement goes for what the original film went for, a criticism of racism, before swiftly moving over to a razor-sharp indictment of consumerism. As thoughtful as it is, Dawn is equally scary. You grow to love the central quartet of characters so much that, when one of them dies (as two of them do), it’s absolutely devastating.
Rent Dawn of the Dead on Amazon Video.
Day of the Dead
The woefully underrated conclusion to Romero’s Dead Trilogy, Day of the Dead is an unsung masterwork of humanity’s desire to consume itself, even prior to zombification. Specifically, the narrative follows a team of scientists (and a pair of helicopter pilots) as they try to co-exist in a bunker with a team of soldiers as the apocalypse rages above them.
One can feel the increasingly tense nature of the story in every frame. Even if the two groups manage to survive one another (which looks less and less likely), they would still have to contend with an endless number of flesh-eaters afterwards. It’s as smart a concept as the second film’s idea of placing the action in a shopping mall.
Stream Day of the Dead on Peacock.
Dead Alive
An early film from Peter Jackson, Dead Alive (as it’s called in the United States) is one of cinema’s ultimate splatterfests. If you thought The Evil Dead found new ways to dismember folks, know that Dead Alive beats it at its own game and then some.
And, at its core, Dead Alive really is just the story of a timid man whose life (what little of it there is) is fully dominated by his mother. But when she dies (yet stays alive), he feels an even stronger pull to take care of her than ever before.
Night of the Creeps
As lovably retro and breezy as Killer Klowns from Outer Space, but even smarter, Night of the Creeps very much deserves the devoted cult following its accumulated over the years. By serving as an homage to the B-movies of the ’50s, it becomes one of the very best B-movies ever crafted.
What works so well about Night of the Creeps is that it functions on several fronts. On one hand, it’s a coming-of-age film, anchored by a few likable central characters who come across as real people in a cinematic world. On another hand, it’s a movie that blends silliness with practical effects for what amount to funny scares. On a third hand…there’s no better display of Tom Atkins’ talents, not even Halloween III: Season of the Witch.
Rent Night of the Creeps on Amazon Video.
[RELATED: Cult Classic Horror Film Night of the Creeps Finally Arrives on 4K Blu-ray]
Night of the Living Dead
A hugely important and influential horror classic, Night of the Living Dead, Romero’s first chapter in his six-film zombie saga, is arguably still the best of the bunch. Though, as mentioned, both Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead give it a run for its money. And, while entries five and six, Diary of the Dead and Survival of the Dead, respectively, are entirely skippable, even Land of the Dead, the fourth film, has its moments.
It all started here, and with an intensely character-focused approach, it’s a film that works from front to back. This is especially true of its ending, which was and remains one of cinema’s definitive gut-punches (and a thinker at that).
Stream Night of the Living Dead on Max (or for free on Wikipedia, as the film is in the public domain).
Planet Terror
One part body horror movie, one part throwback, and one part zombie film, Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror is undoubtedly the better half of 2007’s Grindhouse. The narrative follows Cherry Darling, a go-go dancer who becomes an action hero once her small town is overrun by the undead.
There are a few winning elements to Planet Terror. For one, Cherry Darling is a fleshed-out character, bolstered heavily by career-best work from Rose McGowan. Two, it’s a movie that knows how to be ludicrous and intense in equal measure. As to the latter element of that dichotomy, just see the subplot involving Marley Shelton’s Dr. Dakota Block and Josh Brolin’s Dr. William Block for proof.
Stream Planet Terror for free with ads on Tubi.
Resident Evil
Like 2021’s Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, Paul W.S. Anderson’s 2002 Resident Evil is a masterpiece of neither the action nor horror genres, but it is still fun in its own right. And now that Barbarian director Zach Cregger has been tapped to reboot the film franchise once more, it’s pretty much a lock that the IP will finally get an adaptation in line with the quality of The Last of Us.
Even if, tonally, the projects couldn’t be more different, Resident Evil is arguably the best movie to watch after you stream the Season 2 debut of The Last of Us. Well, save for, perhaps, the more game-faithful Welcome to Raccoon City. But that film doesn’t have the laser room scene.
Stream Resident Evil on STARZ.
The Return of the Living Dead
Nearly as influential as Romero’s Dead Trilogy, The Return of the Living Dead is a kooky, stylish winner of a horror-comedy. Wearing its love for punk rock on its sleeve, The Return of the Living Dead is a movie that just wants to party.
The film functions as something of a parody of Romero’s first zombie film, even going so far as to directly reference its events. More so, though, it operates as its own goofball entity, with the focus split between the owner and employees of a medical supply warehouse and a group of punk teens as they attempt to fend off the horde of undead chanting the word “Brains.” It’s good fun but, like Night of the Living Dead, it also comes equipped with a wholly unexpected ending.
Stream The Return of the Living Dead on FuboTV.
Shaun of the Dead
If you need something goofy after the seriousness of The Last of Us, Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead is undoubtedly the go-to choice. Yet, while it’s a comedy, it’s also a film that never forgets to focus on building believable, likable characters well worth rooting for.
The film put director Wright and stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost on the map for good reason. When it comes to Wright, even so early in his career he showed he knew how to craft a sublimely paced film. As for the two lead stars, it’s hard to imagine a comedy with better chemistry.
Stream Shaun of the Dead on MGM+.
