Arka Mukhopadhyay
A Karl Schaefer and John Hyams creation, ‘Black Summer’ is a post-apocalyptic zombie horror saga that follows a group of survivors in the aftermath of a zombie outbreak. Set somewhat in the ‘Z Nation’ universe, the show centers upon Rose, who gets detached from her daughter and must find a way to survive in the dreadful dystopia and look for whatever help she can get.
Gore, brutal, and frightening in its depiction of a zombie-infested universe, the fast-paced series packs enough to satiate genre lovers. If you are looking for some more blood carnage akin to the series, we have a few recommendations for you. You can find most of these shows similar to ‘Black Summer’ on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime.
7. Z Nation (2014-2018)
‘Z Nation’ centers upon an ex-convict named Alvin Murphy, who finds himself in the center of a worldwide carnage. The story begins 3 years into a zombie outbreak event caused by the ZN1 virus. Murphy, whose body has grown antibodies necessary to mitigate the effects of the virus, is the only hope for humanity’s survival. Created by Karl Schaefer and Craig Engler and produced by the same company behind the creation of ‘Black Summer,’ this sort of sequel of the latter will make you laugh as much as it will give you the shivers.
6. Santa Clarita Diet (2017-2019)
‘Santa Clarita Diet’ is a dark comedy series that revolves around Sheila Hammond and her husband Joel, who live their boring lives in a Santa Clarita suburb. However, Shelia develops a craving for… well, human flesh. Drew Barrymore’s Sheila considers Zombie a demeaning word, so let’s just say chewing on a piece of severed hand is just her acquired taste.
There’s nothing wrong with a healthy diet of raw flesh – you must’ve seen Bear Grylls do it a hundred times. Developed by Victor Fresco for Netflix, the amply fun, bizarre, and compelling horror-comedy web series ‘Santa Clarita Diet’ will reinstate your faith in zombie productions. If you are always on the lookout for more gore and gobsmacking madness, this series will make you fall from your chair in excitement.
5. The Walking Dead (2010-2022)
Developed by Frank Darabont from the eponymous comic book series by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard, ‘The Walking Dead’ plunges the viewers into the wilderness of a post-apocalyptic dystopia. The world has been compromised by a zombie outbreak and society is infested by “walkers.” Civilization has collapsed, and in the brave new world, survivors live like nomads, making their own rules and principles as they go along. If you are a fan of the drooling devils, this immensely popular show is one you must add to your watching list.
4. Dead Set (2008)
Think about this premise: you are locked inside the ‘Big Brother’ house, and on top of it, the world is torn apart by a zombie apocalypse. So, evicted or not, you can’t go back and meet your family. Conceived by Charlie Brooker and directed by Yann Demange, the horror-comedy limited series ‘Dead Set’ effortlessly mingles reality and horror, and the result is jarring and hilarious. If you have found ‘Black Summer’ to be taking itself too seriously, this deranged doomsday drama will give you ample reasons to be amused.
3. In The Flesh (2013-2014)
‘In The Flesh’ opens with a teenage zombie who comes back from the grave to return to his hometown. The residents are not exactly ecstatic about his unexpected return to life. With more and more people coming back to life, the local law enforcement rages war against the “rotters.” A beautifully nuanced portrayal of the teenage alienation and generational conflict seen through a post-apocalyptic lens, Dominic Mitchell’s reflective foray into the zombie horror genre is a gloomy and damning treat. If you are looking for a different kind of genre experimentation following ‘Black Summer,’ this is the show where you should place your bet.
2. Kingdom (2019-)
According to some, the zombie horror genre has been done to death, but you never know the origins of the undead. There are no devastating viruses in ‘Kingdom,’ only tyrannical rulers dumping dead flesh. Developed by Kim Eun-hee and directed by Kim Seong-hun from the webcomic series ‘The Kingdom of the Gods’ by Eun-hee and Yang Kyung-il, Netflix’s first South Korean original series ‘Kingdom’ has a lot on its plate.
A zombie horror-thriller backed by a poignant period feel and intense political intrigue, the slow, brooding, and meditative series is a refreshing addition to the genre. If you love post-apocalyptic horror as much as you love far-flung cultures and political thrillers, you must give ‘Kingdom’ a spin.
1. Ash Vs Evil Dead (2015-2018)
The zombie horror fans know the importance of Sam Raimi’s original ‘Evil Dead’ film franchise, which has attained something of a cult status by now. Well, guess what? Bruce Campbell’s Ash Williams has aged like a fine wine, and he is back with some more chainsaw-hurling madness in this fun spin-off series. Developed by Sam Raimi with Ivan Raimi and Tom Spezialy, the horror-comedy series revives the character of Ash 30 years after the original trilogy. Equal part gore and hilarious, and complete with gruesome grandmas, this bloodbath of a series will make you appeased and appalled at the same time.
Read More: Where is Black Summer Filmed?
