Diksha Sundriyal
What’s the worst that could happen to humanity? It could have been the attempts to entertain this thought that led someone to come up with the idea of zombies. What if humanity is not destroyed by an alien force or an Armageddon or a natural calamity that spirals out of proportion? What if a single virus infects us, and we become each other’s worst nightmare and destroy everything we have built? Most zombie-based shows construct their stories around this theory. Why else would we be driven to cannibalization? There are endless questions that come to mind! So, if you think a lot about such things, then Netflix has quite a few shows to immerse you in that world for a long time.
15. Reality Z (2020-)
Created by Cláudio Torres, this is a Brazilian show based on Charlie Brooker’s zombie miniseries ‘Dead Set.’ When a zombie apocalypse hits the city of Rio de Janeiro, the production team and the cast of the successful reality show “Olimpo, The House of the Gods” get stuck in the studio. Now, it is up to them to defend themselves and keep the flesh-eating zombies at bay by whatever means necessary. The cast includes Ana Hartmann, Natália Rosa, Gabriel Canella, Hanna Romanazzi, Luellem de Castro, Guilherme Weber, and Ravel Andrade. You can watch the show here.
14. Betaal (2020-)
A 4-part Indian zombie show, ‘Betaal’ is created by Patrick Graham. When an elite squad of the fictional Counter Insurgency Police Department (CIPD) tries to displace or kill a group of tribals from a particular site in the jungle that shall then be used for construction, it unearths a more-than-150-year-old curse. As a result, it faces the wrath of the undead British infantrymen who served during the Revolt of 1857, aka the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Can those who are already dead be killed? Or is there any other way to put them back to sleep? ‘Betaal’ stars Vineet Kumar Singh, Aahana Kumra, Suchitra Pillai, Jitendra Joshi, and Manjiri Pupala. You can stream the series here.
13. Zombieverse (2023-)
Created by Park Jin-kyung and Moon Sang-don, ‘Zombieverse’ is a Korean unscripted immersive reality show wherein ten contestants take part in a dating show, only to find out that the place (Seoul’s trendy Hongdae district) has just been hit with a zombie apocalypse. The contestants must collect the essential requirements and reach an evacuation ship waiting for them on Wolmi Island (35 kilometers from Seoul). And what if they get bitten? Well, as usual, they become zombies. In other words, they are out of the game. With zombies (real people), blood spurts, explosions, accidents, and chaos (all man-made), ‘Zombieverse’ is a true-to-form reality show that ups the ante of zombie shows and sets a higher benchmark for others to try and reach. While Season 2 is in the pipeline, you can watch Season 1 here.
12. Black Summer (2019-2021)
Before you plan to binge-watch the show, you might want to watch another show available on Netflix, i.e., ‘Z Nation.’ ‘Black Summer’ shares the universe and is a prequel series. While ‘Z Nation’ begins three years into the apocalypse, ‘Black Summer’ starts at the beginning.
It follows the story of a woman who loses her daughter right when the zombie apocalypse is beginning for the world. She is joined by some refugees and prepares herself to enter the dangerous world and find her daughter at all costs. ‘Z Nation’ has already ended its run, and it’s just five seasons, so you have a ten-day window to finish the show (not that it’ll take even that long, considering the absolute binge-watcher you are!). The lead role is played by Jaime King, who you might know from her roles in ‘My Bloody Valentine’ and ‘Hart of Dixie.’ Other cast members include Justin Chu Cary, Kelsey Flower, Gwynyth Walsh, and Christine Lee. You can watch the series here.
11. All of Us Are Dead (2022 -)
Created by Chun Sung-il, Lee Jae-kyoo, and Kim Nam-su, ‘All of Us Are Dead’ is a zombie apocalypse show based on Joo Dong-geun’s popular webtoon. The story revolves around a high school where failed experiments lead to disastrous consequences when zombies overrun the entire premise. With no connection to the outside world and a limited supply of other essential goods, the students are forced to fight for themselves as things spiral out of control. In their battle with the undead, all these teenagers have is their will to fight and any equipment they can grab to defend themselves from the merciless and violent onslaught unleashed on them. You may watch the show here.
10. Glitch (2015 – 2019)
Again, not your typical zombie show, mostly about people returning from the dead. ‘Glitch‘ is an Australian show set in a town called Yoorana where seven people mysteriously come back to life. James Hayes is the town sheriff, and he discovers an eerie phenomenon when he is called to the local cemetery. Seven people stand before him who have crawled out of their graves and are perfectly healthy. But they don’t know where they are or even who they are. It’s like their brain has been completely wiped off. Hayes knows that a situation this sensitive shouldn’t go out, but he also needs to figure out the identity of these people and what brought them back. He uses the help of a local doctor to keep it a secret. Feel free to check out the series here.
9. Resident Evil (2022)
Based on the popular film franchise, ‘Resident Evil,’ created by Andrew Dabb, takes place across two timelines. One is set in 2022, wherein we see young Jade (Tamara Smart) arrive at Raccoon City with her younger sister Billie (Siena Agudong) and father Albert Wesker (Lance Reddick), who works for Umbrella Corporation. This organization has developed the infamous T-virus, whose breakout turned people into zombies. Another is set in 2036, where we see a grown-up Jade (Ella Balinska) surviving in a zombie apocalypse while digging into the T-Virus and its processes. While the series follows its predecessors and is a sequel, you can enjoy it as a standalone series just to get some zombie cred. However, we request that you watch all the installments because the franchise, despite its shortcomings, has only grown to be a part of pop culture and has a dedicated fan base worldwide. You can check out the show here.
8. Daybreak (2019)
It is teens against zombies in this one. Based on the comic series by Brian Ralph, ‘Daybreak’ is a zombie-comedy movie created by Brad Peyton and Aron Eli Coleite. Glendale, California, is subjected to a zombie apocalypse, and 17-year-old Josh Wheeler has to find his missing girlfriend, making his way through hoards of the living dead as well as gangs comprised of students, each of which resembles the factions from the ‘Mad Max’ movies. Remember the War Boys and the Rock Riders? With a hyper-real take on the genre, complemented by humor, action, and especially the 4th-wall break (characters talk to us, the audience), ‘Daybreak’ is an entertaining watch. You can watch it here.
7. Santa Clarita Diet (2017-2019)
This Netflix original comedy is the show you should watch if you haven’t already seen it. It follows the story of a couple, Sheila (Drew Barrymore) and Joel Hammond (Timothy Olyphant). They have been together since high school and married for 19 years. That is a long time in any relationship, and they have seen their ups and downs. They work as a realtor, have a teenage daughter, but she is not much trouble, and live in the quiet neighborhood of Santa Clarita. Oh, and both their immediate neighbors are cops. This is a significant detail because what the Hammonds are about to get into will need them to steer clear of any suspicion from them.
One day, out of nowhere, Sheila falls sick. She vomits, like a lot, so much that one of her organs comes out! Once she cleans up, she feels fine. Better even! However, something is wrong. She doesn’t have a heartbeat. When she cuts her hand, the blood doesn’t come out, and she needs something to eat, something human. Her condition is effectively diagnosed as being a zombie. You may watch ‘Santa Clarita Diet’ here.
6. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (2023- )
The fifth spin-off of the ‘Walking Dead’ franchise, ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’ stars Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon. Set after the events of the original ‘The Walking Dead’ series, it follows Dixon, who washes ashore in post-zombie-apocalypse France after departing the Commonwealth and wonders how he got there. In his endeavor to return to the States, he is hired by a nun to protect a tween named Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi) as they travel to an outpost called “the Nest,” facing threats and antagonists, not to mention zombies on the way. Considered by many as the best series in the franchise, ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’ is similar to ‘The Last of Us’ in its setting and is a rare addition to the zombie shows on Netflix. It can be streamed here.
5. Fear the Walking Dead (2015-2023)
A spin-off to ‘The Walking Dead,’ ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ is created by Robert Kirkman and Dave Erickson. The series has a total of eight seasons, out of which the first three serve as a prequel to ‘The Walking Dead,’ and the rest move parallelly with the latter. Set in Los Angeles and later in Mexico, the series follows a dysfunctional family that has to constantly reinvent itself in order to survive a zombie apocalypse, developing new skills and ways of defending themselves as civilization collapses.
Featuring Kim Dickens, Cliff Curtis, Frank Dillane, and Alycia Debnam-Carey, ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ does a good job maintaining the reputation of the original show. If you have seen that one and liked it, you will like this one too. It is also suggested that you watch the original before streaming this one, although not necessarily. ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ can be streamed here.
4. Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead (2023)
Based on the groundbreaking Japanese manga series of the same name by Haro Aso and Kotaro Takata, ‘Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead’ is an animated series that follows frustrated office-goer Akira Tendo, who hates his professional life. Wondering what it will take for him to get out of the hellhole, Tendo has had enough and waits for a miracle. But what arrives isn’t a miracle. Tokyo is hit with a zombie apocalypse, and he realizes that he has thus been set free from his boredom and frustrations. To make the most of his life until a zombie bites him and he dies or becomes one, he creates a bucket list of the things he wants to do and embarks on his quest in a zombified city. You can watch this highly entertaining series right here.
3. La Révolution (2020)
Movies that use historical events or figures of history to spice up their plot are always cool. ‘La Révolution’ uses the context of the French Revolution to show how aristocrats are inflicted with a disease, “blue blood,” which then makes them attack the poor. Whether this is just uncontrolled hunger or a deliberate move is something you will have to watch to find out. However, this action, in turn, sparks a conflict. In the middle of this conflict is Joseph Ignace Guillotin (sounds familiar? Is he the guy who invented the guillotine? No, he rather opposed the death penalty), played by Lionel Erdogan, who discovers the disease. To find out whether he can prevent it from spreading further, you can watch ‘La Révolution’ here.
2. Kingdom (2019 -)
I’d say that Korean cinema is slowly taking over the world, but the truth is that it is happening much faster than we give it credit. The reason for this growth is the quality of their shows and the amazing premises for their stories. Think about zombies, and the mind directly ventures into some post-apocalyptic world, somewhere near or far into the future. ‘Kingdom’ takes you to the past. Set somewhere at the end of the 14th century and the beginning of the 15th, it follows the political upheaval in the court of Crown Prince Yi-Chang, who is forced to take the mantle of the king when his father mysteriously falls sick. The nature of his sickness is kept a secret, even from the prince. To the subjects, it is told that the king is dead and that Yi-Chang will succeed him.
One night, Yi-Chang manages to sneak into his father’s chambers and discovers he has become a zombie. The story further weaves in the backstabbing and the politics in the court after the king’s supposed death. The prince has to protect himself and his country from a disease that could destroy everything, but also from the power-hungry humans who might go to the lengths of using the disease for their own gain. The show has received rave reviews, and its popularity has prompted Netflix to renew it for the second season. If you haven’t started with Korean dramas, this could be your way in. You may watch it here.
1. The Walking Dead (2010-)
‘The Walking Dead’ is the epitome of zombie shows, and there is a very good reason why, even after nine years, it is one of the most watched. The story starts with Rick Grimes, played by Andrew Lincoln, a sheriff who was shot on duty and has been in a coma for a very long time. When he wakes up, he discovers that the world is nothing as he has seen it the last time. At first, no one is around. But then, he is attacked by corpses. After meeting two survivors, he is told that a virus has invaded the earth and has turned everyone into a zombie. Rick ventures out to find out what happened to his wife and son.
The story has come a long way and inspired the above-mentioned spin-off, ‘Fear the Walking Dead.’ What makes ‘The Walking Dead’ superior to its counterparts is that the story focuses less on horror and more on the study of human nature. In every season, Rick and his group of survivors have to deal with all sorts of threats, most of which are from other humans. You watch this show and the villains that it presents, and you’ll realize that once they are allowed to slide back into their primitive life form, humans can be much more dangerous to each other than zombies. You can check out the show here.
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