Director Yeon Sang Ho, the mind behind Train to Busan, is back with another zombie film, Colony (군체). I still remember meeting the director during the Creative Asia event presented by Netflix and BIFF, where he talked about how zombies represent anxieties within Korean society. It reminded me that genre filmmaking can still carry deep cultural commentary while remaining entertaining.

The moment Showbox officially announced Colony, I was already excited. I absolutely loved Train to Busan. Although, to be honest, Peninsula was a no-no for me personally. On top of that, this film has a cast lineup that I genuinely love, so my expectations were already high from the beginning.

I also had high expectations because Showbox has been on a roll lately with films like The King's Warden and Salmokji. I honestly expected Colony to become another box-office hit.

Despite the mixed and often negative reactions from viewers who watched the film during the Cannes Film Festival premiere, I still wanted to watch it with my own expectations and opinions instead of relying solely on reviews.

This film introduces a completely different kind of zombie. Yes, people still turn once they get bitten, but the idea that the zombies can exchange information and be controlled as a collective makes them much more terrifying.

As explained in the film, their behavior closely resembles ants, which communicate through chemical signals called pheromones. But throughout the film, it was revealed also that once the leader or “controller” dies, the others stop functioning in the same way. That concept alone made the zombies feel smarter and more dangerous than the usual zombie films we see.

What made it even more interesting was how these zombies could mimic voices, read messages, and even type on computers. The audience in the cinema was laughing in disbelief at times because of how absurdly intelligent these zombies were, but at the same time everyone was genuinely impressed.

Another fun detail I learned from Na Young Seok’s interview with the cast and director was that professional contemporary dancers, actors, and stunt performers were brought together to create the zombies’ movements. Director Yeon explained that the choreography was inspired by genres like popping and breakdancing.

And honestly, you can really see that in the film. The zombies move in such strange and uncomfortable ways, with twisting bodies and sharp movements that feel very different from ordinary zombie films. Knowing that contemporary dancers were involved makes so much sense now.

I genuinely loved that creative decision.

I’ve always loved Jun Ji Hyun, so I was really happy she accepted this project. The same goes for Koo Kyo Hwan, who has honestly become one of my favorite actors recently, and Ji Chang Wook as well. I already liked most of the cast individually, so seeing them together in one film was exciting enough on its own.

Jun Ji Hyun plays Kwon Se Jeong, a biotechnology PhD who leads survivors using her scientific knowledge instead of relying on typical action-hero tropes. Koo Kyo Hwan portrays the mastermind behind the outbreak, a twisted scientist whose actions trigger the entire disaster. Ji Chang Wook plays a security guard trying to protect his wheelchair-bound older sister, played by Kim Shin Rock, while Shin Hyunbeen plays an outside researcher helping solve the crisis from beyond the quarantined building.

Also… Ji Chang Wook looked ridiculously good in this film.

If you were sitting beside me in the cinema, you probably would’ve heard me whispering “멋지다 (meosjida)” every few minutes. Especially during the hallway fight scene where he was stabbing zombies one by one. I honestly didn’t expect someone covered in zombie blood to still look that handsome, but here we are.

As for Koo Kyo Hwan, he once again proved how good he is even with subtle facial expressions and movements alone. I really, really like him as an actor. If I ever got the chance to work with him in the future, even though I know that’s basically impossible haha, I absolutely would.

Because I was genuinely interested in Colony, I spent a lot of time reading reviews from people who watched it during Cannes. To be honest, many of them were negative, and I started worrying that this would turn into another Peninsula, which I personally did not enjoy at all.

But after finally watching the film myself, I can confidently say this: Colony is definitely not on the same level as Train to Busan, but it is still far better than Peninsula.

The reason I don’t think Colony reaches the same level as Train to Busan is because this film focuses much more on the zombie concept itself, especially the collective intelligence and information-sharing, rather than fully developing the emotional arcs of the characters.

Train to Busan succeeded because it balanced both the zombie action and the emotional storytelling perfectly. Colony, meanwhile, had several moments that could have become emotionally powerful scenes, but they never fully landed for me.

I’ll be honest: I personally struggled to emotionally connect with most of the characters.

Ji Chang Wook and Kim Shin Rock’s sibling relationship had so much potential to become the emotional heart of the film, but the emotional payoff felt slightly incomplete. I wasn’t heartbroken. I felt more “아쉽다.” Like the film came very close to something amazing but didn’t fully reach it.

Ironically, I found myself more invested in Jun Ji Hyun and Shin Hyunbeen’s relationship, even though they barely shared scenes together. Their connection felt more naturally developed throughout the story.

Despite the criticisms, I still think Colony is worth watching in theaters. It delivers the tension and thrill you expect from a zombie film, and the story itself is easy to follow while still introducing fresh ideas to the genre.

Personally, this is very much my kind of film.

I’m honestly happy that Director Yeon Sang Ho managed to bounce back after Peninsula (yes, I’ll keep mentioning how disappointed I was with that movie haha). This film reminded me again why he became one of Korea’s most recognizable directors in the zombie genre.

I’m also really excited to rewatch Colony during the stage greeting event because I genuinely want to see the cast in person soon. I’ll definitely update this post once that happens.