Zack Snyder Movies Ranked
5. Dawn of the Dead (2004)
After circulating as a music video and advertisement director – including being the key creative on the iconic Budweiser chariot Superbowl ad – Zack Snyder got his first big movie break on the horror remake Dawn of the Dead (2004).
The relatively low budget zombie film was an over-the-top festival of thrills, jump-scares and gore, and was successful both critically and financially for its fresh and visually-appealing take on the story.
A zombie movie before zombie stories came back into fashion, and on a scale seemingly unimaginable in most zombie cinema to that point, Dawn of the Dead set a marker for Snyder’s career, illustrating his abilities to find rhythm and style, and proving the catalyst for all to come.
Whilst much of Snyder’s work has matured over the years since, there remains a genuine thrill in seeing the filmmaker excel in the early days of his career, Dawn of the Dead being a reliably entertaining film to this day.
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4. Army of the Dead (2021)
Whilst early 2021 release Zack Snyder’s Justice League had the feeling of a director finally finding closure with regards to one period of his creative life, the release of Army of the Dead felt a lot like the director welcoming the birth of another period, like he was finding a new voice.
More akin to a 90s blockbuster in terms of dialogue, pace and fun than Snyder’s more stylised and serious early career entries, Army of the Dead took from the great zombie films of the past, combined them with an 90s-Emmerich-level blockbuster team-up, and gave us all a glimpse into a filmmaker unshackled by the expectations of comic book adaptations and unburdened by studio interference.
Beneath the laughs, the gross body horror and some terrific action sequences lied a heart that was simply too hard to miss, Snyder’s first film since the tragic passing of his daughter by no coincidence centring on a father sacrificing everything for the love of his child, the ever-allegorical zombie being the poisoned villain of his piece.
Army of the Dead wasn’t a knockout in terms of any one aspect, but it was a surprisingly welcoming presence with a deep personal touch that shall be fondly remembered by fans and-or sympathisers of the director for years to come.
3. Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
Zack Snyder’s Justice League Review
Unlike the utterly unfaithful 2017 version of Justice League released in Zack Snyder’s name despite him having little-to-no say over its final cut, the 2021 re-edited version of DC’s biggest superhero team-up of all time, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, was justice served, not only for this individualistic filmmaker but for his legions of fans.
Released in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Snyder took what he perceived to be his last chance at his dream comic book adaptation project and made it as unique to him as he possibly could, elevating the theatrical release tenfold and creating the kind of superhero film that only he could make.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League was four hours long, but like the films to come on this list it was highly stylised and took its time to explain and reveal important plot points, operating with a pulse and rhythm that was close to Snyder’s very best efforts.
Whilst this 2021 version of Justice League didn’t quite feel as ahead of its time, unique or profoundly interesting as the films still to come, there is a case to be made for it being the filmmaker’s magnum opus, an example of this director’s work that is by all accounts “the most Snyder”.
