This week, Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead trailer dropped, giving fans a preview into what the director has in store for his second zombie feature film. The trailer guarantees an adrenaline fueled heist during the zombie apocalypse, and it looks like Snyder is not holding back in terms of the action, violence and fun, complete with fast zombies, a dynamic crew and a Las Vegas wasteland. With the film set to release May 21, audiences who eagerly await the movie can turn to these zombie films for now. There are many zombie movies to choose from, so this article will focus on films that seem to be in the vein of Army of the Dead.
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Dawn of the Dead
Probably the best zombie movie to turn to before Army of the Dead is Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead. There is no question that the original film is also a must see, but to prepare for the Netflix movie, the 2004 film is the perfect fix. This movie marked Snyder’s feature debut, and it was written by James Gunn. The two successfully brought their distinct style to Dawn of the Dead, which is a huge accomplishment given the acclaim of the original film. Set during a zombie apocalypse, a group of survivors take up shelter in a shopping mall; however, this proves to only be a temporary sanctuary. The movie delivers on plenty of action and violence while also including moments that show the best and worst of humanity.
Land of the Dead
There are a number of George A. Romero zombie movies to turn to before Army of the Dead; however, in this case, Land of the Dead may be the best to watch prior to Snyder’s next film. Army of the Dead is flipping the script on the zombie genre by giving audiences intelligent zombies, but this is not a first. Land of the Dead focuses some time on the zombie Big Daddy, who regains his intelligence throughout the movie, learning to use weapons and organizing the other zombies for an attack. Big Daddy alone is a compelling character, and it’ll be exciting to see another film push the idea of the intelligent zombie even more. Plus, Land of the Dead explores what life is like well into the apocalypse and features a ragtag team of protagonists, just like Army of the Dead.
Warm Bodies
Probably the most different from what Army of the Dead will be on this list, Warm Bodies is still worth the watch because it also explores zombies reclaiming their intelligence, as well as their emotions. However, instead of an adrenaline pumping horror film, Warm Bodies is an apocalyptic take on Romeo and Juliet. Told primarily from the perspective of the zombie R, the movie sees him fall in love with a person and relearn what it means to be human. Along with this, the movie creates its own rules for the classic monsters, which is always welcomed.
Shaun of the Dead
Another zombie rom-com that is a must see is Shaun of the Dead, which focuses on Shaun trying to win back his girlfriend while figuring out what he wants in life right when the zombie apocalypse begins. Comedy and romance don’t always age well, so it’s truly impressive that over 15 years later this movie does, and it’s also a great zombie film that tugs at the heartstrings one moment while delivering an amazing fight sequence to “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen the next. The cast of characters are painfully human, so seeing them take on the zombie apocalypse is hilarious and oddly a testament to the human spirit. It may not be as high octane and massive as Army of the Dead, but it’s a fun time with characters you can’t help but love.
Zombieland
Zombieland is another spoof of the genre, but instead of making fun of the slow moving zombies of the 20th century, it’s poking fun at the fast moving zombies of the 21st century. The movie, which follows four survivors traveling across America well into the apocalypse, holds nothing back as it makes fun of the genre, but it also delivers on plenty of action, especially once the group end up at an amusement park. It’s a violent thrill ride that tells a solid story about found family, which is hopefully what Army of the Dead does as well.
28 Days Later
Where Zombieland spoofed fast zombies, 28 Days Later is the film that popularized this reimagining of the classic monster. There has been some debate about whether or not the zombies in this 2003 film are technically zombies since they are infected living people, not the undead; however, for the sake of this article, they count. The manic nature of the infected, along with the shameful nature of the military in this film, create an adrenaline filled movie, but it still has wonderful moments of humanity between the core cast, reminding the characters and the audience why it’s important to keep moving forward.
World War Z
Another film to feature the more manic zombie, World War Z was based off the popular book of the same name. While it took many liberties with its adaptation, the film is not afraid to show how devastating a zombie apocalypse can be with its literal waves and walls of zombies, and that massive scale is also apparent in Army of the Dead, which is setting up its own zombie war. The film is also a unique take on the zombie genre, as it actually sets up a solution for the problem, which is not done too often.
Train to Busan
This list would not be complete without Train to Busan. Arguably one of the best zombie movies from the past five years, this film makes the most out of its tight setting, which highlights how quickly the zombie virus can spread while also demonstrating how brilliant the core cast is as they figure out their way through the train cars. The zombies are unhinged and constantly prove to be a threat, which seems to be the case for Army of the Dead as well. However, where this movie truly shines is with the characters, as some of them prove to be heroes as they fight for each other, while others are willing to throw anyone under the bus for their own safety. Plus, Train to Busan has one of the most hardcore, admirable heroes in a zombie film with Ma Dong-seok’s Sang-hwa.
Directed and co-written by Zack Snyder, Army of the Dead stars Dave Bautista, Garret Dillahunt, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Raul Castillo, Tig Notaro, Theo Rossi and Ana de la Reguera. The film will release on Netflix May 21.
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