#Alive Review: Just Another Contemporary Zombie-Thriller!

Directed by Cho Il-hyung, #Alive starring Yoo Ah-in and Park Shin-hye in the primary roles is a South Korean thriller that is very much comparable to the several other zombie films we’ve seen in the past and takes place post the outbreak. The movie opens with our male protagonist, Oh Joon-woo waking up late, and he instantly finds out that their parents left for work early. Eventually, after relaxing at his gaming station to play a battle royal, he finds out that the entire city, including his apartment complex, is taken over by the walking dead, and for the rest of the film, he works out different techniques to survive.

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Not being able to distinguish itself from every title listed in this genre is one of the primary shortcomings that #Alive on Netflix contacts with, the seemliness in its narrative. Zombies targetting the weak, having magnet-like abilities to sound and movements, their dumb characteristics, and the killer discipline to take down the normies is showcased with the same level of intensity that we’ve seen in the past two decades. The survival part of the film reminded me of classics like Cast Away and 127 Hours, etc. Therefore, a bit of focus on developing an innovative script could have helped the overall product as it also utterly predictable from start to finish.

However, the narrative of #Alive adds in some intrigue in the form of some well put together, enthralling action sequences. The drama involving the female protagonist in the second half of the film added some weight, and the elements of thrill and horror worked out well for the most part. Also, these additional traits did allow the movie to flow at a modest pace from start to finish.

Moving on, not being able to connect or remotely relate to the characters further pummeled the prime intention of the movie through and through. As the entire narrative centered around the survival of Yoo Ah-in and the female lead, not correlating to anything they are doing together resulted in not caring about where they finally end up.

On the other side, the prosthetic make-up, the detailing in the zombie’s overall look, the practical effects, and the post-apocalyptic set design elevated the overall presentation of the film. And as a result, it made me believe that there is an apocalypse happening within that 2.35:1 aspect ratio.

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Overall, #Alive on Netflix is just another contemporary zombie-thriller that blends in the elements of survival, thrill, and drama in a satisfactory way. It is a decent, laid-back, afternoon watch where you do not have to focus on everything, instead, you can cruise through the film in a relatively easy manner. Watch ‘#Alive’ on Netflix here.

Rating – 2.75/5 | Grade – C+

Images via Netflix