NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD
1968
George A. Romero
SYNOPSIS
Strangers trapped in a rural farmhouse must fend off waves of flesh-eating ghouls raised by mysterious radiation from a space probe. George A. Romero’s debut redefined horror, introducing the modern zombie and graphic gore to mainstream cinema. Beyond the terror, it serves as a stark social commentary on race and authority, ending with one of the bleakest finales in film history. This low-budget masterpiece remains a cultural touchstone that changed the genre.
CRITIQUE
George A. Romero’s masterpiece is the most important horror film ever made. It invented the modern zombie, shifting the monster from voodoo slave to cannibalistic corpse. Beyond the gore, it was a radical reflection of 1968’s social turbulence, featuring a black protagonist and a nihilistic ending that shattered Hollywood conventions. It proved that independent horror could be a vehicle for biting social commentary. By bringing terror into the ordinary American home, it changed the genre from Gothic fantasy to realistic, visceral nightmare.