10 Viral Picks!
Resident Evil, the Netflix series, is loosely adapted from the video game series of the same name. We say ‘loosely’ as, despite the title and the presence of some familiar-looking creatures, there is very little that connects the show to the source material.
This is a shame but if there will be a Resident Evil: Season 2, perhaps we’ll get to see more of the characters and story lore that made the games so great.
Of course, if you’re not somebody who regularly picks up a joypad, the fact that the series has veered away from the games probably won’t matter to you. But whatever the case, if you have binged the first series and you’re looking for a few alternatives to fill your time, you might want to check out the following.
The Walking Dead (2010-2022)
Similarities: Zombies; Survival story
The Walking Dead is based on Robert Kirkman’s comic book series of the same name and it tells the story of a group of survivors trying to stay alive amidst a zombie apocalypse. The first season of this show was arguably the strongest but it has still retained a loyal fanbase, despite the dips in quality that have happened over the years.
Zombies aren’t the only threat to the protagonists of this show as their chances of finding a safe haven is constantly made difficult because of their fellow humans. One of the most memorable encounters was with Negan and his loyal band of followers in season 7. As you will know if you’re an avid fan of the show, this was the season when Negan bludgeoned to death one of the show’s most popular characters!
The series concludes this year but there are plenty of other zombie shows (including those that are on this list) to fill the gap that The Walking Dead will leave behind.
You can read our thoughts on The Walking Dead in our full season reviews here!
Z-Nation (2014-2018)
Similarities: Zombies, zombie virus; survival story
Unlike The Walking Dead, which is a mostly serious affair, Z-Nation was a campy and sometimes quite funny zombie series that was SyFy’s answer to the aforementioned show. Despite the change in tone, there are similarities, such as a cast of characters who do what they can to survive within a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
The heroes of this now-cancelled series were tasked with escorting a mutated survivor of a zombie virus across the country in the hope of finding a cure using his DNA. Their task was made difficult by the survivor himself, who harboured a dark secret about his zombie-inflicted condition, and the usual batches of zombies that inevitably got in the way during their journey to the Center for Disease Control research lab in California.
The series was a remarkable hit for SyFy, despite coming from The Asylum, the production company that infamously jumps on the bandwagon with a cheap movie every time a blockbuster hit emerges elsewhere.
This was their first television show but despite its low budget and occasionally wacky script, it’s nowhere near as bad as Sharknado, Titanic II, Avengers Grimm, and the many other poor-quality titles that the studio has churned out over the years.
You can read our thoughts on Z-Nation in our full season reviews here!
Ash vs. Evil Dead (2015-2018)
Similarities: zombies
If you’re a fan of Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead and its sequels, this series is probably must-watch viewing as it is set in the same universe and stars Bruce Campbell who returns as Ash, the main protagonist from the now-classic movies.
Set 30 years after the original trilogy, we are re-introduced to Ash who has done very little with his life since his time-travelling adventure in the third movie, where he journeyed to the Middle Ages in search of the Necronomicon (the Book of the Dead). He is soon kick-started into action again by a new zombie threat and is joined by two new companions in his continued quest to save humanity.
As you might expect, this series is more of a comedy than a zombie survival thriller as it retains some of the humour that made Raimi’s movies so entertaining. Campbell was able to add more layers to the character that made him famous but sadly, the series ended after three seasons, which is a surprise, as it set Ash up for more adventures at the Season 3 conclusion.
All Of Us Are Dead (2022-present)
Similarities: Zombies; Zombie virus
If you’re looking for another Netflix series to add to your watchlist, you might want to consider All Of Us Are Dead, a South Korean production that chronicles the lives of a group of students after they get stuck in school after a zombie outbreak.
As is the case with Resident Evil, the outbreak began because of a virus but in this series, the virus was created in a school lab and not in the research centre of a sinister pharmaceutical corporation. With few resources and no outside help forthcoming, the students of Hyosan High School must band together to survive. Their situation is made more difficult by the complicated dynamics they share with their fellow classmates so not only do they have to survive the outbreak, but they also have to find ways to get on with each other.
The show was a hit with Netflix viewers and it received some good reviews. As such, you won’t be surprised to learn that a second series is on the way sometime in 2023.
You can read our thoughts on All Of Us Are Dead in our full season reviews here!
The Witcher (2019-present)
Similarities:Â Video game adaptation, Monsters
The Witcher isn’t a series about the undead but there are lots of strange creatures in this fantasy show and it is based on a series of novels that later launched a video game franchise that has proven popular with many.
Henry Cavill stars as Geralt of Rivia, the Witcher of the title, who makes his living by hunting monsters. He doesn’t only do this with sword and muscle alone as he also has enhanced magical abilities that help him to take down his foes. Like the recent Resident Evil, there is a lot of timeline jumping as we are introduced to other characters in the show, such as Yennefer, a young sorceress who faces trials of her own during the series.
You will recognise elements of The Witcher games if you are familiar with them but the series leans more heavily on the original novels that were written by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. A third season is on the way, so if you have already binged the first two seasons, you will be keen to ‘toss a coin’ in Geralt’s direction if you haven’t yet renewed your Netflix subscription.
You can read our thoughts on The Witcher in our full season reviews here!
Fear the Walking Dead (2015-present)
Similarities: Zombies; Apocalypse; Survival
You won’t get any points for guessing which show this is a spin-off from (the clue is in the title) but if you haven’t caught up with it, perhaps because you have grown tired of its predecessor, you should make room for this prequel series on your watchlist.
The show largely focuses on one family at the beginning of the zombie apocalypse and it chronicles their hellish nightmare as they do what they can to support each other in the face of overwhelming odds. Some people actually like this more than the show it spawned from as it veered away from that series’ stale formula as it progressed during its run.
Fear The Walking Dead has a lot in common with its older sibling due to the shared universe and the overlapping characters that pop up in both shows. An eighth season has been announced which will be good news if you’re a fan but whether or not it manages to carry its storyline to 11 seasons, as The Walking Dead has managed to do, still remains to be seen.
You can read our thoughts on Fear The Walking Dead in our full season reviews here!
Black Summer (2019-present)
Similarities: Zombies; Survival
This Netflix original series is set in the same world as Z-Nation but in terms of tone and atmosphere, it’s a far more serious affair than that bizarre and sometimes comical series.
The show focuses on a mother and daughter who get separated during the start of the zombie apocalypse. During their quest to find one another again, the two join forces with other groups and do what they can to survive in the hostile new world they have found themselves in.
Character development is a little sparse in this spin-off series but if you favour fast-moving action over family dynamics and personal introspection, you might find this more entertaining than The Walking Dead which was sometimes slower in pace than a stumbling zombie. A third season of Black Summer has not been confirmed yet but if you’re a fan of the show, we’re sure you’ll be chomping at the bit for this one!
You can read our thoughts on Black Summer in our full season reviews here!
The Returned (2012-2015)
Similarities: undead; mystery
When thinking about the undead, you probably think of brain-chomping monsters that think nothing of interrupting your dinner plans to make way for their own. This is certainly the case with many of the other titles on this list but The Returned is different. This French supernatural series focuses on a small town where previously dead people come back to life and return to their normal lives as if nothing has happened to them.
This show isn’t for you if you prefer action and gore over quiet drama but if you do have the patience for something a little bit different, you might want to add this to your Netflix watchlist. The series retains the air of mystery that Resident Evil has and it features a group of characters who try to make sense of what is going on around them. It’s quite spooky too and there are moments of horror that don’t involve characters being eaten.
The series was actually based on the French film They Came Back so you might want to give that a go to see how it compares to this now-ended show.
Kingdom (2019-present)
Similarities: Zombies
Zombie thrillers are usually set in the present day or the near future but this isn’t the case with this South Korean series. Kingdom is set in the 16th century, three years after the Japanese invasion of Korea, and follows Lee Chang, the Crown Prince of Joseon, who tries to protect his people from a zombie outbreak while simultaneously trying to stop his political opponents from seizing the throne.
Of course, this isn’t historically accurate – we don’t remember reading about a zombie invasion in our history books – but the series is inspired by documentation that alluded to a mysterious disease that killed tens of thousands of people during the time of the Joseon Dynasty. We’re pretty sure they didn’t come back to life but it’s interesting to know that the series is based around events that actually happened in the past.
There is no gunplay in this show as our protagonists use swords, bows, and other primitive weapons in their battle against the undead. Due to this change in combat and the period setting, the series is quite refreshing and it breathes fresh life into a genre that was in danger of dying due to the overload of post-apocalyptic zombie movies and shows that came before it.
You can read our thoughts on Kingdom in our full season reviews here!
Resident Evil – Infinite Darkness (2021)
Similarities: Shared universe; zombies
If you’re looking for a show that is similar to Resident Evil, you may as well watch a series that is based in the same universe! Unlike the new Netflix show, however, this has far more in common with the original video game series. It follows Leon and Claire, the main protagonists from Capcom’s Resident Evil 2, and takes place in 2006 when a new zombie outbreak takes place.
Chris Redfield and Leon S. Kennedy also feature in this 4-episode anime and you will recognise other elements from the games if you are familiar with them. The fact that this is set during the timeline of the games will be of particular interest to fans (it sets up the events of Resident Evil 5), so if you’re disappointed in the direction the new Resident Evil series has gone, you might be happier with this one.
Infinite Darkness is a limited series so the chances of a second season are very unlikely. However, there are several animated Resident Evil movies out there that are closer in spirit to the game franchise, so you might want to check those out if you haven’t done so already.
You can read our thoughts on Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness in our full season reviews here!
So there we have it, our 10 TV show alternatives to watch when you’re finished watching Resident Evil on Netflix.
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!