Directing the Undead: The Triumphs and Challenges of Korean Zombie Thrills

The popularity of Korean genre entertainment continues to soar, putting filmmakers under immense pressure to come up with increasingly intriguing novelties. Director Yeon Sang-ho, famed for the globally successful “Train to Busan,” returns to the realm of action-horror with “Colony,” an enjoyable but predictable addition to the fast-zombie subgenre.

Differences aside concerning the technical definition of zombies, "Colony" flexibly defines the undead as infected humans, not necessarily deceased. This argument plays a minimal role in the enjoyment of the film. Its charm lies in its spirited, occasionally chaotic, performance of transformation from human to zombie, courtesy of the commendable work done by contortionist dancers.

Contrarily to the "Train" series, in "Colony" the monstrous epidemic is a result of a man-made virus, devised by the antagonist Seo Young-cheol (Koo Kyo-hwan). The scientist, wronged and dismissed from his job, meticulously plans his revenge, only to reveal that his living blood contains the antidote required to cure the infected.

The location of the outbreak is a shopping mall, in line with George Romero tradition. Survivors combat the growing horde while awaiting potential external help. An original touch to the narrative is the zombie’s ability to share information, similar to an ant colony, making them unpredictable and harder to defeat.

The narrative stumbles when focusing on human dynamics, drawing on common themes and stock characters. Director Yeon Sang-ho stays true to his bleak outlook on human nature in survival situations, with selfish motivations often overpowering collective welfare. Despite this, a refreshing bond develops between two women, offering a positive exploration of interpersonal relationships in extreme circumstances.

The film encapsulates a critique of the idea of evolution. Protagonist Young-cheol envisions his telepathically linked zombie colony as a superior species, despite their horrifying form. The movie, while novel in aspects, can be considered as a small step forward for the ever-changing genre, with elements borrowed from disaster movies, Z-horror films and sci-fi series. It presents a well-executed, albeit not groundbreaking, addition to the zombie horror genre.