
In George A. Romero’s iconic zombie film, Duane Jones plays Ben, the resourceful hero who takes control during the crisis. While others panic, Ben secures a farmhouse and defends the group against the approaching zombies. The film shockingly begins with the death of Johnny, who is attacked by a zombie in a cemetery. Despite his bravery, Ben’s night ends tragically when he’s killed by a group of living people. This ending was particularly impactful because, for the time, it subverted expectations about how Black characters were typically portrayed in films.