While the peak of the zombie genre may have come and gone, with the upcoming release of Danny Boyle’s28 Years Later, fans are diving back into some of the best and most divisive zombie movies. As well as classics like the work of George A. Romero, one of the most terrifying and controversial zombie movies of recent years,World War Z, has also come back to life on streaming. Starring Brad Pitt and directed by Marc Forster,World War Zwas released in 2013 to middling reviews from audiences and critics, although everyone agreed that its depiction of zombies was haunting. Over a decade later, the film has resurfaced from the grave to gain a second life on streaming.
First ‘28 Years Later’ Reactions Reveal If the Zombie Sequel Was Worth the Wait
How does ‘28 Years Later’ compare to the beloved original?
The movie follows Gerry Lane (Pitt), a former U.N. investigator who leads the search across the globe to cure the deadly zombie virus that is rapidly spreading and threatening humanity. Alongside Pitt, the film also stars Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz, Matthew Fox, Peter Capaldi, and Ruth Negga. The most iconic and entertaining element ofWorld War Zis undoubtedly its undead.28 Days Laterintroduced the world to sprinting zombies,butWorld War Zgave them an unhealthy dose of steroids. The zombies inWorld War Zmight just be the fastest in cinema history. They careen over each other in a bid to infect as many people as possible, resulting in gigantic hordes that can swarm entire cities.
Why Was ‘World War Z’ So Divisive?
If you’ve only seen the film, then you probably thought thatWorld War Zwas a passable action-horror flick with some A-list faces and good CGI. But, fans of the book were incredibly disappointed when the film was released. In a similar situation to Will Smith’sI Am Legend, the book and the film share the same name, and that’s about it.
Max Brooks' novel took a unique approach to the zombie genre. The book is written as a series of journalist interviews as a reporter travels the globe during the early days of the pandemic, tracking strange occurrences that eventually lead to the zombie pandemic. Some thought that format wouldn’t work on the big screen. However, the hit sci-fi film,District 9, proved that mockumentary stories can still have emotional weight and impact. There is hope in the future thatWorld War Zwill one day get a faithful adaptation,especially as the long-gestating sequel movie now appears to be officially dead.
World War Z
