Rating: 3/5
Hooptober X | 4/34 | Countries 4/6 | South Korea
Joon-woo is a gamer whose online session stops when an emergency alert says that civilians are acting aggressively, displaying cannibalistic tendencies. Looking outside, he sees uproar as some people chase others, violently attacking them
The news on TV suggests things aren’t so bad, showing efforts to rid the streets of zombies and providing breathing exercises to help tolerate the quarantine. But from his apartment, Joon-woo must watch on helplessly as people below die and join the zombie mob
After several close calls and a diminished food supply, he tries to hang himself, but a laser pointer hits his face, giving him hope that someone else might still be alive
The film, having come out in late 2020, is a not-too-clever metaphor for the COVID quarantine. But it also functions as a way of looking at the isolation bred from city life — even if there are other survivors, how could he find them without a lucky break?
And that leads to the film’s biggest flaw. Yes, Joon-woo is the lead, so we expect that the reason we see his story and not someone else’s is because of the fortune that allows him to survive at all. However, with how many run-ins he has with the zombies, the choreography for those scenes border on non-existent as we see zombies pile on him and him still finding a way to weasel out
The makeup and effects for the zombies are pretty good — it looks like Train to Busan was an inspiration for the filmmakers
The movie also has some pleasant character moments — nothing brilliant, but letting the circumstances present opportunities to get to know our lead adds a layer of investment in not only if he survives but how
Overall, the movie is not a life-changer but a film with enough ideas and empathy to make a nice watch