A mysterious outbreak turns people into mindless, ghoulish, flesh-eating monsters. Barbara, evading one of them, hides in a seemingly abandoned house. It turns out she's not alone, and the monsters within might be even more dangerous than those waiting outside...
There have been plenty of remakes and re-imaginings of the film, the best of which certainly is the 1990 version by Tom Savini and George A. Romero, and there are countless spin-offs and rip-offs, but nothing beats the bone-chilling original.
So this is where it all started, the one the set the rules for decades to come. Somehow, Romero had the idea to throw "I am Legend" ("The Last Man on Earth"), EC horror comics, and the claustrophobic situation of "The Killer Shrews" (1959) together, to form one idea and script, and put it all on film, using little money and some help from friends.
The result is a very well made low-budget horror film with a somehow home-grown, hand-made feel - and a completely unexpected level of seriousness and depth. If you'd just quickly fast-forward through the movie, you'd see few surprises, but the magic is in the detail, the dialogue, the tone. It's a great horror story with a (very) bleak ending - only this time, it's "us", not "them". There's basically no bad guy that one could point at, and no hero that saves the day in the end - it's only us, being monsters, victims, winners, losers, strong, weak, good, and evil.
As in all good horror films, there's little to no romance in "Night Of The Living Dead". There's no place for juvenile heartbreak here, it's about the bigger picture. Romero had a razor-sharp eye observing psychological and social dynamics - the layout of the characters is like a simplified map of modern society. From the greedy businessman, who's tormented by fears of weakness, to the innocent kid that gets caught up in the action, and turns against its creators, every character in "Night Of The Living Dead" serves as an icon that represents an aspect of how humans interact. Everything is tied together by some great dialogue and acting, that feels authentic and well-grounded in reality, making it easy to identify with.
This thoughtful, sensible approach puts "Night Of The Living Dead" miles above pretty much all other zombie films. (Except, most notably, the other George A. Romero ones.) And it is what makes it a truly scary movie: It makes sense. From the moment Barbara is made fun of by her brother in the cemetery, during the opening scenes of the movie, it becomes clear that this was made by a crew of smart filmmakers. The level of (black-and-white) gore is unprecedented for the time, and it leaves quite an impression to this day. Some of the editing and cinematography is both creative, and a nod to the era of silent films, and the pacing of the movie is dense and steady. But all of the low-cost brilliance works wonders because the characters, the people in it, make sense. There is not a single dull moment in "Night Of The Living Dead", there is no plot hole, it's smooth as a clockwork, exiting, and thought-provoking, because the viewer can relate to pretty much every step along the way. Yes, it's us! Panicking, quarreling, fighting, trying to somehow get a grip on the situation, both on a personal, and on a social level.
"Night Of The Living Dead" from 1968 defines the modern zombie horror film, and is still easily in the top five of the genre. If not in top position.
Verdict: They're coming to get you - and they will! 10/10
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063350/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Living_Dead
Trailer video:
video source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVsbPBAWCGY
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