Top 20 Smartest Decisions in Zombie Movies
Are you ready for the zombie apocalypse? For this list, we’ll be looking at the best choices made in apocalypses that center on infected or undead outbreaks. Beware of some spoilers ahead.
Transcript
00:00 Why don't you see if you can find some wood, some boards, something that's about as far
00:02 as this, something we can nail this place up.
00:04 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 smartest decisions
00:09 in zombie movies.
00:10 Equipped with the right pathogen, our troops would be essentially invisible to the enemy.
00:16 For this list, we'll be looking at the best choices made in apocalypses that centre on
00:20 infected or undead outbreaks.
00:23 Beware of some spoilers ahead.
00:24 Did we forget your favourite strategy from a zombie movie?
00:27 Let us know in the comments below.
00:29 20.
00:31 Using the Queen's Head – Army of the Dead During this dangerous journey into zombified
00:41 Las Vegas, a team of robbers end up fighting a massive horde.
00:46 These aren't just ordinary walkers either.
00:48 A Queen zombie controls and manipulates her underlings to attack.
00:52 At one point, it's revealed that whoever controls her head could make an army of undead
00:57 soldiers.
00:58 After a mercenary named Lily gets her hands on the Queen's Dome, she threatens to destroy
01:02 it to keep her friends safe from the zombie king, Zeus.
01:11 The plan works perfectly in her ally's escape.
01:14 To make matters better, Lily destroys the head once her friends are clear.
01:19 Using the head as leverage before obliterating it was a doubly smart move that prevented
01:24 this source of power from falling into the wrong hands.
01:28 19.
01:29 Zack Kills Beth – Life After Beth What would you do if your partner became a
01:35 zombie?
01:36 Life After Beth asks this question with a mixture of comedy and trauma.
01:39 When hero Zack learns that his partner might actually be undead, he tries to rekindle their
01:44 relationship.
01:45 Needless to say, this proves to be a serious problem for his own personal growth and overall
01:50 health.
01:51 While Beth still retains some humanity as she decays, Zack decides that they need to
01:56 break up.
02:03 It might seem like a no-brainer to put down an undead person you care about.
02:07 But since Beth still had some traces of her true self, he could have waited longer.
02:11 It was both a wise and tough decision for Zack to end things when he did.
02:24 18.
02:26 Improvised Bite Guards – World War Z In this action horror film, World War Z, Brad
02:41 Pitt's Jerry Lane uses magazines to shield his limbs from zombie bites.
02:47 This improvisational armor proves to be a helpful safeguard just in case any enemies
02:51 get too close.
02:53 During the climax, Lane and other survivors attempt to make their way through a medical
02:57 facility full of the undead.
02:59 The hero decides to utilize the same method with various office supplies.
03:08 In the history of the zombie genre, it's nice to know that people have finally woken
03:12 up to the potential of this simple and ingenious method.
03:17 17.
03:18 Taking Matters Into Her Own Hands – Maggie After his daughter is bitten, Wade Vogel must
03:24 come to grips with what will eventually happen to her.
03:33 He decides to take care of Maggie before she transforms into a zombie.
03:37 Coming to grips with his daughter's mortality, the father struggles to make an impossible
03:41 choice.
03:42 The titular character begins to degrade until she's on the cusp of being completely undead.
03:47 In her final moments, she has enough consciousness left to take her life into her own hands.
03:53 She ends up sparing Arnold Schwarzenegger's hero from having to do the unthinkable.
03:57 Even though it's a sad ending, it does prove that Maggie realized her father's predicament.
04:02 She loved him enough to make the decision herself.
04:06 16.
04:07 Living Off The Grid – The Dead Don't Die The people of Centerville are slow to realize
04:17 the extent of the zombie apocalypse.
04:20 While the police and citizens fend off the undead, Hermit Bob watches from afar as the
04:25 horde takes over.
04:26 His antisocial behavior separates him from the groups of helpless people in town.
04:31 Along with his woodland dwelling, Bob's camouflage and quiet tone keeps him out of
04:35 harm's way.
04:36 He serves as a kind of narrator since he found a safe place where he could watch everything
04:41 happen.
04:42 Tom Waits' character shows that sometimes it really does pay off to be an introvert.
04:51 15.
04:54 Improving Through Disaster – One Cut Of The Dead
05:03 If a real outbreak happens during the shooting of your zombie movie, you may or may not want
05:08 to do what this crew does.
05:10 This original idea focuses on the complicated process of film production.
05:14 Not only does everybody butt heads, they have to deal with real zombies.
05:18 Their improvisational skills allow them to keep filming and roll with the punches despite
05:23 real threats.
05:24 You could call them crazy or just really dedicated to getting the job done.
05:28 The result is a story like no other that features some exciting and surprising moves from the
05:33 actors themselves.
05:38 14.
05:42 Burying The Black Tar – Overlord Behind enemy lines in World War II, the Allied
05:47 heroes in Overlord discover several horrors in Nazi-occupied territory.
05:52 One of these includes Black Tar that grants people a second chance at life.
05:57 Rather than saving it, the squad leader decides to bury it all instead.
06:07 Considering the power of the concoction, entire armies could be resurrected into supercharged
06:12 zombies.
06:13 There's an extended battle for control and a few close calls.
06:17 However, an explosion ends up finishing off the regenerative substance for good.
06:22 This selfless act ensures that both sides of the global conflict will be without the
06:25 tar's power.
06:32 13.
06:35 Using A Lawnmower – Braindead – AKA Dead Alive
06:44 Zombie films love to come up with new and inventive ways to take down the undead.
06:48 For his movie, Dead Alive – AKA Braindead, Peter Jackson puts forth a truly outrageous
06:54 method.
07:05 The character, Lionel, finds himself with a lawnmower that tears through anything in
07:09 its path.
07:10 Not only is this device extremely effective, it produces one of the goriest scenes in film
07:15 history.
07:16 While we can't show much here, trust us that this sequence is worth experiencing on
07:21 your own.
07:22 It's the perfect blend of dark comedy and rampant destruction.
07:26 When you need to clear out a house of walkers, consider looking in the garage for a trusty
07:30 piece of lawn equipment.
07:33 12.
07:34 Holding Up In A Mall – Dawn Of The Dead
07:36 For the 1978 follow-up to Night Of The Living Dead, a new cast of survivors hop in a helicopter
07:47 and look for a safe place to land.
07:49 They come upon a shopping mall that turns out to be an oasis.
07:53 While there are zombies, the location also has tons of much-needed supplies and food.
07:58 It also helps that the survivors here are one of the smarter ensembles in the entire
08:02 genre.
08:03 Throughout Dawn Of The Dead, characters such as Roger and Peter clear out the undead, block
08:08 the doors, and make themselves at home.
08:10 Unfortunately, a biker gang later ruins their hiding place.
08:13 But these heroes have it made for a majority of the runtime.
08:20 11.
08:23 Ben Secures The House Right Away – Night Of The Living Dead
08:27 Considered a groundbreaking piece of zombie cinema, George Romero's Night Of The Living
08:32 Dead practically created the template for everything after it.
08:35 The film features Barbara evading a zombie and fleeing to a seemingly abandoned house
08:41 where she meets Ben.
08:43 With quick thinking from the latter, the home instantly gets boarded up and secured.
08:57 They end up nailing the doors and windows shut in order to keep the undead at bay.
09:01 This proves to be their best chance at surviving through the night.
09:05 While not every strategy works in this movie, Ben's decision keeps the others alive for
09:09 at least a few hours.
09:18 10.
09:21 Using Zombies To Stimulate The Economy – Shaun Of The Dead
09:25 After the British army contains the zombie outbreak, the country is left with a surplus
09:37 of shambling creatures.
09:39 Instead of dispatching them, the government decides to use the remaining members of the
09:42 horde to benefit the economy.
09:51 A bunch of zombies are placed into blue collar positions.
09:54 Another group of the moaning creatures is featured on reality TV and game shows.
09:59 The title character Shaun even plays video games with his zombified former roommate.
10:03 Since the creatures don't need money, a lot of business owners are likely saving a
10:07 fortune by hiring the horde.
10:10 This plan should go off without a hitch, unless the zombies get together and unionize.
10:15 9.
10:17 Turning Buses Into Tanks – Dawn Of The Dead
10:27 The heroes of this zombie film spend most of the run time safe from the hungry horde
10:31 by hunkering down in a mall.
10:33 Before they decide to make their way to a getaway boat on the docks, they spend some
10:37 valuable time reinforcing two buses.
10:40 They make the exteriors virtually indestructible by adding steel, barbed wire and big plows
10:46 to the fronts.
10:47 Then they load up the interiors with a good selection of weapons and some explosive propane
10:52 tanks.
10:58 The buses are able to take a lot of punishment while cutting a path through the horde.
11:03 Honestly, the survivors might have been better off staying inside their tricked out buses
11:06 instead of hopping on a boat to the unknown.
11:09 Just saying.
11:10 8.
11:11 Preparing An SOS Sign – 28 Days Later
11:29 Saving the hellish world of 28 Days Later is a near impossible task.
11:33 However, Jim, Selena and Hannah manage to overcome rage-infected humans, corrupt soldiers
11:39 and the harsh elements to find a safe haven.
11:42 When Hannah hears a plane approaching their cottage, the group executes a rescue plan.
11:49 They quickly unfurl a huge SOS made out of curtains that spells out the word 'hello'.
11:54 It was already pretty smart of them to have a pre-prepared message ready to go.
11:58 But the incredibly efficient way that they laid it out suggests that they had spent some
12:01 time practicing it.
12:03 Let's just hope they had the pilot at 'hello' and he swung around to pick them up.
12:10 7.
12:11 Trapping The Infected Inside An Apartment Building – Wreck
12:21 Some smart decisions come at a high cost.
12:23 The protagonists of 2007's Wreck had to learn this lesson in the worst way.
12:29 After firefighters get a call about someone trapped in an apartment building, they try
12:32 to assist.
12:34 Unfortunately, the woman they try to save is infected with a rabies-like virus and attacks
12:38 them.
12:39 When everyone tries to leave the woman behind in this building, they learn officials have
12:43 locked them in.
12:51 This cruel decision contains the virus in one place.
12:54 While this choice wisely helps prevent a potential outbreak, the people left inside the apartment
12:59 building are trapped with the monsters they can't escape.
13:09 6.
13:14 Making Julie Zombie Camouflage – Warm Bodies Although R is a zombie, his heart still seems
13:27 to be working just fine.
13:29 When he first laid eyes on Julie, he stopped trying to munch on humans just so he can see
13:34 her face.
13:35 And after he snacks on the brains of Julie's boyfriend, he decides to protect her from
13:39 the rest of the horde.
13:40 He transfers some of his own blood to her face to cover up her human smell.
13:46 This allows Julie to camouflage among the zombies until R can take her to a safe place.
13:51 It's pretty impressive thinking for a creature whose brains technically shouldn't work.
13:56 Not only does R's camouflage plan save Julie's life, but it helps prove that zombies can
14:01 show humanity.
14:11 5.
14:17 Creating Rules for the Zombie Apocalypse – The Zombieland Franchise
14:26 One of the best running gags in this comedy horror franchise is the slowly growing list
14:30 of rules for survival.
14:32 The cautious Columbus creates and closely follows a set of guidelines to keep him safe
14:36 in this dangerous world.
14:38 He recommends that survivors should check that bathrooms are safe, to always wear seatbelts,
14:44 get some cardio in, and so much more.
14:46 His vital survival tips help save lives on numerous occasions.
14:50 And although Columbus seems uptight, he's willing to modify his rules as he gains more
14:54 experience in the world.
15:01 Admittedly, he's not the only survivor to come up with a set of guidelines.
15:11 But seeing as Columbus is still alive at the end of the sequel, we'd bet our money on
15:15 his rules.
15:16 4.
15:17 Taking Advantage of Dull Zombie Senses – Train to Busan
15:27 In Train to Busan, the zombies only attack what they can hear or see.
15:31 The survivors take advantage of the horde's poor senses in a bunch of clever ways.
15:36 They cover up the windows between train cars with newspapers so that the zombies don't
15:40 see them and try to break through.
15:42 A few heroes also wait for tunnels to cover the train in darkness before moving.
15:50 And when survivors are out of sight, they distract the reanimated goons with sound.
15:57 Unfortunately, most of the passengers never make it off the train, but there would have
16:03 been no survivors at all if the humans didn't come up with so many smart ways to get around
16:07 the zombies' dull senses.
16:09 3.
16:11 Pretending the Outbreak is a Game – Little Monsters
16:25 A slacker musician named Dave and a brilliant teacher named Caroline are chaperoning a children's
16:30 field trip when a small zombie outbreak starts.
16:34 After a performer prevents them from seeking shelter in a gift shop, Dave wisely breaks
16:38 into the building from the top to let the kids in.
16:41 But it's Miss Caroline that has the movie's smartest idea.
16:44 When zombies first surround the class, she tells her students it's all just a game.
16:59 This clever strategy allows her to keep the kids calm while telling them exactly what
17:03 they need to do to survive each phase of the outbreak.
17:10 Miss Caroline's strategic white lie ensures every one of her students sees their parents
17:15 again.
17:16 2.
17:18 Making Excellent Use of a Drone – #Alive If protagonist Oh Joon-woo invested his money
17:29 in a PlayStation 4 instead of a drone, he wouldn't have survived this movie.
17:33 After he gets trapped in his apartment during a zombie apocalypse, the small aircraft becomes
17:38 his best resource.
17:39 Joon-woo uses the drone to get his phone high enough to get reception.
17:48 When he's on the brink of starvation, he establishes a direct food line to his ally
17:52 Kim's apartment by flying a string into her apartment.
17:55 Joon-woo even uses it to distract a zombie from munching on an unconscious Kim.
18:00 Even though the drone is wrecked before the climax, Joon-woo is still rescued at the film's
18:05 conclusion.
18:06 Why?
18:07 Because he was also smart enough to post his address and an SOS on social media.
18:28 1.
18:29 Injecting Deadly Diseases to Become Invisible – #WorldWarZ
18:44 Jerry Lane's insane observation skills might make him the most intelligent person to ever
18:48 appear in a zombie film.
18:50 After observing how long it takes for people to turn, he removes a lieutenant's bitten
18:54 hand before she becomes zombified.
18:57 But that isn't Jerry's best observation.
18:59 He notices that zombies avoid people with terminal illnesses.
19:11 After injecting himself with a deadly disease, he becomes virtually invisible to the hordes
19:16 of the walking, or in this case, running dead.
19:20 Jerry's discovery is spread across the world.
19:23 While some people just camouflage and avoid fights, other people use their invisibility
19:27 to strike back against the zombies.
19:32 Jerry's brilliant idea may have given humanity the edge it needed to win World War Z.
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19:57 [Outro]
20:08 (upbeat music)