George A. Romero is considered by many to be the Godfather of the horror movie monster, zombies. Though the term was used before, it was not until Night of the Living Dead in 1968 that it began to take shape in the way many know it today. It marked a shift in the cultural landscape of horror movies, where most of the contributions were B movies designed to make audiences laugh at ridiculous monsters and over-the-top performances.
https://screenrant.com/night-of-the-living-dead-inspired-movies/