21 Years Later, James Gunn’s $102M Zombie Sleeper Hit Is Still the Best Horror Remake Ever
Published 8 hours ago
Ben Morganti is a film and television critic at CBR, bringing a filmmaker’s eye and deep understanding of cinematic craft to his analysis. With experience producing independent features and short films, Ben combines practical industry knowledge with a passion for storytelling across genres, including crime, westerns, science fiction, horror, and the works of directors like Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese.
Horror fans have grown accustomed to definitive genre categories shaping it for generations. While this includes slashers, supernatural horror, body horror, zombie horror, and conceptual distinctions, it also includes repetitive rip-offs, sequels, and remakes. Cinema is full of remakes, but in horror, there are often more than usual, sparking interesting discussions about horror remakes. While many don’t work, some stand out as films that either live up to or surpass the original. The best horror remakes often involve the right director and cast at the center, but many factors contribute to their success.
Several key voices in the horror genre are revered by fans worldwide. Whether it’s John Carpenter, Wes Craven, David Cronenberg, or James Wan, each has significantly impacted the genre. One of the most iconic horror names is George A. Romero, who redefined horror with his zombie thrillers in the ’60s and ’70s. Romero’s work has always affected audiences, and studios have sought to capitalize on his film popularity ever since. The most iconic Romero film is arguably Dawn of the Dead, still considered the greatest zombie masterpiece of all time.
Even this film has seen remakes, and while many fans wouldn’t want to see it remade, the 2004 Dawn of the Dead is one of the most entertaining zombie movies in recent memory. Zack Snyder’s 2004 adaptation is the greatest horror remake ever. Snyder’s ability to craft immensely imaginative worlds is not something everyone can do, and he has proven to be pretty good at it. However, he doesn’t always get the best out of a project and has botched more than a few in his career.
Snyder’s talent lies in adapting material from a previously existing source and re-interpreting it in a fun way, almost perfectly mimicking the source material. When he doesn’t do this, his films are ineffective. Dawn of the Dead was Snyder’s feature debut, and there was pressure to get it right. His strategy was simple but effective: mirroring the original closely while changing elements of tone, violence, and aesthetics to be more modern. This adaptation worked well, especially since the writing was strong. Dawn of the Dead is a thrilling, thematically resonant, and structurally sound horror film.
Even today, Dawn of the Dead is considered a solid zombie film and one of the best of the 21st century. However, it transcends this century as it might be the best horror remake ever. What’s memorable about Dawn of the Dead is its gritty, grounded, and terrifying approach to zombie horror, embodying the barest elements of Romero’s work and re-interpreting them for a modern audience. This made the zombie spectacle more compelling than some fans expected, and Zack Snyder provided a pleasing aesthetic and atmosphere that worked for the film.
What’s essentially an updated version of Romero’s original turned into something more visceral, especially with truly terrifying sequences, strong character arcs, and an overwhelming theme of survival. The film’s energy and pace can be attributed to Snyder, especially with his grasp of strong visuals in movies. However, just because Snyder is good at mirroring the source material, that doesn’t mean he’s always responsible for it.
Dawn of the Dead is actually one of James Gunn’s best movies. While Zack Snyder directed the film, James Gunn wrote it and crafted a very intricate and riveting zombie epic in 2004. Gunn is no stranger to horror, having made one of the best cult horror films of the 21st century with Slither in 2006. The greatest horror remake ever was conceived mainly by Gunn and then brought to life by Snyder.
This duo was perfect at the time, and fans still cite Dawn of the Dead’s engaging pace, structure, and overall progression. The way tension builds and each sequence tops the next is why Dawn of the Dead works so well. The climactic ending, brought to the biggest close possible by Gunn, is always memorable. In 2004, this is what fans expected from a zombie thriller, and it even managed to top aspects of Romero’s original at times.
Gunn’s biggest change was to the zombies themselves, making them more aggressive and vicious with fast movement and terrifying strength. This was inspired by a shift in zombie horror during that time and added a different element to the film. Following a nurse, a police officer, and a random group of survivors, Dawn of the Dead provides the most character depth to Ana (the nurse) and focuses heavily on the concept of being stuck in one single location for most of the story. This provided interesting tension and a slow psychological deterioration for the characters.
The film might not provide a ton of thematic depth, but it does comment on humanity’s reaction to surreal conflict. Balancing unique perspectives with an unrelenting plot, Dawn of the Dead is proof of another brilliant work by James Gunn. While pretty much anything George Romero has ever done is recognized for its greatness, the zombie genre has maybe a handful of true masterpieces in cinema’s history.
Believe it or not, one of them is the 2004 zombie remake that effectively kick-started the careers of Zack Snyder and James Gunn. With classic zombie movies effectively defining the genre in the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, there have been reinterpretations of the concept with other disease-based stories. David Cronenberg’s Rabid and classics like Invasion of the Body Snatchers come to mind. However, disease films like 28 Days Later have also redefined the genre.
In terms of the overall history of the zombie concept, Dawn of the Dead (04) might be one of the best ever made. While TV made a splash with The Walking Dead and movies like The Crazies always come to mind, Dawn of the Dead is a film that gets referenced. If not overall, then at least in the 21st century, Dawn of the Dead is one of the best zombie movies in recent memory. Fans have also loved the comedic approach that some filmmakers have taken to the genre, with Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland being endlessly fun.
Release Date: March 19, 2004
Runtime: 100 minutes
Director: Zack Snyder
Writers: George A. Romero, James Gunn, Sarah Polley, and Ving Rhames