Zack Snyder's Highest-Rated Movie On Rotten Tomatoes Turns 20 In 2024
To say Zack Snyder has had a pretty sizable impact on the entertainment industry over the last two decades would be a major understatement. While his 2007 action epic, "300," was already a massive hit for the filmmaker, Snyder went on to make "Man of Steel" and "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," effectively jump-starting the entire DCEU.
Though the DCEU is officially over now, Snyder's films live on, and at the top of the heap, critically speaking, is his 2004 remake of "Dawn of the Dead." A blisteringly fresh take on the original film from George Romero, Snyder's "Dawn of the Dead" adopted the fast-running zombies of "28 Days Later," upping the ante and leading to a story that is arguably equal to its legendary predecessor.
While, as noted above, the "Watchmen" director has made plenty of noteworthy films since the mid-'00s picture, "Dawn of the Dead" remains the best-reviewed of his 11 features, boasting a certified fresh rating of 76% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The audience's reaction to the remake is just as positive as well, coming in at an impressive 77%.
Snyder returned to horror with 2021's Army of the Dead
Of course, one film in particular from Zack Snyder's filmography has come to echo the success of "Dawn of the Dead." In 2021, Netflix released Snyder's "Army of the Dead," a post-apocalyptic heist adventure crawling with zombies. The film was a massive success for the streaming platform, with Netflix claiming it was watched by over 70 million households. "Army of the Dead" was enough of a hit to spawn a prequel and a potential sequel titled "Planet of the Dead."
With this in mind, it's interesting to note how few horror films Snyder has actually made, especially when you consider just how much audiences devoured and enjoyed his two unrelated zombie films. Whether this could lead to more horror films coming down the pipeline for the director, including the possible "Army of the Dead" sequel, remains to be seen. While it's unknown what Snyder's top priority will be once he's wrapped things up with "Rebel Moon," no doubt, the filmmaker's devoted fanbase will be excited no matter which genre he chooses to dive into next.