Nightmare City
A reporter and his doctor wife flee a European city consumed by radioactive blood-drinking zombies as military containment collapses.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Graphic
- frantic
- grotesque
- bleak
- late night horror marathon
- cult cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded it as a routine, derivative, poorly made zombie film whose energetic gore and occasional social commentary could not overcome its thin plotting and weak effects.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The zombies are undead people transformed by nuclear radioactivity and characterized as bloodthirsty bloodsuckers.
The reporter and his wife navigate a nameless European city overrun by violent hordes while institutions lose control.
The plot rapidly foregrounds explosions of horror and violence, with critics identifying its defining appeal as gory spectacle.
The film connects radioactive contamination and social collapse to a broader critique of ecological destruction and nuclear danger.
Films like Nightmare City, and why
Dawn of the Dead
Shared zombie apocalypse premise, graphic gore, militarized survival conflict, and bleak exploitation-horror tone.
The Beyond
Shared Italian zombie cinema tradition, relentless undead attacks, visceral violence, and post-apocalyptic dread.
The Crazies
Shared outbreak-driven horror, bloodthirsty infected attackers, urban collapse, and science-fiction contamination themes.
Movie Details
- Director
- Umberto Lenzi
- Release Date
- 1980-12-11
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Rating
- 5.7 / 10 (185)
Cast
- Hugo Stiglitz
- Laura Trotter
- Maria Rosaria Omaggio
- Francisco Rabal
- Sonia Viviani
- Eduardo Fajardo
- Stefania D'Amario
- Ugo Bologna
- Sara Franchetti
- Manuel Zarzo
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- FlixFling
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Nightmare City about?
- A reporter and his doctor wife flee a European city consumed by radioactive blood-drinking zombies as military containment collapses.
- What is Nightmare City like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Nightmare City as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Nightmare City violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Nightmare City as graphic.
- What did critics think of Nightmare City?
- Critics broadly regarded it as a routine, derivative, poorly made zombie film whose energetic gore and occasional social commentary could not overcome its thin plotting and weak effects.
- Which films are like Nightmare City?
- Films with a similar feel include Dawn of the Dead, The Beyond, and The Crazies.
- How long is Nightmare City?
- Nightmare City runs 91 minutes.
- Where can I watch Nightmare City?
- In United States, Nightmare City streams on FlixFling.
