10 More Apocalypse Horrors That Broke All The Rules

Canadian horror Pontypool offers up one of the most creative and wildly unexpected riffs on the zombie movie ever, given that the focal infection spreads not through bites but the English language itself.

The central characters are forced to avoid using certain words in English to stay alive, ensuring that Pontypool is quite literally a zombie film like no other, and one whose ferocious intelligence carries all the way through.

In the wrong hands it's clear that such a neat concept could've fallen flat and failed to sustain a feature-length runtime, yet the smart writing, sharp direction, and strong performances - especially from the ever-great Stephen McHattie - ensure this remains tense and delightfully weird all the way to the end.

It'll certainly be a bit too out-there for some audiences, but adventurous viewers prepared to do the mental leg-work will love it.