Night of the Living Dead is not only the movie that started the zombie genre, but also one of the first horror movies with a black lead. Director George Romero didn’t cast Wayne Jones because of his race, but his character Ben adds a lot of social commentary to the film. This was the first time audiences saw a strong black character in a horror movie, and Ben is the only one to survive the night. He is a hero.
The race of Ben’s character adds a lot of nuance to the film, especially at the end. (Big spoiler here!) When Ben is mistaken for a zombie by the team of white men rescuing survivors, he is shot dead.
If you haven’t watched Night of the Living Dead with this context in mind, or at all, you should. Not only is it historic, but the copyright was never renewed, so it’s free to watch on YouTube. Give it a watch and let us know what you think.