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Zombie movies have been done, and it often feels like there's not a lot more to do with the genre. But director Yeon Sang-ho has been working in the genre for a while, and he is back with "Colony" (Gun-Che, in Korean), now available on VOD. Even though this movie includes a lot of standard zombie tropes, its unique elements are fantastic, the gore is plentiful, and the characters have depth, making for a rollicking good time.
Professor Kwon Se-jeong (Gianna Jun) received a strange invitation to attend a biotech lecture from Seo Young-cheol (Koo Kyo-hwan), a man holding onto numerous grudges. After giving himself the only antidote, he injects the keynote speaker with a virus that turns him into a zombie. However, this disease is different. The infected produce a mucus-like substance that allows all of them to communicate with one another and learn about their environment. We watch them go from crawling on four legs to two, until they can mimic those they are chasing. Each evolution makes them smarter and deadlier. Se-jeong has to find a way to disrupt their communication in order to save herself and the others.
The first infection in "Colony" happens maybe 10 minutes into the film, so it is rolling right from the start, and it really doesn't stop for the 2-hour runtime. There are a few moments in the second act where it begins to feel a bit repetitive, and a whole monkey scene that, while interesting, feels like it adds more time than necessary. Even so, there is plenty going on, and enough tension throughout the story to keep your attention. Also, the idea of a hive mind when it comes to zombies is something we rarely see.
What makes this movie something special is that we actually care about the characters. Even the villain, who could seem fairly one-note, has a reason for causing the outbreak. We see the bond between a brother and sister, and what happens when it breaks. A phenomenal third-act scene shows an apology almost immediately reversed, and the result is jaw-dropping in how it comes together. It would be easy for "Colony" to simply move from one attack to another, but we get some solid character development that elevates this to something far more than just another zombie flick.
All of this character development is aided by the performances throughout. Gianna Jun is the standout, but she is bolstered by other great showings, particularly Go Soo, who plays her ex, Han Kyu-seong. The way their relationship is played in the movie is interesting, and not how it would likely work in an American film. Also, setting the story in the Doongwoori building adds a fun element, since it keeps the story in one location while still offering many different aspects, including shops, offices and the security rooms that come with it.
I've always been a fan of zombie movies because I think they give us a pretty good idea of how people react in any kind of natural disaster. Young-cheol thinks that having one person controlling everything is how we learn to work together, but "Colony" shows us that thinking for ourselves and using our unique talents is what will actually save us.