Summary
The Walking Deadmay be the most popular zombie series, butone post-apocalyptic movie tells a much more realistic and logical story. Countless TV shows and films have attempted to show what the end of the world would really look like, fromthe action-packedMad MaxfranchisetoThe Last of Us, which had a disappointing season 2. But a lot of the time, these stories are too flashy and dramatic, and they don’t feel grounded in reality.
The Walking Deaduniverse has continued with more than one spinoff, although some are more gripping than others. AfterFear the Walking Deadended in 2023after eight seasons, fans were glad to go on another dark, wild journey with Negan Smith (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Maggie Rhee (Lauren Cohan) onDead City.But if fans want a truly clever and practical depiction of the apocalypse, there’s one movie that deserves praise and attention.
The Road, the 2009 movie based on Cormac McCarthy’s novel, is the only post-apocalyptic movie that shares the brutal, terrifying, and bleak reality of the situation. The film follows a man (Viggo Mortensen) and his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee), who aren’t given names and who are traveling around trying to survive.The Road’s emotional endingis tough to watch, but it shares the main message of the story: that when the world is ending, people need to lean on each other.
Instead of showing different groups fighting, or centering around a cruel villain likeNegan Smith (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) onThe Walking Dead,The Roadshows that everything, from plants to animals to people, have died.The novel and movie also show characters trying to find food and water, worrying about being killed or robbed, trying not to get infected or hurt, and wondering how to stay warm as the weather changes. While Negan is compelling and intriguing, andThe Walking Deadhas some haunting and moving moments between characters, it doesn’t fully show the reality of this brutal situation.'
While a TV show that airs for 11 seasons has to create drama and conflict in order to keep viewers invested, which explains all the plot twists andupsetting deaths onThe Walking Dead,The Roadis a sparse, simpler story. That’s why it works so well. The movie doesn’t focus on villains, enemies, or obstacles that sometimes feel corny or random.Stephen King praised the movie, and fans of McCarthy’s work appreciate that the author didn’t hold back. McCarthy wrote about characters in dire scenarios, and while he sprinkled a bit of hope in there, the overall effect is heartbreaking.
Since fans appreciatethe small moments between characters onThe Walking Dead,it would have been great if the show had dialed back the violence and focused on the relationships more. However, sinceThe Roaddoesn’t have a huge cast,the movie ends up solving all the problems that the zombie drama has. The man and the boy are starving, scared, and uncomfortable, and the story emphasizes the total lack of resources, help, and support. That’s why living in a post-apocalyptic society is really like.
While fans enjoythe spinoffThe Walking Dead: Dead Cityand still rewatch the AMC series, they also frequently discuss the moments or character decisions that don’t make much sense. In aReddit thread, Redditor @Lulupoolzilla mentioned one confusing part:
“That’s the car batteries aren’t all dead. They just come across cars that have been sitting there and they seem to start right up.”
Redditor @LittlePumpkin_121 noted that thecharacters have white teeth that are in good condition and wonders how that could be possible. Redditor @No-Party-2782 noted that no character dies because of a bug and since insects have diseases, that seems impossible. Redditor @Still_Storm7432 also noticed one strange thing about the show:
“No matter where someone in the group ends up, they run into someone they know…either from their past or from the group after they’ve been separated.”
The Walking Deadwill always be a popular drama that is equally fun and devastating, andfans are still finding Easter eggsand seeing memorable scenes in a new light. But when compared to a movie likeThe Roadthat is grounded in reality, it’s hard not to find some flaws in all 11 seasons.
