The first horror film to use reanimated corpses, i.e.
Soon, Barbara discovers that the house is full of people hiding from these monsters.
An African American man named Ben soon arrives and helps protect the house.
The one character who manages to escape this horrific fate is Ben.
He successfully takes out the survivors-turned-ghouls and remains lodged in the farmhouse.
However, the movie does not end on a hopeful note.
The following morning, a squad of police arrive to fight off the ghouls.
What makes this ending so important is the context behind it.
In 1968, the United States was at the tail end of the Civil Rights Movement.
George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead did more than just invent the modern zombie, it revolutionized the horror genre. Following a small group of humans who hide in a secluded farmhouse when the dead begin to rise and crave human flesh, Night of the Living Dead examines the relationship between humanity and paranoia in times of crisis.
The Civil Rights Movement came with an abundance of violence, particularly between law enforcement and Black protesters.
Many critics panned the movie, calling it overly violent and nihilistic.
Today,Night of the Living Deadhas a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.
For the first time, viewers saw a horror story happening to people just like them.
First and foremost, it made horror more realistic, and thus, scarier.
This is something the best horror movies continue to do to this day.
Thus, the first zombiemovie was much more impactful than anyone ever thought possible.
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