Zombie movies used to be big. While the subgenre has slowed to an undead crawl in recent years, relegated to both streamers and cable television series, there used to be a time when cinema’s zombies sought after both brains and cash. Now they’re back, and they’re taking over Netflix.
Marc Foster’s World War Z, adapted from Max Brook’s 2006 novel of the same name, was among the last of the blockbuster undead. This week, it’s the number-one horror film on Netflix.
In Forster’s Film, Brad Pitt’s “U.N. employee races against time and fate as he travels the world trying to stop the spread of a deadly zombie pandemic.” While the film had a notoriously troubled production, including considerable reshoots in its final act amid a ballooning budget, there’s no denying the sheer legacy of the zombie epic. These undead were fast, the scale was huge, and a plethora of A-list talent had to contend with their growing numbers. That scene of the undead scaling the wall in Jerusalem is firmly burned into my mind in the best way.
Suppositionally, some international bans on zombie movies (yes, that’s real) likely killed the sequel from the get, though fans have been dying to revisit this mid-aughts gem. Check out what they’re saying below.
If we ever gotta go against zombies like the ones off World War Z i really hope god takes me out in that first wave
— cynny (@moniquee_glz) March 10, 2023
World War Z really got straight to the point lol
— MYR 📹 (@_myrofficial) March 10, 2023
World War Z is trending on #Netflix right now and watching this movie again is traumatic for me bc this reminds me of the pandemic
— Ericathebodygod (@ericathebodygod) March 14, 2023
Dang they put World War Z on Netflix .. guess I gotta watch it for the 162nd time
— Licktoria (@anndreapinkk) March 14, 2023
Netflix adding ‘World War Z’ is the worst thing they could’ve done. I literally watch and rewatch this movie for fun. It’s one of my faves.
— T H I A (@JustThia) March 11, 2023
World War Z is my favorite movie of life and it’s on Netflix ️
— Val (@v_rey99) March 13, 2023
world war z is on netflix!!! this is not a drill
— karen🪺 (@justkaren16) March 12, 2023
World War Z is finally on Netflix?!? OH I’M LOCKED IN. (For the 293822728th time).
— she/her. esq. (@mouthyattorney) March 12, 2023
Netflix adding World War Z may have been their best marketing decision in decades.
— *leke (@datkiddleke) March 11, 2023
Are you a fan of World War Z? Should zombies writ large make a comeback? What was the most incredulous stunt Brad Pitt pulled in the movie (spoiler: it’s surviving that plane crash). Let me know over on Twitter @ChadisCollins.