Today’s quick review: Night of the Living Dead. After a living corpse attacks and kills her brother (Russell Streiner), Barbra (Judith O’Dea) takes shelter in an abandoned house with Ben (Duane Jones), a level-headed survivor. The two of them board up the entrances and settle down to wait for help. But as more of the undead surround them, they must decide whether to stay inside or make a break for the nearest government shelter.
Night of the Living Dead is a classic zombie horror movie from director George A. Romero. Night of the Living Dead is the quintessential zombie film, charting the early hours of an outbreak of the undead. The movie follows a handful of survivors as they try to stay alive, cope with the horror of the situation, and bicker with each other. The result is a plain but effective zombie film that lays down the conventions of the genre.
Night of the Living Dead has a knack for conveying the right amount of information. The scale of the zombie outbreak is revealed gradually, and the survivors jump at every scrap of information that comes over the radio. By the time the outbreak is in full swing, the audience and the characters know that something has gone horribly wrong.
The film also packs some brutal challenges for its characters. Avoiding a single zombie is surmountable, but being surrounded by them, losing loved ones to them, and coping with dwindling resources and minimal hope of rescue all push the characters to the breaking point. Making matters worse, there is no single correct course of action. The survivors have to use their best judgment and roll the dice to make it out alive.
Night of the Living Dead is not as flashy as its successors. The special effects are strong enough to get the point across and indulge in some gore, but they are not ambitious. The plot focuses almost entirely on the mechanics of the outbreak and the stress on the survivors, with none of the twists seen in other takes on the formula. But the template the film establishes is an enduring one, and its frank cruelty stands the test of time.
For another minimalistic zombie movie that succeeds due to its characters and situations, try 28 Days Later. For a more elaborate story about a world overrun by zombies, try The Omega Man or I Am Legend. For a parody of the genre, try Zombieland or The Dead Don’t Die.
[7.9 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063350/). I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for polished execution and an iconic plot, with the chance to score much higher for fans of the genre.