Watch George Romero's best zombie movie on Hulu now

No director has done more to define a genre than George A. Romero with his zombie films. Without the groundbreaking lo-fi goosebumps of Night of the Living Dead or the high-octane, satirical thrills of Dawn of the DeadZombie fans would not have such a thing the Walking Dead, Army of the Deador the seemingly endless horde of zombie thrillers for you to choose from. But by 1985, Romero’s true work was being rejected by critics and audiences alike. This movie was day of the Deada gritty post-apocalyptic parable whose politically charged subject matter and focus on ensemble drama may have alienated escapist ’80s audiences, but makes it a perfect zombie tale in the age of elevated horror.

day of the Dead It centers on a team of military and scientific personnel who take shelter in an underground bunker to survive the zombie outbreak. As the scientific team experiments on undead subjects to find a cure, tensions between them and the enemy soldiers led by the power-mad Captain Rhodes rise and reach critical mass as the survivors learn the secret behind the lead scientist’s experiments. But those tensions lie mostly within the human factions, rather than the human-versus-zombie conflicts that viewers have come to expect from the genre. Secure, Night of the Living Dead

And Dawn of the Dead excelled in both their portrayal of human struggles and their stunning gore, but day of the Dead takes it to the next level and plays out as a suspenseful political thriller against the apocalyptic backdrop.

While many moviegoers at the time were unimpressed by the film’s emphasis on human drama rather than zombie carnage (critic Janet Maslin noted, “much [the film] is dedicated to the windy argument“), day of the Dead is a scathing portrait of humanity that finds its true counterpart in human hubris rather than undead cannibals.

Joe Pilato, wearing a green army jacket, aims a revolver in Day of the Dead.

This “windy argument” pays off because Romero is so adept at drama and character building that he can get us excited about the zombies. If you can’t imagine it, then give it a try day of the Dead

and don’t cheer on Bub the zombie. That will not do. It also helps that the human antagonists have less humanity than their undead counterparts. Joe Pilato’s legendary performance as Captain Rhodes perfectly embodies the same reactionary anti-scientificism and state-sponsored violence that has impeded progress during our own pandemic. While Romero offers audiences a glimmer of hope with the film’s more likable characters, Rhodes constantly threatens human survival, to the point that you practically forget about the zombie outbreak over Earth as all hell breaks loose between the not-yet-undead.

In addition to the weighty themes and fast-paced suspense, day of the Dead is also the finest hour of makeup and special effects maestro Tom Savini. A frequent collaborator with Romero, who made his name on Splatterfest hits like… Dawn of the Dead, Insane, And Friday the 13thSavini outdoes himself with the zombie makeup and gore effects. Contrasted with the comic book style playful violence Dawn of the DeadSavini’s work is so compelling that it would turn the stomach of even the most enthusiastic Gorehound. More importantly, its effects have never been better harnessed. day of the Dead

not only offers a spectacle of dismemberment; The ultraviolence fits the topics covered and feels fully deserved.

Dozens of zombie arms burst through a wall as a woman screams in Day of the Dead.

day of the Dead has already built a cult following and steadily shed its reputation as the franchise’s black sheep. The critical disappointment of subsequent “Dead” films probably helped, but it found its audience. stranger things I even praised it when four of the protagonists sneaked into a screening of the film in the Season 3 premiere.

The irony is that zombie movies are often accused of being mindless entertainment, but George Romero proved them wrong. Absolutely wrong. day of the Dead has only grown richer in subtext. Not only is it the most heartbreaking zombie film of all time (a description Romero and Savini take quite literally), it’s a humanistic masterpiece about survival and what survival really means to us.

Oh, Day of the Dead’The revaluation is not yet in full swing the thing, which went from being a potential career killer for John Carpenter to his most revered work. Be part of this real-time re-evaluation today and try it or rediscover it day of the Deadwhich is now available on Hulu as well as Peacock and ad-supported platforms like Tubi, Pluto TV, Crackle and Plex.