It is almost fall and here at DWASOK that means it is time for suspense and horror movies! Come join Kmuse she takes a look at Netflix’s latest Korean movie option #Alive starring Yoo Ah In and Park Shin Hye.
TRAILER:
SYNOPSIS:
Jun Woo wakes up to find that a mysterious virus outbreak has occurred. The outbreak suddenly spread throughout Seoul and rapidly grows out of control, trapping survivors alone inside their apartments without access to cellular data, Wi-Fi, texting, or phone calls. Jun Woo and Yu Bin struggle to survive in an isolated apartment complex from those infected with the virus. (MyDramaList)
THE PLOT
We jump straight into the zombification of Seoul in the first few moments of the show. Seeing people getting munched by their relatives is definitely something you don’t want to see outside your window. I do admit that I would have been happier with a bit more world building regarding the zombies and the rules of their zombie actions. Its one of my largest complaints that they don’t seem to always make sense.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
I liked the cinematography when it came to our leads and their isolation. The director really captured the stress of staying inside one’s house non-stop. Sadly, something that a lot of us can relate to right now. I do feel that the zombies lost a lot of their impact a 1/3 or so in. They were creepy but just not as creepy as some other zombie films. At one point, my teenager inquired as to whether these are just the same 10 zombie actors in every scene. If you have time to dissect a scene wondering about the actors playing the zombies, then you are not doing your job of keeping people in the story.
CHARACTER OBSERVATIONS
It took me a little while to warm up to Yoo Ah In’s character. It was a very subtle performance for the actor that it took a while to realize how well he did. It was actually after he and Park Shin Hye’s character connect that I really started caring about what was going on. Park Shin Hye did a really good job, and she was my favorite thing about the show.
OVERALL REACTION
It was an enjoyable movie. Not the best zombie movie ever (Train to Busan holds that title.) but worth the two hours I spent watching. And at the end of the day, I thought the scares and gore were maybe a 6/10, so people with a lower scare threshold might be able to get through this one.
Til the next movie adventure,
Kmuse
Dramas with a Side of Kimchi
I believe this movie is a semi-remake of an excellent French Zombie movie called “The Night Eats the World.” (There’s also an American version out there just like #Alive but I forget the name.)
However the twist is very different in the French film and on a whole more relatable and believable. I do like how Yoo Ah In’s character starts to mature and grow after being nearly insufferable for nearly an hour. He was clearly spoiled to death by his parents but I also think the film made a good statement on young millennials/Gen-Z in current day. They may be zombie slaves to Social Media and technology, but it also showed how that know-how and connection can save lives.
The movie started to sink for me a little when they introduced Park Shin Hye’s character. I felt there wasn’t much development on her end, no chemistry, (And I don’t mean they had to be romantic at all.) and she came off Mary Sueish.
However I liked the tense scenes with the zombie remembering how to climb the rope to her apartment. But it seemed like she easily got out of every predicament. I was left wondering how she easily made it through a horde of zombies in the street, (even before Yoo Ah In arrives to help) but a trained policewoman couldn’t.
Maybe I’ve been desensitized by too many zombie flicks, but I had to roll my eyes at the twist with the friendly neighbor who saves them.
I would’ve liked the movie better if they had kept the focus on Yoo Ah In alone.
It seems like Korea has developed their own Zombie style since these were similar to the ones in Train to Busan, Kingdom, and Rampant, just not as super powered and fast. I get the feeling the writers weren’t sure what to do with these zombies. At first they were exactly like Busan Zombies, rampaging and biting people and moving on, then suddenly they’re much slower and eating their victims. They seem to have gotten confused with the policewoman scene, a whole gang of zombies grab her and you think she’s about to eaten to pieces, then minutes later she’s zombified and shuffling along with the crowd with barely a scratch on her, let alone any bites. So yes, they needed to make more sense!
I prefer the old school slow and creepy George Romero types that sneak up and crowd you when you least expect it.
All in all, it was a decent zombie popcorn flick and I still recommend it to people looking for one of those.