"Night of the Living Dead" is often credited as the turning point of the horror genre and became the root of all zombie films. The film was directed by George A. Romero who never called his villainous hoards "zombies." In the movie they are only referred to as “ghouls,” yet they somehow sparked the explosion that would be the booming genre of zombie films. The movie first came to theaters in 1968 and quickly became an occult classic around the world.

“Night of the Living Dead” is about a group of people who find themselves trapped inside a farmhouse and how they react to the horrific hoards of the undead banging at their door. The main characters, Ben and Barbara, played by Duane Jones and Judith O’Dea play their respective roles exceptionally well. 

The movie starts out with Barbara visiting her father’s grave along with her brother Johnny who is attacked by a man wandering the graveyard aimlessly. In response, Barbara runs away, abandoning her brother, and reaches a farmhouse. She explores the house for a while as more zombie-like people wander around outside. A man drives up to the house in a pickup truck, quickly killing three of these ghouls. His name is Ben, and for the rest of the movie he tries to become leader of the main cast. The rest of the main cast are hiding down in the basement. This group includes the Coopers, a husband and wife (played by Karl Hardman and Marilyn Eastman) along with their daughter (Kyra Schon). There is also a teen couple, Tom and Judy (Keith Wayne and Judith Ridley), who are hiding with them. This cast of characters is required to plan and execute an escape, or else they will all be killed.

The tension comes mostly from the actors on screen, not the monsters shuffling quietly outside. Barbara is freaking out after seeing her brother get attacked. She yells at Ben to help her find her brother, but he knocks her out because she is becoming hysterical. The stress of her situation leaves her nearly silent for the rest of the film. Mr. Cooper gets violent with Ben early on, as he thinks hiding in the cellar is safer and easier to guard. Ben believes that upstairs is better due to multiple escape paths and supplies. Mr. Cooper wants to protect his family and doesn't care if anyone else makes it out alive. When faced with fear, some lose their manners and lean on their primal urges. The movie shows us how societal norms quickly break down in the face of danger and death.

I highly recommend this movie, although it's not appropriate for young children. "Night of the Living Dead" delves into human psychology in the face of horror and is very well made for the time period. There were no special effects back in the 1960s, so everything was acheived with makeup. The movie uses screenplay techniques not seen in theaters much anymore; in some scenes, no one speaks for up to five minutes! Visuals and camera angles do more of the speaking. The acting is amazing, and the soundtrack is perfect for the mood the film is trying to convey.