Shuffling Zombie vs. sprinting Zombie

I just watched 28 Weeks Later. As far as I know, 28 Days, 28 Weeks and the Dawn of the Dead remake are the only zombies films to feature running zombies. Strictly speaking, the first two don’t really have zombies. Shuffling zombies can be found pretty much everywhere else. I think there’s a unique sense of fear behind both variants.

The Sprinting Zombie:



1. The sprinting zombie is terrifying because the possibility of outrunning it isn’t great. If it’s a true zombie than it doesn’t need to breathe, which puts your twenty pack a day lungs at a bit of a disadvantage.

2. They’re also harder to shoot. Again, if they’re proper zombies then usually only headshots count. Trying to shoot someone in the head whilst stationary (in a game) is hard enough.

3. No respite. This relates to the first point but lets say you manage to put some distance between you and the mindless horde, there is no guarantee, the reverse in fact, that they will lose interest on your Tesco Finest fed arse.

The Shuffling Zombie:


1. Decomposition. Being slow by nature the ravages of time and nature can usually leave the shuffler looking a lot more grotesque than their sprinting counterparts, possibly putting you off your lunch, stunning you with horror or making you miss.

2. The inevitability. Shufflers are on mass. That means you will never have enough ammo or strength to dispatch them all. Sooner or later one will bite you.

3. Lurkers. Whereas a sprinting zombie will make itself known by heavy footfalls, the lurker can seem to be dead, lying still on the floor or behind a corner but then chomp, game over.

There you have it. Which is your favourite?

PS-

Sean of the Dead and one scene from 28 Weeks Later were shot in and around Crouch End. It’s still being taken over by idiots, which are worse than zombies. More on that next time.