Zombie films have continued to dominate the horror space, but there are a few classic films within the early decades of the subgenre that are more underrated than others. Zombie films as they are known today have been largely influenced by the work of George Romero, most notably with Night of the Living Dead. As a result, many filmmakers have used Romero's characterization of zombies to inform their films, which can be seen in Jorge Grau's Let Sleeping Corpses Lie and Lucio Fulci's Zombi 2.

Most terrifying zombies seen in modern films show the creatures coming to be through the means of radiation or diseases. However, the idea of zombies originates from Haitian folklore which explains the reanimation of dead bodies through means of witchcraft. Several examples of zombie films from decades ago entertain this version of zombies, while others, like Cemetery Man, have depictions closer to what audiences see today.

10 Zombi 2 (1979)

An Unofficial Sequel To Dawn Of The Dead

George Romero's Night of the Living Dead series has been widely influential on the zombie subgenre, prompting some inevitable imitators. One of the most memorable "rip-offs" comes from Italian filmmaker Lucio Fulci. Inspired by Romero's work, Fulci made Zombi 2 — a sequel to the Italian cut of Romero's Dawn of the Dead.

Zombi 2, also known as Zombie Flesh Eaters or simply Zombie, doesn't follow up on the exact events of Dawn of the Dead. Instead, Zombi 2 takes place on a Caribbean island cursed by zombies brought back from the dead through magic. Zombi 2's most glaring weakness is its narrative

The film's story regularly takes a backseat to its unapologetic display of violence and gore. However, while the film's story isn't great, Zombi 2's technical aspects are surprisingly decent. Combined with an eerie score by Fabio Frizzi and strong special effects, the creative ways in which Zombi 2 is shot truly advance its otherwise generic horror elements.

9 White Zombie (1932)

The First Entry Into The Zombie Subgenre

Recognized as being the first feature-length zombie film, White Zombie helped establish the formula for films in the subgenre before they became what audiences know them as today. The term "zombie" originates from Haitian folklore, in which it's explained as a dead body being brought back to life through magic.

White Zombie helped establish the formula for films in the subgenre before they became what audiences know them as today.

Such a concept is explored in White Zombie, which follows a woman's transformation into a zombie at the hands of the master "Murder" Legendre (Bela Lugosi). Madeleine Short (Madge Bellamy), Legendre's victim, doesn't have an appetite for brains, nor is she determined to turn other people into zombies like her.

Instead, Madeleine is put in a sort of trance and must follow her master's orders. This characterization of zombies isn't as exciting, but can still work in an action-packed, heart-racing horror film. That, however, isn't necessarily the case with White Zombie. Though many can appreciate the film's importance in the zombie subgenre, White Zombie is still heavily criticized for its stiff acting and weak story.

8 Wild Zero (1999)

A Rock Trio Team Up With A Fan To Defeat Zombies

Japan, similar to Italy, is known for creating truly terrifying horror films that make an impact on audiences worldwide. However, one of the Japanese horror films that's gone under the radar is the comedy horror zombie film Wild Zero.

Directed by Tetsuro Takeuchi, Wild Zero follows Ace (Masashi Endō), a massive fan of the rock group Guitar Wolf (portrayed in the film by the real-life ). Ace eventually finds himself teaming up with Guitar Wolf to defeat a group of aggressive zombies. Wild Zero isn't as intense as other classic zombie films, but it is guaranteed to entertain.

Wild Zero has a Rotten Tomatoes critics' score of 100%.

The film has a decent amount of lighthearted humor and punchy action scenes, and the characters are easy to become invested in. Ace is a relatable character audiences can picture themselves as, which adds to the charm of the film.

7 The Plague Of The Zombies (1966)

Explores Zombies' Original Conception

Coming from the British film production company Hammer Film Productions, known for their gothic horror and fantasy films around the '60s, The Plague of the Zombies explores the concept of Haitian Vodou rituals. The Plague of the Zombies was inspired by the inclusion of Haitian Vodou in the film White Zombie, which set the precedent for how zombie stories were presented in films for a few years.

When townspeople of an 1860 Cornish village begin to die, the cause is initially assumed to be a plague of some sort. However, it's quickly discovered that one person is the mastermind behind all of it. The Plague of the Zombies doesn't have as much action or allure as many of the zombie films that would follow, but it's still beautifully filmed, well-acted, and has a general unsettling atmosphere horror fans can appreciate.

6 Dead & Buried (1981)

Strong Special Effects Make For A Genuine Scare

Marketed as a film by "the creators of Alien," Dead & Buried wasn't able to perform well at the box office. Though the film has since earned a cult following, it's still largely underrated within the broader horror genre. The zombie film follows the sheriff of a small town, Dan Gillis (James Farentino), who investigates a series of murders that lead to the dead coming back to life.

Fans of bloody, shocking horror films would be delighted to learn that Dead & Buried is wonderfully gruesome. Award-winning makeup effects artist Stan Winston is in charge of the special effects in the film and has earned great levels of praise for his work.

Still, there is an intriguing mystery throughout the film that elevates Dead & Buried and saves it from being a nonsensical bloodbath for its 90-minute runtime. Dead & Buried's suspense gradually builds as the sheriff gets closer to the truth, which helps keep audiences engaged and playing along.

5 The Serpent And The Rainbow (1988)

An Anthropologist Uncovers Haitian Vodou

Wes Craven is a prominent figure in the horror genre, but there are, of course, certain entries in his filmography that are discussed more than others. One of the underrated films by Craven is The Serpent and the Rainbow. Based on real events detailed by anthropologist Wade Davis in his non-fiction book of the same name, The Serpent and the Rainbow follows anthropologist Dennis Alan (Bill Pullman) as he travels to Haiti.

While in Haiti, Dennis learns about a drug used in Haitian Vodou as a way to create zombies. The Serpent and the Rainbow draws on the origins of the word "zombie," and does so with a respectable amount of care.

The film takes its time to explore Haitian Vodou as a religious practice and doesn't merely add it into the film without thought. Additionally, The Serpent and the Rainbow has some impressive set pieces and visuals that strengthen the film's chilling atmosphere.

4 Cemetery Man (1994)

A Cemetery Caretaker Defeats Zombies

Italian filmmaker Michele Soavi is behind a few underrated horror films, such as Stage Fright and Cemetery Man. The latter is a zombie film that follows its protagonist, cemetery caretaker sco Dellamorte (Rupert Everett), as he comes up with a way to prevent the dead from rising out of their graves.

Cemetery Man is based on Tiziano Sclavi's novel Dellamorte Dellamore, the original title of Soavi's film, and has a similar dark tone that mixes with a generous amount of dark humor. ittedly, the narrative of the film does become quite repetitive at times and isn't the most logical.

Still, there are some interesting ideas being dissected in Cemetery Man, including existential dread and isolation, that make it worth the watch. At the center of these themes is known outcast sco. Everett has a strong hold on his character, which makes his spin into madness all the more believable and compelling to audiences.

3 Shivers (1975)

Combines Horror And Eroticism

Largely in part to George Romero's Night of the Living Dead, many zombie films combine bloody horror elements with social commentary. One of the more underrated examples of this is Shivers. Directed by the pioneer of body horror, David Cronenberg, Shivers tells the story of a parasite taking over and turning infected individuals into violent sex fiends.

Shivers isn't Cronenberg's best film, but it blends horror with sharp social commentary just as many of his future films would continue to do, making it a must-watch for anyone who's only begun to explore his filmography with popular releases like The Fly and Videodrome.

The way horror and sex are fused in Shivers results in some truly disturbing moments that broke social boundaries at the time and took audiences by surprise. There is also a decent amount of dark humor throughout the film that prevents it from being too heavy of a watch. Though other zombie films have topped Shivers in of shock value and excessive violence and sex on screen, it remains a notable entry in the horror subgenre.

2 Deathdream (1974)

A Previously Dead Soldier Returns Home

Overshadowed by his slasher Black Christmas and his comedy-horror hybrid Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things, is Bob Clark's Deathdream. Inspired by W. W. Jacobs' short story, "The Monkey's Paw," Deathdream (also known as Dead of Night) follows the return of American soldier Andy Brooks (Richard Backus) after it's assumed he was killed in the Vietnam War.

Suspense gradually builds into a gripping third act, but while there are certainly several horror aspects throughout the film, Deathdream also functions as a family drama. The Brooks family is divided as Andy's parents feel differently about their son's strange, zombie-like behavior.

John Marley, playing Andy's father, Charles, delivers a moving performance as a father torn between the delight of his son's return and the guilt he feels about knowing of his deadly actions. Lynn Carlin, as Andy's mother Christine, also has a strong presence on screen and delivers a poignant final statement that encapsulates Deathdream's Vietnam War allegory.

1 Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (1974)

A Group Of Zombies Takes Over A Town

Earning some unavoidable comparisons to Night of the Living Dead, Spanish director Jorge Grau's Let Sleeping Corpses Lie still manages to stand apart from other zombie films. Let Sleeping Corpses Lie follows two individuals wrongly accused of murder. It turns out zombies have been behind the kills the whole time.

The scenes in which the zombies attack are gruesome and full of suspense.

Compared to some other classic zombie films, Let Sleeping Corpses Lie has a rather low number of zombies roaming the town. Still, the film's ravenous creatures prove to be quite a threat. The scenes in which the zombies attack are gruesome and full of suspense.

Let Sleeping Corpses Lie is just as much of a nail-biter as it is exciting for fans of bloody horror films. Even though Grau's film isn't entirely inventive, it was still among the most chilling and effective Spanish horror films during the time of its release and is deserving of more recognition.