10 Exact Moments That Changed The Horror Movie Genre Forever

3. Night Of The Living Dead -

George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead shook up the horror industry upon being released in 1968. In a movie littered with stunning moments of dread, though, one particular part that signified a change in the genre was the opening act where brother and sister duo Johnny and Barbara are attacked by zombies as they visit their father’s gravesite.

That moment where Barbara runs out of the graveyard is hugely significant both in a narrative and very real sense. Narrative-wise, of course, it saw Barbara running for her life and eventually taking residence in a nearby farmhouse for the rest of the movie.

In real life, the significance of this moment was in the visual representation shown by Romero’s keen eye. The opening sequence in the graveyard was full of the sort of gothic charm and erratic behaviour that was so synonymous with what the horror genre had been famous for – channelling the feel and tone of a classic Universal monster movie or even a crazed Hammer Horror offering – and the character of Barbara leaves this behind as she runs to pastures new.

From there, Night of the Living Dead changed the horror game in a way not seen since Alfred Hitchcock in his pomp. Not camp, not delivered with a nod and a wink, and not overly reliant on a classic “ye olde” setting. Romero’s film was serious, was brimming with genuine terror, touched on the impact of the Vietnam War, and even looked to break down racial barriers by featuring Duane Jones as one of its two leads.

Not only did this '68 classic usher in the zombie subgenre of horror, it also shocked audiences by showing that there isn't always a happy ending waiting at the end of such films.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.