Night of the Living Dead

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Night of the Living Dead

Released Oct 1, 1968

1h 36m

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

95%

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83 Reviews

87%

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100,000+ Ratings

A ragtag group of Pennsylvanians barricade themselves in an old farmhouse to remain safe from a horde of flesh-eating ghouls that are ravaging the United States.

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Critics Consensus

George A. Romero's debut set the template for the zombie film, and features tight editing, realistic gore, and a sly political undercurrent.

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Wendy Ide

Times (UK)

... A must-see for film fans.

Sep 16, 2022

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Kevin Thomas

Los Angeles Times

Night of the Living Dead is taut and uncompromising, ending on a note of bitter irony. Performances are adequate and often better, especially in the case of Jones, who clearly has what it takes to go on to bigger things.

Sep 8, 2021

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Elliott Stein

Sight & Sound

Romero was offered a budget for colour; he preferred shooting in black and white; the result is a flat murky ambience which is perfect for the ramshackle American Gothic landscape where the events occur.

Sep 8, 2021

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Serge Daney

Cahiers du Cinéma

Clumsily shot, awkwardly acted and as for being scary, completely ineffective.

Oct 4, 2023

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Sarah Vincent

Cambridge Day

Romero’s distrust of authority is reflected in the ending, with cops brandishing guns and German shepherds on taut leashes carrying out extrajudicial executions conjuring the imagery of then contemporaneous civil rights marches under siege by the police.

Aug 16, 2023

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Brian Susbielles

InSession Film

Made for almost nothing, the timing of the release certainly helped its release as it seemed to be an allegory for what was happening in America at the time...

Feb 14, 2023

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Raymond The Godzilla Fan R

Overated. There was a plot thread of the woman in the movie slowly turning into a zombie, then she just died. It was definitely worth a watch, but I left disappointed. The ending was good, but I saw it coming from a mile away.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

11/03/24

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Jennifer H

One of the great horror movies of all time, and the original flesh-eating zombie film. It was made with no budget and lots of volunteers (like local police officers as extras!) and yet it is iconic to this day. George Romero films always leave you with the sense that in the end, the monsters are not really the scary ones. The imagery from this film stays with you forever.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/31/24

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Yash B

The original "Night of the Living Dead" is one of the most influential horror movies ever made. Every piece of zombie content ever made has likely borrowed something from this film. This movie is made with the bare minimum uses its small budget well and is a genuinely tense journey. There are limited locations and characters and yet I felt genuinely afraid of what might happen to them. By the time the movie wraps up it is genuinely pretty unsettling and I was impressed by how well it held up for the most part. I will say the movie is more of a slow burn and tension builder, but I enjoyed the journey and can't deny its influence on the zombie horror genre. Overall, it is a classic movie that is both entertaining and also an important piece of pop culture and film history.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/31/24

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Daniel C. M

This is not the first zombie movie, but it may as well have been. The flesh-eating creatured in this movie are not really zombies, but that didn't stop for this movie to be the one of the most influential, and THE most influential zombie movie to have ever exist. Amazing effects and genuine thrills 'n scares; and even greater directing.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/26/24

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Allen F

I love a minimalist film that has only a couple characters and one setting. This film shows what it’s like to be in shock and fear of something unknown with other people around you feeling the same way. The makeup and effects were honestly great for its time. Very impressed with this film. Writing is a little cheesy but overall good

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/19/24

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Andrew P

Night of the Living Dead is an essential watch for the horror genre, especially for the fans of zombie horror.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/18/24

Full Review

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George A. Romero

Director

Duane Jones

Ben

Judith O'Dea

Barbra

Karl Hardman

Harry

Keith Wayne

Tom

Judith Ridley

Judy

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Night of the Living Dead 50th Anniversary: Fathom Events Trailer

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Synopsis

A ragtag group of Pennsylvanians barricade themselves in an old farmhouse to remain safe from a horde of flesh-eating ghouls that are ravaging the United States.

Director: George A. Romero
Producer: Karl Hardman, Russell Streiner
Screenwriter: George A. Romero, John A. Russo
Distributor: Elite Entertainment Inc., Reel Media International [us], United Video, Vestron Video, BijouFlix Releasing, Republic Pictures, UAV Entertainment, Master Movies, Continental Distributing Inc., Anchor Bay Entertainment, Navarre Entertainment, Something Weird Video, Image Entertainment Inc., Sinister Cinema
Production Co: Off Color Films, Image Ten, Market Square Productions, Laurel
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 1, 1968, Limited
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Oct 13, 2017
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 1, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $68.7K
Runtime: 1h 36m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Academy (1.33:1)

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