Director – Il Cho (Jin)
Starring – Ah-In Yoo (Punch, Six Flying Dragons), Shin-Hye Park (Call, My Annoying Brother), and Bae-soo Jeon (The Wailing, Night of 7 Years)
Release Date – 2020
Rating – 4/5
I was feeling a little down. I’ve been binging horror movies over the course of the month and many of them have been huge disappointments. I recently had my heart broken when I tossed in the Australian horror film Cult Girls. I had a few more I needed to review but I decided to take a break from movies that was sent my way for review to watch a few new releases on Netflix. I know so many new releases hit Netflix this month but I decided to go with one that was released a few months back and that was #Alive.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows streamer Oh (Yoo) who awakes one day to find that people are becoming infected and turned into flesh eating monsters. Unable to leave his apartment he soon finds himself dehydrated and starving. He tries to kill himself but is stopped by another survivor in the complex across from his. They begin a friendship and try to meet up in order to survive the zombie apocalypse. **Spoiler Alert**
I recently found myself rejuvenated with zombie films after watching Train to Busan and it’s follow up Peninsula. The Walking Dead has ruined the sub-genre for me but watching Train and it’s sequel made me want some more. #Alive really filled that void that I was looking for. It was a great zombie flick that I seriously hope gets a physical release later.
The acting in this one is solid. The roles are almost personal due to how the film was shot. The cast is isolated and has to carry the scene by themselves for most of the film. They do a fantastic job while creating character identity and emotion.
The story for this one is nothing we haven’t seen before but incorporating the modern touches does make a little more appealing to a different demographic. Having a video game streamer isolated and fighting to survive is, honestly, a brilliant and simple addition to a sub-genre that is so oversaturated that it’s damn near impossible to find something unique. Though the scenes mostly revolve around one person it does a great job at holding your attention and not feel boring.
Finally, the film is full of impressive make-up effects and plenty of blood. The zombies look great and leave a lasting impression while the blood and carnage needs to be seen to truly appreciate. Overall, #Alive is a fantastic horror film. If you have Netflix I highly suggest you give this one a go. You will not regret it.
