Zombie films are among the most enduring and adaptable sub-genres of horror, offering more than mere thrills and gore. They often act as social commentaries, reflecting contemporary anxieties and cultural tensions. One recurring theme in zombie cinema is consumerism, a topic explored in both film studies and sociology. This article examines how zombie films critique consumer culture, drawing on specific examples and sociological theory to understand the genre’s enduring appeal and social significance.

The Origins of the Modern Zombie and Consumerism

Modern zombie cinema can trace its roots to George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (1968) and Dawn of the Dead (1978). Romero’s films transformed the zombie from a folkloric creature into a symbol of societal decay. While Night of the Living Dead focuses on social tension and racial dynamics, it is Dawn of the Dead that most explicitly addresses consumerism. Set in a suburban shopping mall, the zombies mindlessly wander through the aisles, echoing the habits of human consumers. Sociologically, this setting critiques the unthinking nature of mass consumption, suggesting that consumerist behaviors reduce people to lifeless automatons.

From a Marxist perspective, the zombies in Dawn of the Dead exemplify alienation and commodification. Karl Marx theorized that in capitalist societies, workers become alienated from the products of their labor and from each other, reduced to mere cogs in the production and consumption process. The mall-bound zombies are the ultimate representation of this alienation: they exist only to consume, highlighting the cyclical and dehumanizing nature of consumer capitalism. Romero’s imagery suggests that in a society obsessed with material goods, individuals risk losing autonomy, individuality, and critical consciousness.

In-Depth Analysis of Dawn of the Dead (1978)

The most striking feature of Dawn of the Dead is its setting: a suburban shopping mall. This location isn’t just a convenient plot device—it’s a deliberate sociological statement. Romero used the mall as a symbol of consumer culture in 1970s America, a period marked by rising materialism and mass marketing. The mall represents a safe, familiar space of abundance, but once overrun by zombies, it becomes a prison of mindless consumption, highlighting how deeply consumerism is embedded in daily life.

The zombies wandering through the mall behave exactly like shoppers: they wander aimlessly, are drawn to objects (or, in their case, human flesh), and repeat the same patterns endlessly. This mirrors Karl Marx’s concept of alienation, where workers become disconnected from their labor and society, reduced to performing repetitive, mechanized actions. The zombies are the ultimate metaphor for humans consumed by materialism—driven by desire, but lacking awareness or agency.

Romero also subtly critiques class and social hierarchy. The mall, with its luxury goods and consumer brands, represents middle-class aspirations. By placing the zombies in this setting, Romero suggests that consumer culture traps not only the poor but also the privileged in cycles of desire and mindless routine. Sociologically, this aligns with Thorstein Veblen’s theory of conspicuous consumption, highlighting the absurdity and emptiness of social competition through material goods.

The hordes of zombies can also be read as a representation of the fear of the masses, a concept explored by Gustave Le Bon. In capitalist societies, large groups of consumers are seen as unpredictable and potentially dangerous. In Dawn of the Dead, the zombie masses are literally unstoppable, overwhelming individuals who try to assert control. Romero dramatizes this fear visually, turning economic and social anxieties into tangible horror.

Romero contrasts the zombies’ mindless consumption with the protagonists’ attempts at rational survival. This tension illustrates Max Weber’s idea of rationalization, where modern humans attempt to impose order on life through planning and reason. Yet, despite their rational efforts, the survivors are constantly under threat from creatures representing unthinking, compulsive consumption. This suggests that consumer culture has an almost inescapable influence, even on those who attempt to resist it.

Postmodern Zombies and Late Capitalism

Later zombie films, particularly those emerging in the post-2000 era, continue to explore consumerist anxieties under the framework of late capitalism. Films like 28 Days Later (2002) and World War Z (2013) are less concerned with literal consumerism but reflect the broader sociological impact of globalized markets and corporate structures. Here, zombies symbolize the uncontrollable spread of desire, panic, or mass consumption in interconnected societies.

Fredric Jameson’s theory of postmodernism provides a useful lens. Jameson argues that in postmodern societies, cultural production is intertwined with economic systems, and media often reflects the fragmentation and saturation of consumer culture. In zombie films, the hordes of the infected can be interpreted as a metaphor for the relentless pressure of mass consumption, social conformity, and the replication of capitalist desires. The endless proliferation of zombies mirrors the endless cycles of production and consumption, where individual identity is submerged beneath collective demands.

Consumerism as Social Critique in Remakes

Romero’s critique of consumerism has inspired numerous remakes and reinterpretations. Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead (2004) revisits the mall setting but updates the horror with faster, more aggressive zombies. While Snyder’s film focuses more on survival and action, the underlying critique of consumer culture remains. The mall, a symbol of capitalist abundance, becomes a paradoxical trap: a site of desire that is simultaneously unsafe and dehumanizing.

Zombies as Metaphors for Capitalist Anxiety

The zombie metaphor extends beyond consumer behavior to broader anxieties about capitalism. In films like Shaun of the Dead (2004), the mundane routines of everyday life are paralleled with the mindless movements of zombies. The film uses satire to show how consumerism and routine can trap people in cycles of monotony and unthinking obedience. Sociologist Max Weber’s theory of rationalization is relevant here: modern societies become increasingly dominated by bureaucratic structures and rationalized systems, which can dehumanize individuals. Zombies, in their unthinking pursuit of flesh or survival, mirror the way humans can become trapped by social and economic routines.

Moreover, zombie films often portray social collapse following outbreaks, revealing the fragility of societal structures built on consumption. For example, in World War Z, social and governmental institutions struggle to respond to the pandemic, highlighting the overreliance on structured systems and the vulnerability of societies organized around efficiency and consumption. From a sociological standpoint, this exposes latent anxieties about how consumerist societies might cope with crises that disrupt normal cycles of production and consumption.

Zombies and Globalization

Zombie films also provide insight into the sociological effects of globalization. In an interconnected world, economic systems, cultural products, and even crises spread rapidly. 28 Days Later and World War Z depict fast-moving infections that overwhelm borders and institutions, symbolizing the global flow of goods, ideas, and panic. Sociologist Anthony Giddens’ concept of time-space distanciation is useful here: globalization collapses time and space, allowing events in one part of the world to have immediate effects elsewhere. Zombies, as unstoppable global forces, metaphorically illustrate how modern consumer culture and economic systems are deeply interconnected and susceptible to rapid disruption.

Consumerism and Fear of the Masses

A recurring theme in zombie cinema is the fear of the masses—a sociological concern with the collective behavior of populations under stress. Gustave Le Bon’s crowd theory suggests that individuals in large groups can lose rationality and act impulsively, driven by emotion rather than reason. Zombie hordes embody this fear, representing the masses as uncontrollable, irrational, and threatening. In consumerist terms, the undead mirror the unthinking masses in capitalist society, where desires and consumption patterns are homogenized, predictable, and potentially dangerous when unchecked.

This idea is vividly illustrated in Romero’s Day of the Dead (1985), where the military struggles to contain hordes of zombies in underground bunkers. The film critiques hierarchical structures and the limits of control in highly organized societies, raising questions about obedience, authority, and the risks inherent in systems that rely on conformity and control.

Conclusion

Zombie films serve as a rich site for sociological analysis, particularly regarding consumerism and capitalist society. From Romero’s original critiques in Dawn of the Dead to contemporary films like World War Z, the undead act as mirrors reflecting societal anxieties about consumption, conformity, and globalization. Marxist theories of alienation, Veblen’s conspicuous consumption, Weber’s rationalization, and Jameson’s postmodern critiques all help illuminate the deeper meanings behind the genre’s scares.

Ultimately, zombie cinema reminds viewers that horror is not only about the fear of death or infection—it is also about the fear of what society might become under the pressures of consumerism, capitalism, and social conformity. The mindless, ever-hungry zombie continues to serve as a potent metaphor for human behavior, exposing both the absurdities and the dangers of a culture driven by unthinking consumption.

For further analysis of Dawn of the Dead, watch the following clips: