By George & Josh Bate
Yeon Sang-ho has become one of the most recognizable names in modern zombie cinema. The acclaimed South Korean director first brought his unique vision of the undead to the big screen with Train to Busan, before expanding that world with the sequel Peninsula and the animated prequel Seoul Station. Now, Sang-ho returns to the genre with Colony, another South Korean horror film that yet again puts a fresh spin on the familiar zombie formula.
Colony follows Se-jeong (Jun Ji-hyun), a professor joined by a ragtag group of survivors in a daring attempt to fight their way out of a Seoul high-rise (the epicenter of a zombie outbreak). While fending off the undead, the team must also contend with Seo Yeong-cheol (Koo Kyo-hwan), the scientist responsible for the outbreak who serves as the leader of the zombies.
A product of the sheer volume of zombie movies and shows in the nearly 60 years since George A. Romero masterminded Night of the Living Dead, many tales of the undead suffer from a distinct lack of originality, while a select few others forge a unique identity of their own. For every Resident Evil: Afterlife, there’s a 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, for instance. Thankfully, Yeon Sang-ho’s latest has far more in common with the latter than the former, at least in terms of novelty.
In part, the relative distinctiveness of Colony comes from the idea that the undead operate with a hive communication style. This means that, if one zombie learns something, that knowledge then spreads to the rest of the group. This also renders them more intelligent and, in turn, dangerous than the average zombie. As the saying goes, a movie is only as good as its villain, and Colony bolsters an army of antagonists that consistently raise the stakes. Just when the heroes think they have gotten away, the zombies updates their collective knowledge to ensure that they’re never far behind.
As stated, the lead character of the film is a professor by the name of Gong Seol-hee. She’s joined by a security guard and his sister, another professor, a police officer, a businessman, a retired athlete, and a few teenagers. Together, they form an eclectic group that, on the surface, may not seem like a good balance for a horror film. However, the heroes actually end up as a highlight of the story, not only because of their unique roles in the fight against the zombies, but because of the screenplay’s willingness to afford each of them individual stories. Without exception, they all have an arc that, come the end of the film, is fully wrapped up, in turn giving all of the heroes their chance to shine.
Perhaps the strongest character of the film, however, comes in the former of the villainous Seo. Played by Koo Kyo-hwan, Seo represents another significant twist on the typical zombie uprising story. Rather than a natural outbreak (like The Last of Us) or an accidental release of a human-made virus, Colony’s story focuses on Seo as he actively develops the disease and purposefully launches it from a high-rise due to the population density of the building (and the presence of another academic who he accused of stealing his research). Seo himself eventually infects himself with the virus, which adds another dimension to his power, and imbues with the psychopathy of Joker and the brutality of Bane. He’s not only the one who started the outbreak, but he’s also somewhat akin to a cult leader, marching around the various floors of the building with an army of the undead listening to his every command.
Occasional brushing aside of necessary exposition represents one of the few missteps Yeon Sang-ho makes with his latest zombie flick. There are numerous examples of this issue throughout the film, such as when the group of survivors are tasked with finding Seo as they’re told he actually is the vaccine to the virus. However, it’s never actually explained how Seo is the antidote; it could be that the villain’s research represents a potential way out of the chaos, or that Seo himself actually developed some kind of vaccine. Therefore, what the film’s writers mean when they refer to Seo as the vaccine is unclear, which may be bothersome to some viewers more interested in the narrative underlying the undead. As such, Colony is best enjoyed if one goes along for the unrelenting fight for survival with the band of heroes, rather than dissecting every piece of the story.
VERDICT: 8/10
Colony is one of the more inventive zombie stories in recent years, with zombie movie veteran Yeon Sang-ho putting a fresh spin on the familiar formula. The film’s hive-minded undead make for an intelligent and relentless threat, while Koo Kyo-hwan’s villainous Seo provides a compelling antagonist who takes the zombie uprising in an unexpected direction. An eclectic ensemble of survivors further strengthens the film, with each character afforded an individual story and ample opportunities to shine. Although occasional gaps in exposition can leave some of the film’s mythology unclear, Colony is ultimately best enjoyed as an unrelenting fight for survival that delivers plenty of horror, action, and originality.