Night of the Living Dead

95%

Tomatometer

83 Reviews

87%

Popcornmeter

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.

Watch on Peacock

Stream Now

Where to Watch

What to Know

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.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View All (83) Critics Reviews

Night of the Living Dead | Rotten Tomatoes (1)

Wendy Ide

Times (UK)

... A must-see for film fans.

Sep 16, 2022

Full Review

Night of the Living Dead | Rotten Tomatoes (2)

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

Full Review

Night of the Living Dead | Rotten Tomatoes (3)

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

Full Review

Night of the Living Dead | Rotten Tomatoes (4)

Serge Daney

Cahiers du Cinéma

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

Oct 4, 2023

Full Review

Night of the Living Dead | Rotten Tomatoes (5)

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

Full Review

Night of the Living Dead | Rotten Tomatoes (6)

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

Full Review

Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (1000+) audience reviews

Brad CKA L https://youtube.com/shorts/Z4uMecZC83Y?si=Uw6kNpeemY3JYl_Y Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/25/24 Full Review 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 2/5 Stars • Rated 2 out of 5 stars 11/03/24 Full Review 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 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/31/24 Full Review 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 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/31/24 Full Review 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 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/26/24 Full Review 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 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/19/24 Full Review Read all reviews

Night of the Living Dead

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

George A. Romero Director Duane Jones Ben Judith O'Dea Barbra Karl Hardman Harry Keith Wayne Tom Judith Ridley Judy

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

More Like This

View All Best Movies to Stream at Home

Orgy of the Dead 0% 22% Orgy of the Dead Watchlist The Oblong Box 55% 37% The Oblong Box Watchlist The Return of Count Yorga 67% 32% The Return of Count Yorga Watchlist Manos, the Hands of Fate 0% 20% Manos, the Hands of Fate Watchlist Frogs 26% 24% Frogs Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Related Movie News

View All Related Movie News

50 Fresh Scary Movies and TV Shows to Watch on Netflix Bruce Campbell’s Five Favorite Horror Films Watch Online: The Walking Dead, Bojack Horseman, Dirty Dancing, and More on Netflix and Amazon Prime

Videos

View All videos