Alive is a Korean zombie flick that has settled in on the popular platform Netflix, but should you stream it? If you’re a fan of films like Train to Busan, I am Hero or even The Night Eats the World then the answer is yes. Alive is fun and comes with some prevalent story arcs. But if you didn’t know, some Asian zombie movies have a little quirk to them.
If you’ve never seen one and have only watched action-packed films like Zombieland, Army of the Dead, and The Walking Dead, you may think all undead horror films are full of exploding heads and intestines. In stories like #Alive, however, you are treated to low gore and usually some interesting characters.
Watch the zombie horror movie #Alive
Firstly, I’m not saying all Asian horror includes off-camera spatter. But if you’ve never seen Asian zombie cinema, in many instances you’re in for a more low-key affair. It’s commonplace to see shots like covering a window in blood so you don’t see the carnage. In many cases, a well-placed prop obscures a scene where sinew and cartilage get ripped from a victim. In #Alive smoke grenades even make an appearance. The effectiveness of such a weapon is highly dubious, but it looks cool.
Not All Zombie Films Are Created Equal #Alive
In Asian zombie movies, the undead is often known to have personalities and here there is definitely evidence of that. Our main hero Oh Joon-woo is frequently seen listening to news broadcasts as they announce symptoms and facts. Similar to a pole-vaulting zombie in I Am Hero, #Alive has one rambunctious walker who remembers how to climb and abseils up a wall. He is intent on chomping down on the heroine of the story Kim Yoo-bin. The two discover they are alone in two buildings that face each other. Both just trying to survive.
The 98-minute action and horror movie moves along quickly and starts mid-apocalypse. Oh Joon-woo is at home playing an online tactical game when things start to go pear-shaped fairly rapidly. His parents and sister are stuck wherever they arrived to pick up groceries. The central plot pivots around the use of the internet and social media which is a nice way to add a contemporary touch. The zombies themselves are a blend of some great special makeup effects coincidentally worked by the same person who did the makeup for Train to Busan (Hyo-Kyun Hwang.)
Stream It Now On Netflix
Joon-woo’s performance is not just another run-of-the-mill character set. Played by Ah-In Yoo he is a tad overdramatic at times. But who’s to say being stuck in an apartment with dwindling resources and a fully stocked bar wouldn’t cause me to roll around on the floor crying at least once? In any case, his portrayal of the gamer-come-hero grew on me over the course of the film and I didn’t want him to die. Shin-Hye Park’s, Yoo-bin, was a fantastic fit to offset the excitable Joon-woo. She represented the strong and self-sufficient female counterpart I love seeing.
Overall, #Alive is a neat film with plenty to offer even if it brings nothing new to the zombie film table.
I give Alive
3.5 all zombie apocalypse movies should have drones in them out of 5
- Director Il Cho
- Writers Il Cho (screenplay) | Matt Naylor
- Finally, have Psychokinesis teach you how to move things with your mind.
- And also see Bruce Willis in his new movie 2021: Breach
- Overlord has zombies too.
Alive
Director: Il Cho
Date Created: 2020-06-20 18:28
3.5
