Is it my imagination, or do you feel the nip in the air too? If you do, you must be waiting for the Halloween season as impatiently as I am. The golden leaves, the pumpkin-spiced lattes, the knee-high boots – what’s not to love? The fall is the best time to revel in the spooky atmosphere of the horror genre. And to prep for that, we have brought you a list of the thirteen best Zombie movies on Hulu.
If you dig scary movies and love the blood and gore quotient in films, you must love watching zombie movies. There is the endorphin rush from getting scared, there are the action sequences from all the mindless violence, and last but not least, there is all of the brain-eating! Oh, and the existential crisis from the dystopian scenarios.
Haha, I must have convinced you enough!
So, keep reading to find out about the best zombie films streaming on Hulu (in no particular order). Also, expect to find fun tidbits you might not have been aware of.
13 of the Best Zombie Movies Streaming on Hulu:
1. The Evil Dead (1981)
- Director: Sam Raimi
- Cast: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss
- IMDb: 7.4/10
About The Evil Dead:
Sam Raimi created this franchise, which has become insanely popular, spewing a few sequels and even video games. A touch of Raimi’s zombie genius can be seen even in his recent Marvel film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
The Evil Dead started with one of the most common plotlines of a group of friends visiting a cabin and supernatural creatures attacking them there. The movie fulfills its quota of violence and gore, delivering some cheeky dialogues. This movie’s practical effects, like an actual chainsaw, real shotguns, etc., make up for whatever it lacks in the special effects department.
Fact Time
The cabin where this movie was shot had a mysterious past. The cabin’s builder had died under mysterious circumstances just one week after building it. The crew had a lot of bad luck while filming the movie.
They were lost in the woods, suffered freak accidents, and sustained injuries. Director Sam Raimi set fire to the cabin after completing his entire shooting. Today there remains only the stone fireplace amongst the burnt ashes of the cabin.
Sam Raimi THE EVIL DEAD Original movie press JAPAN B3 poster 1981 rare https://t.co/f4pU5KTYcG pic.twitter.com/2R4oo0glff
— Evil Dead News (@EvilDeadNews) November 7, 2022
2. The Crazies (2010)
- Director: Breck Eisner
- Cast: Radha Mitchell, Timothy Olyphant
- IMDb: 6.5/10
About The Crazies:
This film is the remake of the 1973 version with better special effects. It falls under the bioterror genre as the plot involves an unknown harmful virus infecting a town. (Hits too close to home, right?) There is a military conspiracy theory thrown into the mix.
Timothy Olyphant is great in his no-nonsense portrayal of a sheriff, and Radha Mitchell also looks the part. While the zombie storyline might remind you of the Netflix series Santa Clarita Diet also starring Timothy Olyphant, this film is handled very differently.
Fact Time
There is a scene in the movie where the character of Olyphant stabs an undead creature with a metal grate. This scene is the exact copy from another movie – Hitman, also starring Olyphant, where he did the same thing to his rival. Also, none of the two American protagonists have real American accents! Mitchell has an Australian, and Olyphant has a British one in real life.
The Crazies (2010) is BY FAR a better Resident Evil movie than any actual attempt at live action Resident Evil adaptation. If you've never heard of it, you should check it out pic.twitter.com/zYFXJmsOFh
— Xavier Mendoza (@GodzillaMendoza) November 15, 2022
3. 28 Days Later (2002)
- Director: Danny Boyle
- Cast: Cillian Murphy, Naomi Harris
- IMDb: 7.5/10
About 28 Days Later:
This modern classic of a zombie genre film is more sci-fi than a horror movie. The main characters try to navigate the post-apocalyptic world in the wake of a rage virus attack that turns people into the walking dead.
The film takes place in the deserted streets of London after a misguided group of do-gooders initiates the spread of the virus. It combines drama and horror with spoonful of adventure and action. This zombie movie works because of the skilled acting, the coherent script, and the gritty feel the camera work gives.
Fact Time
Did you know that if things had worked out differently, this film would have had a darker ending with Cillian Murphy dying? The Naomi Harris character also had a darker backstory in the initial days. She was supposed to have killed her parents after they got infected to save her brother.
28 Days Later (2002): the motorway scene was filmed on one of the busiest stretches of the M1, the UK's main North/South motorway, using a police rolling roadblock. pic.twitter.com/kULLcLTLbh
— Movie Details (@moviedetail) October 4, 2020
4. 28 Weeks Later (2007)
- Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
- Cast: Jeremy Renner, Rose Byrne
- IMDb: 6.9/10
About 28 Weeks Later:
This one is a sequel to the movie above with a slightly extended timeline. Imagine well-intentioned scientists and animal activists starting a dangerous viral apocalypse that starts a zombie attack. The movie begins in a hopeful tone that the virus has run its course and people are going to safe zones. But of course, in a little while, everything goes away.
In the entire course of the film, there is mounting tension. It won’t let your nerves rest. Either the viral zombies get you, or the Government snipers do! You can’t escape.
Fact Time
This movie has a bit of a Dickens connection. The scenes depicting the desolate lanes and streets were styled according to pictures of London streets during World War 2 as well as from descriptions in Dickens’s novels. The scenes at the movie’s end taking place at night were shot in daylight using the ‘day for night’ cinematic technique. It was done to avoid the streetlights at night.
October 26: someone deployed
28 Weeks Later (2007): honestly one of the most underrated sequels of the decade & a damn fine one with a solid cast. Magnificent opening too. Just wish they used Iron Maiden’s “Run to the Hills” for that scene. pic.twitter.com/rd5Im4DkuS
— filmanthropic (@filmanthropica) October 26, 2021
5. Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)
- Director: John McPhail
- Cast: Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming
- IMDb: 6.0/10
About Anna and the Apocalypse:
This zombie flick is a mash-up of a teenage horror plus rom-com genre. Plus, it is a musical! So, if a musical zombie movie is not your thing, steer clear. But in case it is, you would love this Christmas-themed movie.
It takes place in a small Scottish town where there is a teenage zombie outbreak in a secondary school. It is also a kind of social commentary about the fact that the older generations perceive teens as zombies. The film has a goofy charm that works in its favor. Paul Kaye is too good in his role as the power-hungry head.
Fact Time
The scene with the social media featured and #EvacSelfie was a nod to Ash Campbell from the Evil Dead franchise. There is a Mrs. Hintzman who cleans the bowling alley. It is also a nod to Bill Hintzman, who played a zombie Johnny in Night of the Living Dead.
6. Little Monsters (2019)
- Director: Abe Forsythe
- Cast: Lupita Nyongo, Alexander England
- IMDb: 6.3/10
About Little Monsters:
This is one of the zombie movies on Hulu which falls under the sci-fi genre as well as a zombie comedy. It has funny elements like considering a creepy kids’ show host as a different kind of monster besides the obvious zombies.
The entire premise that a teacher takes her class out on an excursion and faces zombies is silly in its way, but the performances save it. The main cast members have good chemistry, and the kids are efficient in their roles. The gore might be a little too in the face considering it is essentially a kids’ movie.
Fact Time
Did you know the son of Director Abe Forsythe appeared in the movie as the school kid zombie? It is also to her son Spike that Forsythe has dedicated the movie. The idea of the film had come to her after visiting her son’s kindergarten school for the first time. Imagine a room full of kids is enough to give you ideas about a horror movie!
7. World War Z (2013)
- Director: Marc Forster
- Cast: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos
- IMDb: 7.0/10
About World War Z:
This is the first zombie movie that Brad Pitt acted in. It is faithfully adapted from Max Brooke’s novel about a zombie apocalypse. It became the highest-grossing zombie movie ever.
A former UN employee and his family race against time as there is a global zombie pandemic. Many other countries like North Korea, Israel, etc. are mentioned. Governments are getting toppled, and armies are getting wiped out left and right. The living dead swarms the streets and there is nowhere to run.
Fact Time
This is the second movie after Twelve Monkeys that Brad Pitt and David Morse have done together in which the central plot is the spread of a killing virus. Pitt had personally chosen to recruit Forster as the director of this movie. Marc Forster had shaped this movie like those conspiracy thrillers of the 70s, like All The President’s Men.
The inciting incident and first day scenes are always my favorite part of apocalypse movies. Zombies, aliens, whatever… show me the end of the world!
I Am Legend, A Quiet Place Part II, World War Z, The Walking Dead… all have great examples. pic.twitter.com/ZdDSPGOmNA
— BD (@BrandonDavisBD) September 26, 2021
8. The Cured (2017)
- Director: David Freyne
- Cast: Elliot Page, Sam Keeley
- IMDb: 5.5/10
About The Cured:
This movie is a part of the dramatic horror genre and is a little different than the classic zombie films. It takes place in a world that is facing the aftermath of a zombie outbreak. A vaccine has been discovered, and the infected have been immunized. But a portion of the population has been resistant to the cure.
There is segregation in society, and the movie symbolizes it by making it a socio-political commentary. Page and Keeley are efficient in their portrayals, but the movie loses its bite (pun intended!) somewhere.
2021 MRST #8 – The Cured (2017): The zombie genre can be hard to make fresh, but this is such an interesting idea. I really dug what they were doing here. Unfortunately, there is so much happening that the movie sloppily fits it in its 90 minute runtime. Still worth checking out. pic.twitter.com/Gx3Wa4iNL4
— MovieRatMike (@MovieRatMike) September 30, 2021
Fact Time
Did you know that the scenes of the movie showing the resistant-to-vaccine people imprisoned were shot in an actual prison? They filmed it in Crumlin Road jail, which is an old Victorian prison in Belfast.
9. The Contracted (2013)
- Director: Eric England
- Cast: Najarra Townsend, Caroline Williams
- IMDb: 5.3/10
About The Contracted:
This independent film has a very dark ending and is bleak overall. It has elements of a conspiracy theory as well as Biblical end-of-the-world references. People have drawn similarities to the Canadian horror movie Thanatomorphose which has a similar plot.
The film dwells on quite uncommon themes like being in denial and the different perceptions of people. Najarra Townsend shines in the titular role, but that is all. The illustrative scenes of bloody maggots falling off the genitalia might be a put-off to some!
Fact Time
The film faced some backlash after it was released because, in the official trailer of the film, a one-night stand was implied. But, in the movie, it was a rape scene committed after administering Rohypnol.
10. ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction (2009)
- Director: Kevin Hamedani
- Cast: Janette Armand, Doug Fahl
- IMDb: 5.0/10
About ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction
The film is set on a small quiet little island – Port Gamble, which suddenly faces an onslaught of zombies. The zombie virus keeps attacking people and eats their human flesh. But then a team of rag-tag rebels tries to fend them off.
This is one of those funny zombie movies on Hulu and does not have the seriousness of Romero-style zombies. But unlike what most people think, this movie is unrelated to the comic series of the same name.
Fact Time
Remember the church scene in the film where the old man was using a Motorola flip phone? Yeah, it was not available in the year the movie was set in. At the end of the film, the marching band that appears is of the local school – North Kitsap Highschool Vikings. The fight song we hear is the real fight song of that school!
11. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
- Director: George A. Romero
- Cast: Judith O’Dea, Tony Todd, Duane Jones, Karl Hardman
- IMDb: 7.8/10
About Night of the Living Dead:
This 1968 movie is one of the classics zombie movies ever. The plot revolves around a group of people trying to survive. A fallen satellite emits radiations that causes the dead to rise from their graves. The few people left try to save themselves by hiding at a farmhouse to survive against zombies.
The movie hit the cinemas on October 1, 1968 and gained a lot of praise and appreciation for its performance. It was a very successful film, and five official sequels were released after its grand success.
Fact Time
However, it is surprising that the word “zombie” is not once used in the movie. The zombies are often referred to as “those things” by the cast in the movie.
12. Train to Busan (2016)
- Director: Sang-ho Yeon
- Cast: Gong Yoo, Yu-Mi Jung
- IMDb: 7.6/10
About Train to Busan:
No list of Zombie movies on Hulu or otherwise will ever be complete if we do not include this masterpiece. This Korean zombie film is an absolute cult classic and if you haven’t watched this horror masterpiece, do it immediately. It is the story of how passengers race against time and death to ensure their survival on a train. They are trying to escape to Busan from Seoul.
Despite facing some criticisms, like its familiarity with World War Z, it has garnered a lot of praise as the best zombie horror movie ever. It has bagged several Buil Film Awards, Fangoria Chainsaw Awards, Korean Association of Film Critics’ Awards, etc.
🔹 TRAIN TO BUSAN
Sang-ho Yeon, 2016
(Busanhaeng)https://t.co/FaBhP9rIlQ pic.twitter.com/WngmTnCfII— MovieGifBot (@MovieGifBot) November 16, 2022
Fact Time
Can you believe that the word ‘zombie’ was uttered only twice throughout a movie that is essentially known to be of the zombie genre? A month after the release of this film, a short prequel was released in an animation showing what happened the day before the fateful day.
The director released a second movie in 2020 called Train to Busan presents: Peninsula but was vehemently against calling it a sequel. But he confirmed that this movie happened in the same universe.
13. Resident Evil
- Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
- Cast: Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, Eric Mabius
- IMDb: 6.6/10
About Resident Evil:
In view of the computer game of a similar name, “Resident Evil” is a nu metal-powered gorefest that figures out how to do a good job for its source material while cutting out its own special storyline. At the point when an infection escapes from a highly classified underground office, a tip-top military team is dispatched to contain the episode.
Tragically, the infection changes the specialists and lab creatures into flesh-hungry zombies. Without a doubt, it’s a piece silly, as numerous pundits brought up. Yet, of the time, that is the precisely exact thing the underhanded, bioweapon-tainted specialist requested. Loaded with thrills, “Inhabitant Evil” is an unquestionable necessity for ghastliness fans.
Fact Time
Once more, truly, watch the main film. Milla Jovovich is never alluded to as “Alice”; you’d just realize her name by remaining and watching the end credits. This was purposeful, as Anderson didn’t maintain that Alice should know who she was in the primary film.
“What I provided her with in the first movie, was like a blank slate,” the director told. “She wakes up in the first movie, she has no memory. She has no concept of who she is and how she feels about things. While you’re watching as an audience member, you’re watching a character being constructed in front of your eyes.”
Trust me; this well-researched list is going to fix your zombie desires and not leave you wanting more! Take a weekend off and indulge in some disgustingly gory flesh-dropping and brain-eating horror binge fest. It refreshes the mind!
I know; we humans are the weirdest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What are the best zombie films on Hulu?
Ans: The best zombie films on Hulu according to IMDb are 28 Weeks Later (2007) and Train to Busan (2016). In the former, the main characters try to navigate the post-apocalyptic world in the wake of a rage virus attack that turns people into the walking dead. The latter is the story of how passengers race against time and death to ensure their survival on a train. They are trying to escape to Busan from Seoul.
Q2: What are the Zombie movies on Netflix?
Ans: The Zombie movies on Netflix are Cargo, Alive, Army of the Dead, Santa Clarita Diet, and Ravenous. From gritty survival dramas to terrifying apocalypse flicks, these movies have got a little bit of everything to satisfy fans.
Q3: What is the new zombie movie in 2022?
Ans: There happen to be no new zombie movies in 2022. However, a groundbreaking series available on Netflix that was launched in 2022 is All of Us are dead. It is a story of a high school that becomes ground zero for a zombie virus outbreak. Trapped students must fight their way out or turn into one of the rabid infected.
