12.02.23
With the success of HBO’s The Last of Us, as well as me drudging through the second video game (fuck Abby), it felt like a good time to seek out the grandaddy of zombie films, George A. Romero’s seminal Night of the Living Dead. It’s a masterfully simple yet effective horror film with a certain charm and a deft social undercurrent.
Although the story only takes place during a single day, it feels so ambitious regardless, and many of the characters’ decisions and castings are very bold. What a brave fucking choice to cast a black man in the lead role, especially when you write him to punch a white woman in the face (and much more after that). There are no famous stars in the film but all the players give committed performances in tough new roles that had never been seen on screen before 1968.
Although the zombie gore is muted, the violence between the human characters is not, which can be read in an assortment of ways. The sense of dread is ever present and death is all around the cabin, with trophy animals on the walls and the undead clasping to get through the windows. The use of non-diegetic sound from the radio reports and outdoor crickets seems really innovative and adds a layer of urgency to proceedings. There are so many archetypal elements to admire, and the influence they have had on modern tales is palpable (for me it was Resident Evil 4 and Shaun of the Dead that came to mind first.)
In retrospect, Night of the Living Dead upholds the sense of the unknown, balances frights with a sharp cultural commentary and deserves its status as the OG zombie movie. You might just enjoy The Last of Us a little bit more upon inspection of one of its key influences in the genre.
Available in HD on MUBI and also on YouTube for the tightarses.