As we get closer to seeing 28 Years Later on a big screen, I find myself with zombies on the brain. We have many classics, like Night of the Living Dead, Sugar Hill (1974), and Night of the Comet. This is why when 28 Days Later dropped in 2002 and claimed a spot on the list alongside the greats, it was cause to celebrate. Since the film and its sequel (28 Weeks Later) debuted, the zombie subgenre has been very much alive. We were spoiled in the 2010s with films like The Girl with All the Gifts, Blood Quantum, and Train to Busan. That energy carried over into 2020 when#Alive became the zombie film that understood the pandemic assignment. The genre is still trendy today. So, I thought it would be fun to see what the current landscape looks like for the undead.
I volunteered, as tribute, to watch or rewatch some zombie films that came out in the last calendar year. After all, don’t we want to see where the subgenre is currently at before the 28 ___ Later series returns to shake it up again? Check out these five recent-ish releases as you get ready to return to one of our most beloved zombie franchises.
Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End (dir. Carles Torrens)
Where You Can Watch: Prime Video
After a disease ravages his city, a man who has been self-isolating must travel to safety with his cat. Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End is like zombie comfort food. It, at times, feels like a bunch of movies we love stitched together like the greatest hits of the undead collection. However, it is hard to be mad because it’s still entertaining. Is that because of the cute scene-stealing cat sidekick? Or the fact that I will always make time for a Spanish zombie movie? I don’t know, but I’m going on this wild ride again. I am also giving it bonus points because it somehow managed to leave me wanting more. It’s the perfect experience because you can watch something new without truly leaving the rivers and the lakes you’re used to.
Die Alone (dir. Lowell Dean)
Where You Can Watch: Prime Video and Tubi
A young man with amnesia joins forces with a survivalist to find his girlfriend during a zombie outbreak. I am confused as to how a horror movie with Carrie-Anne Moss managed to get by me in 2024. However, I am making up for lost time now and am here to tell you that Die Alone is a moment. I thought I had this movie figured out and was so smug that I almost missed what it was actually doing. Is it another emotional zombie film? Yeah. Does it manage to still give a couple of thrills while trying to make you have feelings? Most definitely. This is nowhere near the most cloying romantic zombie situation (is rom-zom a thing?) I’ve ever seen. It’s actually a surprisingly engaging Canadian horror thriller that I’m happy to have stumbled across in my streaming adventures.
Outside (dir. Carlo Ledesma)
Where You Can Watch: Netflix
A family hiding from a zombie apocalypse at an isolated farm begins crumbling under the weight of their long-buried secrets. This Filipino horror movie is over two hours long. However, it’s so messy that I felt compelled to stick it out. The zombies we see are menacing and vicious, but the betrayals and the arguments are what really had my attention. It was like great daytime TV with zombie interruptions. There were also great performances, wicked SFX makeup, and some very high stakes in addition to the drama. For all those reasons and so many more, I found this to be one of the best movies to hit Netflix last year. Outside is also possibly one of my favorite zombie films I’ve seen within the last five years. I can’t recommend this hidden gem enough if you’re looking for a movie to sink your teeth into tonight.
Handling the Undead (dir. Thea Hvistendahl)
Where You Can Watch: Hulu
The dead awaken one hot summer day and return to their families in Oslo. Their loved ones assume this is a miracle, but soon realize it is more of a nightmare. This Norwegian zombie drama, based on John Ajvide Lindqvist’s novel of the same name, won a lot of people over last year. Lindqvist and Thea Hvistendahl’s script is sad, moody, and a severe departure from the mayhem many of us have come to expect from this subgenre. However, Handling the Undead made a lot of people cry, so it is doing something right. If you are looking for a well-made slow jam to cry to, this might be your best option on this list.
Uncontained (dir. Morley Nelson)
Where You Can Watch: Screambox
A drifter protects two abandoned kids as an infection that turns people feral rages around them. This ice-cold zombie flick seemingly fell out of nowhere this year. It has a lot of heart to complement the blood and violence, so there’s something here for most zombie enthusiasts. The movie has a couple of shocking reveals that lead to some interesting complications. I refuse to spoil those because those are the moments I leaned in for. While this is Morley Nelson’s first time helming a feature-length project, he is no stranger to the world of zombies. He co-wrote the game The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct, so he knows a thing or two about the undead. He’s also pulling double duty in Uncontained as he is the lead actor.
These are just five of the most recent zombie films that are currently streaming. We still have Queens of the Dead and We Bury the Dead on the horizon. Not to mention my favorite one from 2024, MadS, which is still criminally underseen. So, it seems the undead are still trending, and that is one thing this year has going for it.
28 Years Later shuffles into theaters on June 20, 2025.
Are you also ingesting an unhealthy amount of zombie films in preparation for 28 Years Later? Then we should trade recs on Bluesky!
Categorized:Streaming Guides
