Directed, photographed, and edited on a shoestring budget by George A. Romero and co-written by John Russo, “Night of the Living Dead” remains one of the most seismic inspirations in world cinema history. A cornerstone of the American independent film movement, it initially seems to box itself neatly into the horror genre: zombies clawing at the windows, desperate humans barricading themselves in a lonely farmhouse, survival running on pure nerve.

But scratch that surface, and the film’s fierce, kinetic spirit refuses to be contained. This wasn’t just a horror flick—it was a primal scream that proved you don’t need fat budgets and polished sets to make something that cuts deep and leaves scars. Shot and edited with a raw, dramatic urgency, it anchors its simple narrative in a chillingly tactile atmosphere. The brilliance of Romero and Russo’s script lies in its stark, almost surgical focus on survival,...