When Rob Zombie’s reboot of “The Munsters” hits screens in 2022, it will mark his eighth feature film, and will reaffirm his status as the most prolific musician-turned-director in history. It’s no surprise, of course, that an artist as hyper-attuned to visual imagery as Zombie has been throughout his musical career would take to filmmaking with such intensity. His dazzling concerts have always incorporated vintage clips from B-movies, and the memorable music videos he directed early on were the perfect training ground for his eventual feature work.
Moreover, Zombie has achieved something no other musician-turned-director has to this point: a distinct signature style. By writing his own scripts, working with a recognizable stock company of players, and repeatedly mining his own personal obsessions in movie after movie, his films bear the unmistakable stamp of a genuine auteur. And with news that familiar Zombie actors Sheri Moon Zombie, Jeff Daniel Phillips, and Daniel Roebuck will be playing Lily, Herman, and Grandpa Munster, it appears his latest project will fit right in with his current filmography.
But that doesn’t mean his work behind the camera has been consistently successful. Though unified in style and substance, there are certainly highs and lows in Zombie’s directorial career. Here’s our ranking of his seven films, listed from bloody mess to gory great.