5 Best Zombie TV Shows Streaming On Netflix Right Now
They shamble, they rot, they entertain. Zombies have been a huge part of the pop culture landscape for decades, showing up in everything from kid-friendly cartoons to jaw-droppingly bloody horror pictures. They've definitely hit the home streaming market with a vengeance, too — and Netflix has plenty of examples of the very best zombie-centered television shows in its archives.
Each of the entries on this list — determined by current availability and authorial opinion — has a zombie of some sort at the center point of its story, or those zombies act as a driving narrative force in the project. Whether they're epic sagas that span seasons or one-off wonders filled with quirky humor, they each bring something brand new to the table to enchant viewers with. From flesh-hungry mutants to kind-hearted people whose weaknesses involves nibbling on brains, here are five must-see zombie series which are exclusively available to watch on Netflix.
The Walking Dead
- Cast: Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Danai Gurira
- Creators: Frank Darabont, Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard
- Rating: TV-MA
- Number of Episodes: 177
- IMDb Score: 8.1
The show that sparked the zombie craze back to life, "The Walking Dead" timeline is brutal, heartbreaking, and enervating — but also incredibly touching. The show's central character is Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), a former officer of the law who wakes up from a coma to find the world has turned upside down and now zombies rule the earth. Rick goes out to find his family and bring them to safety, but his life becomes a whole lot more complicated when he draws together a large group of survivors looking to resettle a patch of land and find a new home.
It's a pillar of the zombie television world and probably one of the first programs your average person thinks of when the phrase "zombie drama" comes up. The series lasted for 11 seasons and it's spawned spin-off after spin-off, giving many of its main characters an afterlife in the wake of the mothership show's cancelation — and that definitely makes it one of the best zombie TV shows of all time.
Santa Clarita Diet
- Cast: Drew Barrymore, Timothy Olyphant
- Creator: Victor Fresco
- Rating: TV-MA
- Number of Episodes: 30
- IMDb Score: 7.8
Joel (Timothy Olyphant) and Sheila Hammond (Drew Barrymore) are two real estate agents whose lives seem to be content and well-appointed, if boring. All of that changes when Sheila is suddenly becomes ill while they're showing a house. Thanks to the advice of their next door neighbor's kid, Joel realizes that his wife is now an undead zombie with an endless craving for human flesh. The Hammonds must continue to raise their daughter, keep up with neighborhood politics and run their business — all while trying to keep Sheila's true status as an undead being hidden from public view.
A beloved cult series that was met with unexpected cancellation, "Santa Clarita Diet" died on a cliffhanger that will never be completed, leaving audiences yearning for real closure. But the two-season ride to get to that point is an awful lot of fun, as gory stereotypes meet with frantic and funny slapstick. The character work is fascinating, and the good natured fun of the series sweeps you up in its rotting arms.
All Of Us Are Dead
- Cast: Park Ji-hu, Yoon Chan-young, Cho Yi-hyun
- Creator: Joo Dong-geun
- Rating: TV-MA
- Number of Episodes: 13
- IMDb Score: 7.6
The Korean horror world has brought many a memorable zombie to life, but "All Of Us Are Dead" places the focus squarely on a bunch of high school students instead of the shambling horde, making them the central figures of the project. It's hard not to attach yourself to at least one of these teenagers and start rooting wildly for their success.
It's a normal day in South Korea, and a bunch of kids are attending classes at their high school when a student is bitten by a rodent. A zombie outbreak begins and spreads into the neighboring town, leaving the teens to fend for themselves as their world turns into a warzone. And as 13 episodes go by, many a sacrifice must be made for the good of the group as a whole. It's as bleak as "Day of the Dead" as heads roll, people are possessed, and death arrives in waves. "All Of Us Are Dead" is a gripping, horrific show that will keep you riveted and is definitely worth watching — if you don't mind its big problem.
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead
- Cast: Zeno Robinson, Xander Mobus, Bill Millsap
- Creator: Haro Aso
- Rating: TV-MA
- Number of Episodes: 12
- IMDb Score: 7.3
Based on the popular manga of the same name, "Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead" takes an amusingly chipper look at life in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. Filled with wit and a genuine zest for life, the show sparkles, turning into a worthwhile and exciting adventure that makes it quite the romp for hopepunk enthusiasts everywhere.
Akira Tendo's (voice of Shûichirô Umeda/Zeno Robinson) dead-end job with a nightmare company goes by the wayside when a zombie apocalypse hits. He decides to live optimistically and really lean into the experience, as he makes a bucket list and vows to do all of the things on it before he becomes one of the living dead. He's soon joined by a group of fellow survivors, and together they escape into Tokyo, enjoying pleasures small and grand.
Happiness
- Cast: Han Hyo-joo, Park Hyung-sik, Jo Woo-jin
- Creators: Yang Ji-eul, Lee Myung-han
- Rating: TV-14
- Number of Episodes: 12
- IMDb Score: 7.7
Yoon Sae-Bom (Han Hyo-joo) is a special agent. Jung Yi-Hyun (Park Hyung-sik) is her friend, a detective who has agreed to pose as her husband so they can live in an apartment set aside for civil servants. A virus begins to spread out of control outside their doors, and their whole building is locked down. Is there a cure for the illness? And could it be secretly hiding in the bloodstream of one of the characters?
Gritty, dark, and laden with gore, "Happiness" is a tale of a virus run amok. One part procedural, one part character study, and one part zombie apocalypse tale, it slowly unveils to the viewer the why and how of the horrors arresting the planet. Powerful acting make this a strong must-watch among Netflix' zombie-based offerings.