Synopsis
Lucio Fulci's 1979 Italian horror masterpiece follows Anne Bowles as she journeys to the mysterious Matul Island to find her missing father, only to discover a terrifying epidemic turning the dead into flesh-hungry zombies. Renowned for its groundbreaking and unflinching gore, the film features iconic sequences including a zombie battling a live shark underwater and a deeply disturbing eye-splinter scene. Considered a landmark of Italian horror cinema, it remains one of the most influential zombie films ever made.
Why Watch It
Lucio Fulci crafts a gorgeously grotesque descent into zombie horror, where lush Caribbean atmosphere clashes violently with visceral practical gore that still shocks decades later. The film moves with dreamlike dread rather than plot momentum, letting unsettling imagery and a hypnotic score do the psychological heavy lifting—this is atmosphere over narrative, pure and simple.
Did You Know?
- Directed by Lucio Fulci, often called 'Godfather of Gore.'
- Features a legendary underwater shark versus zombie fight scene.
- Released in Italy as 'Zombi 2,' a sequel to 'Dawn of the Dead.'
- The zombie eye-splinter scene required precise dummy eye engineering.
- Filmed on location in New York City and Santo Domingo.
Iconic Quotes
- "The dead are among us."
- "I'm a doctor. I don't believe in the dead coming back to life."
- "Somewhere, beyond all reason, the dead are returning to life."
- "This island is cursed. Only the dead can stay here."
- "We must burn them. Fire is the only way."