10 Genius Ways Zombie Movies Broke All The Rules
These zombie movies changed the game in spectacular ways nobody was expecting.
You've seen one zombie movie, you've seen them all, right?
Some sort of disease or mysterious force transforms ordinary people into vicious, flesh-eating monsters. A group of unlikely survivors band together to fend off the creatures, possibly whilst searching for a cure or just trying to adapt to this new world.
They find somewhere safe to call home, form bonds, fall in love, make enemies, and turn to the dark side, all against the backdrop of the world falling to pieces. As horror movie formulas go, this is one of the safest. That is, until, it isn't.
Like with all movie tropes, there is fun to be had in changing things up. The same is true of zombie flicks, as filmmakers have clamoured for years to make their own mark on the long-established genre. Sometimes, this leads to absolute disaster, but on certain occasions, the innovations actually work.
These ten films took one look at the zombie rulebook and went "nah", changing up the traditional settings, character dynamics, and even the makeup of the creatures themselves.
Messing with such an famous format was a big risk, but this lot made it work.
10. Zombie Comedy - King Of The Zombies
On paper, there really isn't much humour in reanimated corpses rampaging through the streets and devouring people with reckless bloodlust, but in 1941, somebody found a way.
That somebody was director Jean Yarbrough, who brought the world King of the Zombies, regarded by many as the very first zombie comedy. A "Zom Com", if you will.
The plot revolves around the survivors of a plane crash, who take refuge in a secluded mansion owned by a mysterious doctor and his wife. There, they discover that the doctor has been experimenting with zombie rituals, and it's up to this plucky group of heroes to save the day. Sounds hilarious, right?
In reality, the film is skewed towards comedy way more than it is towards spooks, and Yarbrough finds ways to make the walking cadavers funny. Contemporary audiences got a kick out of it and the movie was even nominated for an Oscar for Best Music.
Today, zombie comedies aren't too rare, with Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland being the obvious examples. Just don't expect to see anyone practicing their cardio if you go back and watch this mould-breaker.