In fiction, Zombies are considered to be animated corpses that plague humanity with the intent to feast on human brains. Today, Zombies are one of the most over used, repetitive forms of undead creatures seen in movies, becoming all too predictable and boring. In nearly all forms of media they appear in, zombies haven't done anything significant to differentiate themselves from previous installments in the genre. Because of this revelation, I never could understand how something like this phenomenon would grow to the heights it was able to reach, when most of the movies about them were pretty much mediocre with a seriously weak, basic plot; survive the mindless flesh eating creature. Despite this, many still love these creatures and revere them as a horror movie staple, along with Vampires and Werewolves. To be fair, they have earned that right.
In recent years, zombies have been receiving new films as well as a TV series; further proving Zombie lore is still relevant and interesting to the mass majority of it's viewers. I myself have never been particularly intrigued by the concept of a walking corpse who tries to devour your flesh, carrying with it the potential to infect others to become just like them after I reached a certain age, so much of it held no true importance to me, but for many that was not the case. Once you break it down, as repetitive and one dimensional as the concept has become, Zombie lore is clever for one reason; the survival aspect. Due to the nature of their films, zombies play off our natural fears when it comes to our own preservation of survival. As a result, the concept also personifies viruses; which can elevate to the same magnitude of a plague, often presenting themselves as the embodiment of what a plague means.
For many fans of the genre, blood and gore had always been a consistent factor, however, this is only a fraction of what the atmosphere presents to it's viewers. As a result, audiences across the globe are given an opportunity to observe a unique phenomenon; experiencing, a plethora of harsh, relentless, and disturbing, survival methods. Due to the atmosphere of their films, zombie lore allows one to ponder, "What if they are real?", "How would I survive"? Resulting in some who go to great lengths to create their own methods for each situation, both mentally and physically; whether it's for the purpose of excitement or based on superstitious fear, while others regard their existence in the media as a metaphor for humanity's growing dependence on technology.
In closing, Zombie films as well as their TV series have become predictable, repetitive, and highly overrated. However, these creatures deserve praise for what the concept was able to achieve, exploiting our primal instincts, challenging us mentally, and personifying human fears, which provides us with more insight in the form of a psychological experience presented in one of the best metaphorical exhibitions found in this genre. Despite their flaws, surviving zombies as a theme in any form of media, captures our natural curiosity, and fuels our need to survive.
