Colony (Frightfest 2026)

Zombies have long been used as an allegory. From the Haitian legend that treated zombification as an extension of slavery to the Civil Rights and consumerist concerns of George A. Romero; from the mindless shuffle of everyday life in ‘Shaun of the Dead’ to the class divisions in ‘Train to Busan’ and the unleashing of base desires in ‘The Sadness’, zombie films are as much about living issues as they are the walking dead. With ‘Colony’, ‘Train to Busan’ director Yeon Sang-ho delivers another Korean twist on this endlessly mutable sub-genre, basing a zombie outbreak around an infection, and using this outbreak to explore issues of communication, collectivism and control. 

Much like the director’s previous effort, as well as ‘Dawn of the Dead’ and ‘[REC]’, ‘Colony’ takes place in a contained environment, a tower block that includes a shopping mall as well as a conference centre and various offices. Director Yeon makes full use of this enclosed space, the various glass doors and walls providing refuge but also visual exposure to the increasing numbers of ravenous former humans. Early in the film, characters take refuge in a camping store while others lock themselves in a restaurant. Everyday items such as lights, advertising screens and perfume become embroiled in the struggle for survival, scientific knowledge as well as intelligent planning also prove vital in this struggle. 

As is also common in this genre, the viewer is introduced early to a rag-tag group of characters, the question quickly arising as to who will die and when (the how is fairly obvious). Central to this group is unemployed professor Kwon Se-jeong (Jun Ji-hyun), whose ex-husband Han Gyu-sung (Goo Soo) is trying to help her find a new job before he emigrates with his family. Mall security guard Choi Heun-seok and his wheelchair-bound sister, Hyun-hee, police officer Lee Bong-seok (Lee Joong-ok) and a group of teenagers add to the group trying to survive. Along the way, there are various deaths that carry different emotional weight, some of them tragic, some brutal, some darkly funny and one that prompted a cry of ‘Bitch!’ from this reviewer. While there is little time to develop relationships between the characters, some interesting alliances and betrayals do take place, and is often the case, humans are just as bad as the growing horde of zombies, although a more accurate term would probably be swarm. 

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Swarm is an apt term for these zombies, who are familiar in terms of their ferocity but distinct in terms of their social organisation, operating as a collective consciousness in which new information is immediately shared between them. This is expressed in instances where the infected stop and rear up with high-pitched screams, oddly reminiscent of meerkats but not nearly as cute. Their movements are also inhuman, running at a pace that instantly says savage, and also contorting with wince-inducing cracking sounds. Their beating against the various glass surroundings leads to extensive smearing of mucus, which is a powerful image that also has narrative significance. Alongside the mucus, there is ample blood and gore from the zombie attacks, presented in super stylish sequences as the camera follows the infected charging at great speed, chases that turn into full on melees with bodies flying in all directions. Yeon shows further stylistic flair in some overhead shots, especially during the finale when the scope of the film becomes wider. A sub-plot follows the efforts of the Korean government to contain the outbreak and seek a vaccine from a hub of multiple computer workstations that allows, in a possibly excessive flourish, a first-person shooter perspective. 

This command hub also highlights the film’s intriguing engagement with communication and surveillance. ‘Colony’ is an extremely contemporary film, with mobile phones and group chats proving vital to the drama. This technology provides vital connection, but also parallels the connection between the infected that aids their savagery and inhumanity. This could be read as a metaphor for communism, warning against the dangers of collectivism, but a more apparent concern seems to be dictatorship, a pertinent concern in contemporary societies around the world. Connection is needed for survival, but as one character says, is anyone willing to be the outcast? 

One person who is not likely to be cast out by the audience is the film’s hero, Seo-jeong. From her interactions with Gyu-sung that speak of long familiarity to her hesitancy with powerful people, her taking control in a crisis and effective use of scientific knowledge, Seo-jeong’s compassion, intelligence and resolve shine through, even in the face of savagery and humanity’s inhumanity. These qualities make her a worthy addition to zombie attack protagonists, alongside such figures as Duane Jones’ Ben in ‘Night of the Living Dead’, Cillian Murphy’s Jim in ‘28 Days Later…’ and Simon Pegg’s titular Shaun. For this and multiple other reasons, ‘Colony’ offers plenty for the zombie fans, as action and gore comfortably share the screen with heart and braaaaaains…

VINCENT’S ARCHIVE – COLONY