Black Summer

Black Summer

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8 / 10

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Overview

In the dark, early days of a zombie apocalypse, complete strangers band together to find the strength they need to survive and get back to loved ones.

Media

Black Summer: Season 1 | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix

Cast

Creator:

Karl Schaefer, John Hyams

Fist Air Date:

2019-04-11

Episode Runtime:

45m

Production Companies:

The Asylum, One Dog Day Productions, Go2 Digital Media, Unreality Incorporated

Genres:

Action & Adventure Drama Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Keywords:

death escape panic survival violence zombie zombie apocalypse

More Show Details

Vote Average: 7.0/10

Vote Count: 597 Votes

Show Popularity: 6.5361

Show Status: Canceled

Show Type: Scripted

Spoken Languages: English

Review

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Insomniacs Reviews
- 27 April 2026 at 12:48 pm

8 Based on 1 Votes
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⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 8/10 THE SUMMARY If you think the apocalypse is all about slow-walking corpses and philosophical campfire chats, Black Summer (2019–2021) is here to ruin your day. This isn't a soap opera with zombies; it’s a high-octane, relentlessly bleak survival sprint. Set in the earliest, most chaotic days of a dynamic zombie outbreak, it follows a group of strangers—including a mother separated from her daughter—as they try to reach a stadium for evacuation. There are no heroes here, just people trying to breathe for one more minute while "runners" chase them with the speed of an Olympic sprinter on a caffeine bender. THE PROS The cinematography is a total win; the use of long, unbroken takes makes every chase feel like a genuine belter of a nightmare. The zombies are the business because they are actually terrifying—they don't growl and wait; they smash through windows and doors with an authentic, singular focus. It’s a witty-ly sharp departure from the usual tropes, focusing on the sheer panic of "I have no ammo and I need to climb this bus now." The second season is a total win for how it shifts to a frozen, desolate landscape, making the environment just as deadly as the monsters. THE CONS It misses the 9/10 mark because the "fragmented" storytelling can occasionally be a bit of a head-scratcher. Some segments end so abruptly that it feels like a bit of a buzzkill when you’re invested in a specific survivor. The lack of traditional character development can feel a bit wet to viewers who want to know everyone's life story, as the show prioritizes "what would you do right now" over deep backstories. It’s an 8/10 because while it’s a masterclass in tension, it can be so exhausting that you need a lie-down after every couple of episodes. THE VERDICT An 8/10. It is a sincere, brutal, and 100% authentic take on the genre that strips away the plot armor. It isn't a 9/10 because it lacks that "epic" emotional payoff, but for pure visceral dread, it’s the business. It is total garbage that we haven't seen a third season in the 900+ archive by 2026, as this show makes every other zombie series look like a walk in the park. If you want a show that treats survival as a terrifying, breathless chore, this is a vault essential. INSOMNIAC TRIVIA • The Z-Nation Link: Witty-ly enough, this is technically a prequel to the campy Z-Nation. However, the tone is so different it’s a total head-scratcher for fans of the original. The creators sincerely wanted to strip away all the humor to show the "Black Summer" that characters in the other show always whispered about with dread.• Marathon Acting: The actors often had to perform long, continuous takes of sprinting through suburbs. Jaime King (Rose) witty-ly noted that the exhaustion on screen was 100% authentic because they were actually running for their lives for ten minutes at a time to get the perfect shot.• Silent Terror: The show witty-ly uses a lack of music to build tension. Instead of a loud score, you just hear the heavy breathing of the survivors and the frantic slapping of zombie feet on the pavement, which is a sincere win for making the viewer feel like they’re right in the middle of the carnage. THE VIBE Like a lung-burning sprint through a quiet neighborhood, the sound of a jammed gun, and the sight of someone you knew yesterday trying to eat your face. It’s cold, breathless, and unforgiving. It makes you want to check your cardio, lock every door twice, and realize that in a real apocalypse, there’s no time for a monologue.

TV Show Poster

Season 1

8 Episodes

Air Date: 2019-04-11

TV Show Poster

Season 2

8 Episodes

Air Date: 2021-06-17

Videos

Black Summer: Season 1 | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix

Cast

Related Shows To

Black Summer

Reviews for

Black Summer

Comment (1)

Insomniacs Reviews
- 27 April 2026 at 1:48 PM

⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 8/10
THE SUMMARY
If you think the apocalypse is all about slow-walking corpses and philosophical campfire chats, Black Summer (2019–2021) is here to ruin your day. This isn’t a soap opera with zombies; it’s a high-octane, relentlessly bleak survival sprint. Set in the earliest, most chaotic days of a dynamic zombie outbreak, it follows a group of strangers—including a mother separated from her daughter—as they try to reach a stadium for evacuation. There are no heroes here, just people trying to breathe for one more minute while “runners” chase them with the speed of an Olympic sprinter on a caffeine bender.
THE PROS
The cinematography is a total win; the use of long, unbroken takes makes every chase feel like a genuine belter of a nightmare. The zombies are the business because they are actually terrifying—they don’t growl and wait; they smash through windows and doors with an authentic, singular focus. It’s a witty-ly sharp departure from the usual tropes, focusing on the sheer panic of “I have no ammo and I need to climb this bus now.” The second season is a total win for how it shifts to a frozen, desolate landscape, making the environment just as deadly as the monsters.
THE CONS
It misses the 9/10 mark because the “fragmented” storytelling can occasionally be a bit of a head-scratcher. Some segments end so abruptly that it feels like a bit of a buzzkill when you’re invested in a specific survivor. The lack of traditional character development can feel a bit wet to viewers who want to know everyone’s life story, as the show prioritizes “what would you do right now” over deep backstories. It’s an 8/10 because while it’s a masterclass in tension, it can be so exhausting that you need a lie-down after every couple of episodes.
THE VERDICT
An 8/10. It is a sincere, brutal, and 100% authentic take on the genre that strips away the plot armor. It isn’t a 9/10 because it lacks that “epic” emotional payoff, but for pure visceral dread, it’s the business. It is total garbage that we haven’t seen a third season in the 900+ archive by 2026, as this show makes every other zombie series look like a walk in the park. If you want a show that treats survival as a terrifying, breathless chore, this is a vault essential.
INSOMNIAC TRIVIA
• The Z-Nation Link: Witty-ly enough, this is technically a prequel to the campy Z-Nation. However, the tone is so different it’s a total head-scratcher for fans of the original. The creators sincerely wanted to strip away all the humor to show the “Black Summer” that characters in the other show always whispered about with dread.
• Marathon Acting: The actors often had to perform long, continuous takes of sprinting through suburbs. Jaime King (Rose) witty-ly noted that the exhaustion on screen was 100% authentic because they were actually running for their lives for ten minutes at a time to get the perfect shot.
• Silent Terror: The show witty-ly uses a lack of music to build tension. Instead of a loud score, you just hear the heavy breathing of the survivors and the frantic slapping of zombie feet on the pavement, which is a sincere win for making the viewer feel like they’re right in the middle of the carnage.
THE VIBE
Like a lung-burning sprint through a quiet neighborhood, the sound of a jammed gun, and the sight of someone you knew yesterday trying to eat your face. It’s cold, breathless, and unforgiving. It makes you want to check your cardio, lock every door twice, and realize that in a real apocalypse, there’s no time for a monologue.

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