Editing Night of the Living Dead (section)

=== Critical reception ===
[[File:StateTheatreAnnArborMarquee.jpg|thumb|alt=The neon marquee of a theater lists several notable cult films including Donnie Darko, Reanimator, and Night of the Living Dead. |Decades after its initial release, a theater runs a midnight showing of the cult classic]]

In 1969, George Abagnalo published the film's first positive critical review in the fourth issue of Warhol's ''Interview'' magazine.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Abagnalo |first1=George |title=Night of the Living Dead |journal=Interview |date=1969 |volume=1 |issue=4 |pages=23 |url=https://blog.nuclearsecrecy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/1969-Abagnalo-Interview-Night-of-the-Living-Dead-review.pdf}}</ref> That issue also contained an interview of director George A. Romero by Abagnalo along with William Terry Ork.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ork |first1=Terry |last2=Abagnalo |first2=George |title=Night of the Living Dead – Interview with George A. Romero |journal=Interview |date=1969 |volume=1 |issue=4 |page=23}}</ref> The review and interview are known as the first acknowledgements of the importance of the film.{{sfn|Hervey|2008|pp=16–17}}<ref>{{cite web |last1=Punch |first1=David A. |title=Night of the Living Dead: Horrors of Reality Manifested in the Flesh |url=https://medium.com/@DavidA.Punch/night-of-the-living-dead-horrors-of-reality-manifested-in-the-flesh-46722bb15e8a |website=Medium |date=October 2, 2018 |access-date=June 13, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Kuhns |first1=Rob (director) |title=Birth of the Living Dead |date=2014 |publisher=First Run Features (Documentary Film)}}</ref>

Five years after the film's premiere, Paul McCullough of ''[[Take One (Canadian magazine)|Take One]]'' observed that ''Night of the Living Dead'' was the "most profitable horror film ever ... produced outside the walls of a major studio".<ref>{{cite news |author=McCullough, Paul |title=A Pittsburgh Horror Story |work=Take One |volume=4 |number=6 |date=July–August 1973 |page=8}}</ref> In the decade after its release, the film grossed over $15&nbsp;million at the U.S. box office. It was translated into over 25 languages.{{sfn|Higashi|1990|p=175}} ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' reported that it was the top-grossing film in Europe in 1968.{{sfn|Dillard|Waller|1988|p=15}}{{sfn|Dillard|Waller|1988|p=15}} In a 1971 ''[[Newsweek]]'' article, [[Paul D. Zimmerman]] noted that the film had "become a bona fide cult movie for a burgeoning band of blood-lusting cinema buffs".<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Zimmerman |first1=Paul D. |author-link=Paul D. Zimmerman |title=We Killed 'Em in Pittsburgh |magazine=Newsweek |date=November 8, 1971 |page=118}}</ref>

Decades after its release, the film enjoys a reputation as a classic and still receives positive reviews.<ref>{{cite news |title='Night of the Living Dead': What a Zombie Classic Says About Death in America |last=Rouner |first=Jef |date=July 3, 2018 |publisher=Hearst Newspapers, LLC |newspaper=Houston Chronicle |url=https://www.chron.com/entertainment/movies_tv/article/Night-of-the-Living-Dead-What-a-zombie-13047293.php}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/15/movies/night-of-the-living-dead-zombies-restored-to-their-full-beauty.html |title='Night of the Living Dead': Zombies Restored to Their Full Beauty |first=Glenn |last=Kenny |date=February 16, 2018 |newspaper=New York Times |access-date=September 7, 2023 |archive-date=August 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180823075121/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/15/movies/night-of-the-living-dead-zombies-restored-to-their-full-beauty.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Mann |first=Brian |date=December 23, 2018 |newspaper=NPR |title=When An Undead Apocalypse First Swept America In The 'Night Of The Living Dead' |url=https://www.npr.org/2018/12/03/672202431/when-an-undead-apocalypse-first-swept-america-in-the-night-of-the-living-dead |access-date=September 7, 2023 |archive-date=April 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417181432/https://www.npr.org/2018/12/03/672202431/when-an-undead-apocalypse-first-swept-america-in-the-night-of-the-living-dead |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2008, the film was ranked by ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine No. 397 of ''The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time''.<ref>{{cite magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118222018/http://www.empireonline.com/500/21.asp |url=https://www.empireonline.com/500/21.asp |archive-date=January 18, 2012 |title=The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time |magazine=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |access-date=August 5, 2010}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' also placed the film on their ''Best 1000 Movies Ever'' list.<ref>{{cite news |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612032429/https://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/1000best.html |url=https://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/1000best.html |title=The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 29, 2003 |access-date=June 12, 2008 |archive-date=June 12, 2008}}</ref> In January 2010, ''[[Total Film]]'' included the film on its list of ''The 100 Greatest Movies of All Time''.<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519171047/http://www.totalfilm.com/features/100-greatest-movies-of-all-time/page:7 |url=http://www.totalfilm.com/features/100-greatest-movies-of-all-time/page:7 |archive-date=May 19, 2011 |title=100 Greatest Movies Of All Time |website=Total Film |department=Features |date=January 25, 2010 |page=7}}</ref> ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' named ''Night of the Living Dead'' one of ''The 100 Maverick Movies in the Last 100 Years''.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.filmsite.org/rstone2.html |title=100 Maverick Movies in the Last 100 Years |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]. Published by [[AMC (TV channel)|AMC]] [[Filmsite.org]] |access-date=January 15, 2011 |archive-date=June 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210605015559/https://www.filmsite.org/rstone2.html |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Reader's Digest]]'' found it to be the 12th scariest movie of all time.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rd.com/list/the-31-scariest-movies/#slideshow=slide12 |title=The 31 Scariest Movies of All Time |work=Reader's Digest |access-date=December 31, 2020 |archive-date=December 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201221152557/https://www.rd.com/list/the-31-scariest-movies//#slideshow=slide12 |url-status=live}}</ref> {{Rotten Tomatoes prose|95|8.9|84|George A. Romero's debut set the template for the zombie film, and features tight editing, realistic gore, and a sly political undercurrent.|ref=yes|access-date=October 12, 2023 |archive-date=August 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803094113/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1015052-night_of_the_living_dead |url-status=live}} {{Metacritic film prose|89|17|ref=yes|access-date=October 31, 2023}}

''Night of the Living Dead'' was awarded two distinguished honors decades after its debut. The [[Library of Congress]] added the film to the [[National Film Registry]] in 1999 with other films deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".<ref name="CNN">{{Cite news |url=https://edition.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Movies/9911/16/natl.film.registry/ |title=U.S. Film Registry Adds 25 New Titles |last=Allen |first=Jamie |date=November 16, 1999 |access-date=November 20, 2017 |publisher=CNN |department=Entertainment |archive-date=June 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616011440/https://edition.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Movies/9911/16/natl.film.registry/ |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=":0"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Librarian of Congress Names 25 More Films to National Film Registry |date=November 16, 1999 |url=https://www.loc.gov/today/pr/1999/99-174.html |publisher=Library of Congress |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160707074055/http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/1999/99-174.html |archive-date=July 7, 2016}}. Retrieved June 24, 2006.</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite web |title=Complete National Film Registry Listing |url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/ |access-date=2020-05-06 |website=Library of Congress |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305191832/https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2001, the film was ranked No. 93 by the [[American Film Institute]] on their ''[[AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Thrills]]'' list, a list of America's most heart-pounding movies.<ref>{{cite web |title=AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Thrills |url=https://www.afi.com/docs/tvevents/pdf/thrills100.pdf |publisher=American Film Institute |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190514033323/http://www.afi.com/Docs/tvevents/pdf/thrills100.pdf |archive-date=May 14, 2019 |access-date=June 24, 2006}}</ref> The zombies in the picture were also a candidate for AFI's ''[[AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Heroes & Villains]]'', in the villains category, but failed to make the official list.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://connect.afi.com/site/DocServer/handv400.pdf?docID=245 |title=AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Heroes and Villains: The 400 Nominated Characters |publisher=afi.com |access-date=June 6, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807135603/http://connect.afi.com/site/DocServer/handv400.pdf?docID=245 |archive-date=August 7, 2011}}</ref> The [[Chicago Film Critics Association]] named it the 5th scariest film ever made.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.altfg.com/film/chicago-critics-scariest-films/ |title=Chicago Critics' Scariest Films |publisher=AltFilmGuide.com |access-date=May 21, 2010 |archive-date=February 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226232241/https://www.altfg.com/film/chicago-critics-scariest-films/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The film also ranked No. 9 on [[Bravo (U.S. TV channel)|Bravo]]'s ''[[The 100 Scariest Movie Moments]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bravotv.com/The_100_Scariest_Movie_Moments/index.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030070540/http://www.bravotv.com/The_100_Scariest_Movie_Moments/index.shtml |archive-date=October 30, 2007 |title=Bravo's The 100 Scariest Movie Moments |access-date=May 21, 2010}}</ref> Rotten Tomatoes lists the film on its 100 Best Zombie Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer.<ref>{{Cite web |title=100 Best Zombie Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer |url=https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/essential-zombie-movies/ |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

{{Anchor|Reviews|Critics}}
''New Yorker'' critic [[Pauline Kael]] called the film "one of the most gruesomely terrifying movies ever made – and when you leave the theatre you may wish you could forget the whole horrible experience.&nbsp;... The film's grainy, banal seriousness works for it – gives it a crude realism".{{sfn|Kael|1991|p=526}} A ''[[Film Daily]]'' critic commented, "This is a pearl of a horror picture that exhibits all the earmarks of a [[sleeper hit|sleeper]]."{{sfn|Higashi|1990|p=175 | loc = ''Film Daily'', review of ''Night of the Living Dead''}} While Roger Ebert criticized the matinée screening, he admitted that he "admires the movie itself".<ref name="Ebertreview"/> Critic [[Rex Reed]] wrote, "If you want to see what turns a B movie into a classic ... don't miss ''Night of the Living Dead''. It is unthinkable for anyone seriously interested in horror movies not to see it."{{sfn|Petsko|2011|page=108}}