Trapped inside a sealed building during a deadly bioterrorist attack, a desperate group of survivors must navigate growing panic and betrayal as they fight to stay alive.
Director: Na Hong-jin
Cast:Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Kim Shin-rok, Shin Hyun-been, Go Soo
Release Date: September 9, 2026
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Rated R for bloody violent content and some language.
Runtime: 2h 3m
Review:
Yeon Sang-ho’s latest zombie horror film, Colony, is a kinetic action-packed zombie fest that packs together a handful of tropes into a bloody, mucus filled goodtime. Sang-ho film waste little time taking off as his script is decidedly lean on characterization, focusing instead on sleek pulse pounding action set pieces. Those action sequences are impressive across the board as infected people fling themselves at survivors in a steady succession of increasingly complicated contortions. It all plays out like the slimiest Cirque du Soleil performance ever to occur in a mall. The setting will illicit memories of Dawn of the Dead, the original and remake, but there are more than a few whiffs of the 28 Days Later franchise and The Last of Us series thrown in for good measure. The central concept of an evolving zombie hivemind horde gives the action a dash of freshness as the survivors have to constantly keep on their toes with the infected learning their tactics. None of the concepts, including the hive mind, is terribly groundbreaking but it’s a testament to Sang-ho’s talent as a director that it’s all so thoroughly entertaining especially if you’re looking for a fun zombie thrill ride. While there’s plenty of splatter fun to enjoy during the film’s frenetic two-hour runtime, the characters are all little more than thinly scripted types with none of them getting enough time to get properly fleshed out. Jun Ji-hyun’s biotechnology professor, Kwon Se-jeong, serves as the film’s defacto lead with her bringing strong, confident screen presence to the role. She exudes self-determination and intelligence throughout which leaves you wishing the script had given the character a tad more depth to fully take advantage of her performance. Koo Kyo-hwan’s bio terrorist, Seo Young-cheol, who caused the outbreak takes center stage in the second half of the film and is played with enough nefarious glee that you just can’t wait for him to get his comeuppance. The rest of the supporting cast does its best with their limited screentime with only the brother sister duo, played by Ji Chang-wook and Kim Shin-rok, leaving a noticeable impact. Once its all said and done, Colony, may not reach the heights of Yeon Sang-ho’s Train to Busan but its still a bloody fun zombie film.
B
