“Genius” – The Zack Snyder Movie That Stephen King Loves

Even though pop culture is prominent in most of King’s stories, the horror author rarely mingles with the world of comic book movies. Imagine my shock when I learned that Stephen King considers one of Zack Snyder’s earliest movies “genius perfected.”

Stephen King and Zack Snyder: A Surprising Connection

Stephen King’s genius needs no introduction. The man is responsible for some of the most memorable horror stories ever written (like It, Carrie and The Shining), so when he praises your work, you know you must be doing something exceptionally well. Despite his legendary status, King is quick to commend fellow writers and artists, like the time when he called Harry Potter‘s Dolores Umbridge “the greatest make-believe villain to come along since Hannibal Lecter.“

Zack Snyder and superhero films have become nigh inseparable. His time as head of the DCEU – not to mention his work in Watchmen – forever changed his career. Before he began sourcing inspiration from comic books and graphic novels, though, Snyder found himself fascinated by the world of classic films.

It turns out that Stephen King is a huge fan of Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead reboot.

Snyder’s Foray into Horror: Dawn of the Dead (2004)

As versatile a director as Snyder can be, he rarely delves into the horror genre. Surprisingly, it was a horror movie that catapulted him into the eye of the public. 2004’s Dawn of the Dead revitalized George Romero’s classic zombie survival story – with the typical edge of mid-2000s horror flicks.

Beginning your career remaking one of the most beloved horror films ever produced can be a tricky move. However, Snyder not only nailed the assignment, but he also created a modern horror classic in the process. The new Dawn of the Dead was just as good – and sometimes even better – than Romero’s classic. Snyder’s strong stylistic choices gave the movie a new identity, one that made Dawn of the Dead an unequivocally Zack Snyder movie.

Stephen King’s Thoughts on Snyder’s Opening Scene

King’s quote comes from his non-fiction book Danse Macabre, particularly its 2010 edition. This reprint features a new forenote that King titled “What’s Scary.” The intro covers what the author considers most effective in a good horror story. When he speaks of horror movies, he mentions how the intro of the Dawn of the Dead remake is pretty much perfect horror.

“I’d argue that the most effective terror sequences are either the result of instinct or pure accident rather than screenwriting or direction, and that’s the case here,” King wrote.

The sequence he alludes to is the subdued opening with a modern American couple just enjoying their time together, ignoring the fact that society is collapsing all around them. Snyder’s opening scene takes a more subdued, less exposition-heavy approach compared to Romero’s. He builds up tension and sprinkles a few “odd” details all around that make you notice something’s not going well in the background.

Then, all hell breaks loose. The nuanced tension suddenly breaks when the couple is attacked in their bedroom by a zombified girl. That’s the moment when you know the kind of movie this Dawn of the Dead is going to be – violent, intense, and pretty darn bloody.

Genius Perfected: A Well-Deserved Praise

Stephen King’s comments on the scene being “genius perfected” are more than well-deserved. Snyder is a visual storyteller, so it makes sense that he would go for such a gorgeous and well-directed opening for his tribute to George Romero. The fact that Snyder also has time to show, in a very minimalistic way, that most institutions have fallen – the 911 call not connecting, an ambulance driving over a man – is just the icing on the cake of the sociopolitical commentary that’s at the core of Dawn of the Dead.

All in all, in just a few minutes, Zack Snyder constructed the perfect opening to a zombie horror movie. Now that he’s more seasoned, it would be amazing to see him returning to his horror roots. Let’s hope Netflix gives him the chance to demonstrate, once again, just how well Snyder can work with pure horror.

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Tell us, do you think Stephen King’s comments on Zack Snyder are true? Is he a genius? Let us know in the comments.