Dog’s Movie House: “#Alive” Gripping Zombie Film From South Korea!”

The film starts in an unknown Korean city when young blogger Oh Joon-Woo (Ah-In Yoo) wakes up one morning to find his city in chaos. Television reports of people going mad from an unknown infection and attacking others in accompanied by mass panic outside his own building. In a matter of hours he’s trapped in his apartment while his former neighbors look to make him and any other unfortunate survivor their next meal. Running low on food and water but unwilling to risk leaving the relative safety of his building, things look bleak until he connects with a tough neighbor across from him and soon the two are making a desperate attempt to flee their homes in an attempt to escape.

One of the great things about “#Alive” is how it parallels events going on right now. The confusion about the outbreak, how the contagion is spread, and the sense of isolation all mirror events taking place in our everyday lives. I have no idea whether this was intentional or not but it definitely adds an extra layer to the sense of terror and unease that accompanies this movie. The film is also rife with exciting and original set pieces using today’s technology such as drones, selfie-sticks, and cell-phone radio apps. (It’s also actually nice to see social media used in a positive sense for a change, heh.)

Ah-In Yoo is terrific as the young protagonist. His Oh is a one man show for the most part. In fact, you could film “#Alive” as a stage play in still retain most of the effect. Yoo does a terrific job of exploring all sides of the situation his character encounters including some dark situations that having nothing to do with the flesh-eating monsters lurking right outside his door. He’s matched by Shin-Hye Park as Yu-Bin, the young woman he finds just as Oh has reached his lowest point. They bolster each other through some pretty horrifying occurrences including an encounter with a neighbor that turns out to be both sad and nightmarish at the same time.

With enough gore to keep hardcore zombie fans happy, great performances and a very original story, “#Alive” is a zombie film that offers something fresh and dynamic to a well worn horror subject. A little warning: the movie features subtitles, but it’s not difficult to understand at all. 4 1/2 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer! So Sayeth The Kendog!

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