Synopsis: The rapid spread of an unknown infection has left an entire city in ungovernable chaos, but one survivor remains alive in isolation. This is his story. (98 Mins)

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Views: Even though I've always been a fan of zombie movies and even directed two zombie features of my own, I had held back from rushing to see #Alive on its initial release. One reason was that Netflix didn't exactly release an exciting enough trailer to grab me and, the other was that I had far too much amazing Hong Kong cinema that I still had to get through on DVD and Blu-ray, and there just wasn't enough hours in a day, to be honest. But in saying that, I have long championed the filmmakers of South Korea and stated many times that they have certainly impressed me the most since the turn-of-the-century (both in terms of feature films and television content), so at 6am this morning, I finally forced myself to sit down and watch this new, modern zombie flick. Some have hailed #Alive as a remake of a French horror flick called, The Night Eats The World, while others have pointed out the similarities between the main character of Oh Joon-Woo to that of Kondo Tatsumi in Max Brooks' book, World War Z – An Oral history Of The Zombie War (Complete Edition), swapping Japan for Korea. Ironically, this film was released in its home country amidst the Covid-19 pandemic and had the biggest box-office opening for 21 days before going on to take the top ranking in VOD sales afterward!

 

Set in and around a small apartment block – which helps keep everything pretty tense and claustrophobic, we follow the story of teen gamer and layabout Oh Joon-Woo, who awakens one morning to find his family away shopping. As Joon-Woo sits down for a morning of gaming, his world is immediately thrown into chaos as wi-fi communications and phone signals are lost, with television announcements breaking news of a national emergency that is seeing people becoming violent and warning everyone to stay at home. Not even a second has passed, when the very same problem is going on right outside Joon-Woo's front door, launching him into full survival mode – although not without its problems. When a neighbour bursts into his apartment to hide, Joon-Woo gets his first zombie encounter up close and personal – letting him see first-hand just what it is that he is up against. From his fourth-floor balcony, he watches as a mother and daughter find each other among the carnage, only to see the young girl change in her mother's arms and take chunks out of her neck! Later, he watches in horror as a female police-officer runs through the crowds of the undead, shooting and ducking before being taken down and pushed across the parking lot like a mop, as the zombies try to eat her. The more horror he sees and the more he begins to feel alone, Joon-Woo soon starts to break emotionally. During an attempt to hang himself, the distraught young man is interrupted by the red light of a laser, spelling out to him to stop by using different bits of artwork and posters around his home. Noticing another survivor in the apartment block facing, Joon-Woo frantically breaks his noose – ecstatic to see another human being that doesn't want to eat him. Thus begins the next chapter of survival as Joon-Woo and female survivor Kim Yoo-Bin (played wonderfully by Park Shin-Hye), figure out a way to escape their homely prisons, get together and survive the horde of undead outside their front door...

 

There's definitely a likeability about #Alive – both due to its intimate setting and leading man, Yoo Ah-In. And while it may start with a little tongue-in-cheek humour here and there, director Il Cho quickly makes sure his audience knows that this is a serious affair, with some dark, emotional and dramatic moments portrayed by the handsome Yoo, as well as many tense and horrific close calls that will have you on the edge of your seat. As only the second directorial effort from Cho, I have to say it's a pretty damn good offering with only minor flaws that really shouldn't come to light with a mainstream audience. At the time of writing I have yet to see his directorial debut, Jin – but would say that he is one to watch after the success of this project. And while it may not offer the same shock impact or heavy emotional ride that Train To Busan did upon initial viewing, #Alive still has its moments. The zombies, for example, are offered up and performed in the same way as Train – with violent, jerky reactions when changing, and a feral approach to attacking victims, with no regard for what other zombies (or actors) are around them when the camera is rolling. And while the likes of 28 Days Later and World War Z totally impressed with their zombies, I don't think I've seen scarier or more realistic looking undead than what gets offered up in Korean zombie flicks. One crazy scene, in particular, stands out in my head which features a fireman zombie. After finding a hanging rope that leads to the balcony of the girl's apartment, he starts climbing up to get her, while she lies on the floor unconscious. It makes for a pretty scary and intense moment!

 

The third act of the film cranks things up even more and gets the adrenaline going, but I'll not give anything else away. I liked #Alive, and while it may be a while before I get round to watching it again, I'd definitely recommend it to fans of horror and zombie films – or anyone just looking for an exciting watch. While most Western zombie films can come across as the same old thing, #Alive does seem a little fresh. Give it a go, even just once...

 

It's dead good!

 

Overall: Exciting, tense, and well made, #Alive is worth the watch!