Zombie Nightmare

Zombie Nightmare

Year: 1987

Runtime: 89 mins

Language: English

Director: Jack Bravman

HorrorHorror

After Tony Washington is brutally murdered by a gang of trendy teenagers, voodoo practitioner Molly Mokembe performs a ritual that brings him back from the dead. Reanimated and driven by vengeance, Tony hunts down his killers, seeking retribution so his soul may finally find peace.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Zombie Nightmare (1987) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of Zombie Nightmare (1987), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

Baseball player William Washington (John Fasano) is fatally stabbed defending a young black girl from two white teenage boys. Years later, William’s son Tony (Jon Mikl Thor) also becomes a baseball player. After Tony disrupts a grocery-store robbery, he is struck and killed by a car full of teenagers: Bob [Alan Fisler], Amy [Tia Carrere], Jim [Shawn Levy], Peter [Hamish McEwan], and Susie [Manon E. Turbide]. The teens flee the scene and Tony’s body is carried to his home, where his mother Louise mourns over him. She contacts Molly Mekembe [Manuska Rigaud], the girl William saved, to repay the favour of her rescue. Now revealed to be a Haitian voodoo priestess, Molly resurrects Tony as a zombie and uses her powers to guide him to the teenagers, aiding him in his revenge.

The next night, Tony tracks Peter and Susie to an academy gymnasium and fatally breaks Peter’s neck, then kills Susie by crushing her skull with a baseball bat. Police detective Frank Sorrell investigates the case. Police Captain Tom Churchman Adam West tells the press that the killings were a drug-induced murder-suicide. The next night, Tony finds Jim sexually assaulting a waitress and impales Jim with his bat, killing him. Churchman tells Sorrell that they found a suspect responsible for the murders and closes the case. After sending Sorrell home to rest, Churchman calls Jim’s father Fred Batten James Rae and informs him of Molly’s involvement in Jim’s death. Fred goes to the police station to meet Churchman, but is killed by Tony en route.

Believing that they will be targeted next, Bob and Amy decide to leave town. They steal money from Jim’s uncle’s garage but Tony finds them there and kills them. Sorrell is attacked by Tony but survives. While monitoring Tony’s actions, Churchman abducts Molly and forces her at gunpoint to show him where Tony is going. Sorrell follows Tony to a cemetery. Molly and Churchman soon arrive, with both telling Sorrell that the priestess resurrected Tony to not only avenge himself, but also to avenge Molly, as Churchman and Fred were the teenagers who attacked her years ago and Churchman killed Tony’s father. Churchman shoots Tony, having learned that a revived zombie’s power fades once it has achieved its goal. Molly tries to cast a spell, but is shot and killed by Churchman, who then turns to kill Sorrell as the only surviving witness. However, a second zombie rises out of a nearby grave and drags Churchman into the ground while Churchman pleads for Sorrell to kill him but he ignores him and walks away.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:25

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Supernatural revenge movies like Zombie Nightmare

Stories where the dead return to deliver brutal, otherworldly justice.If you liked the vengeful zombie in Zombie Nightmare, explore more movies where supernatural forces deliver brutal justice. These stories feature the dead returning for retribution, creating a dark, intense, and morally ambiguous viewing experience similar to Zombie Nightmare.

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These narratives typically begin with a grave injustice, often a murder, which triggers a supernatural comeback. The story then follows a series of targeted attacks as the vengeful entity hunts down those responsible. The plot is straightforward and driven by action, building towards a conclusion that questions the cost and morality of such extreme vengeance.

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Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on supernatural retribution, a dark and intense tone, and a fast-paced plot structure centered on a revenge mission. They all explore the theme of justice achieved through horrific means, creating a coherent vibe of grim satisfaction.

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Horror stories where justice is served brutally, leaving a bittersweet aftermath.Fans of the bittersweet justice and heavy emotional weight in Zombie Nightmare will appreciate these similar horror movies. They feature themes of revenge, corruption, and atonement, culminating in endings where good triumphs but at a significant, often tragic, cost.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a protagonist, often a victim or their proxy, enacting vengeance upon wrongdoers. The journey is brutal and unforgiving, forcing the audience to confront the ugly side of justice. The story builds to a climax where the primary antagonist is defeated, but the resolution is tinged with loss, sacrifice, or the unsettling realization of what was required to achieve it.

Why These Movies?

These movies share a heavy emotional weight, a dark tone, and a bittersweet or bleak ending feel. They are united by the central theme of justice achieved through horrific means, creating a coherent viewing experience for those who appreciate morally complex horror.

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