Zombies aren’t just about groaning and brain-eating, especially when it comes to the people hunting them down. Like vampires, werewolves and ghosts, new zombie shows seem to pop up every year. Some are good and some are … not. So, when you’re in the mood for an apocalyptic nightmare to distract from your own life, it’s tough to choose.
This article is part of Trick or Stream, a seasonal series where Tom's Guide writers share their favorite horror movies and thrillers.
Between satires, procedurals and suburban nightmares, zombie shows don’t all fall into the category of grim beheadings and wasteland aesthetics. That’s not to say there aren’t plenty of those (looking at you, “The Walking Dead”), but the genre is surprisingly varied. Whether you want a creatively weird procedural like “iZombie” or a suburban mom hiding her secret ingredient (brains), there’s a zombie show for everyone.
'The Walking Dead'
As far as traditional zombie apocalypse shows go, “The Walking Dead” reigns supreme — at least if you ask its massive fanbase. Maybe I’m biased, since it gave us a villainous Jeffrey Dean Morgan with a barbed-wire bat, but 11 seasons and multiple spinoffs speak for themselves.
The survivors of the zombie outbreak dub them “walkers” and trek through a wasteland to destroy their undead foes. Andrew Lincoln (former sheriff’s deputy Rick Grimes) and Norman Reedus (Daryl Dixon) lead the cast alongside Lauren Cohan (Maggie Rhee) and Melissa McBride (Carol Peletier).
Monster stories work best when the horror takes a back seat to the people. Sure, the zombie setting is fun and high-stakes, but fans stick around for the found family, moral questions and, of course, mutual hatred of a character or two (Carl has entered the chat).
Watch on Netflix
'The Last of Us'
The title says it all. “The Last of Us” follows gruff smuggler Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) and teenage Ellie (Bella Ramsey) as they cross a wasteland version of the U.S., fending off the infected. What turns people into zombies here? A hive-minded fungus, obviously. The fungus communicates through an underground network, turning people into little more than hosts. As zombie worldbuilding goes, it’s … different.
Because infection spreads through the fungus itself, there’s no clear line between safety and danger — a terrifying twist fitting for a game adaptation.
Sure, “The Last of Us” is action-packed, but its real heart is the found family story, tinged with grief, trauma, and survival. After losing his daughter, Joel finds grounding in Ellie, who, luckily for them both, is immune. One loss is enough for a lifetime.
Watch on HBO Max
'Santa Clarita Diet'
Who says zombies can’t have it all? What’s the difference between a rare steak and … human flesh? Sheila Hammond (Drew Barrymore) has to wrestle with that ethical debate while clinging to suburban life with her husband Joel (Timothy Olyphant), daughter Abby (Liv Hewson), and, of course, the PTA.
While the satire keeps things funny, don’t discount the gore. The Victor Fresco-created series is essentially “Dexter” meets “Desperate Housewives.” If you thought your HOA was bad about shrub placement, try hiding body bags from your neighbors. Mind your own business, Karen. It’s ketchup, not blood.
The three-season series is ultimately a family show with a real estate subplot and (human) brains for dinner. Fans couldn’t get enough — and still haven’t forgiven its 2019 cancellation.
Watch on Netflix
'Ash vs. Evil Dead'
Satirical, comedy-horror is my weakness, and “Ash vs. Evil Dead” serves it up on a platter of severed heads. A sequel to Sam Raimi’s “Evil Dead” movies, the show leans into demonic necromancy and gleeful chaos. Its zombie-adjacent creatures, called Deadites, are reanimated corpses possessed by the Necronomicon.
The campy, chaotic three-season series favors slapstick mayhem over doom and gloom. Bruce Campbell reprises his movie role, dodging the pitfalls of lazy revivals. These not-quite-zombies talk, plot, and wreak havoc — gleefully.
Watch for free on the Roku Channel
'iZombie'
As far as zombie shows go, “iZombie” is one of the most creative. While some CW skeptics skip it, this zombie procedural is impossible not to love. The five-season series stars Rose McIver as Liv More (pun very much intended), a medical resident who catches the zombie virus after a wild party. She trades her doctor dreams for a coroner’s job to keep her brain fix under control. But the side effects aren’t all bad — zombies experience visions from the brains they eat, which Liv uses to help solve murders.
These zombies aren’t brainless monsters. The show digs into the politics, ethics, and fears that would naturally follow the rise of a brain-eating species.
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