Yeon Sang-ho’s Colony

These are zombies for the age of wokeness, because they literally practice group think. Of course, just like the DSA, the hive mind is not truly based on equality. They have no free will, individual or collective, because they are being controlled by an evil genius. However, these zombies are also old school, in that they hang out in the mall. To get out of quarantine, Dr. Kwon Se-jeong must find the responsible mastermind in Yeon Sang-ho’s Colony, which opens today in theaters.

Dr. Kwon’s worrywart ex-husband Han Gyu-seong dragged her to a Chains Bio media event, so they (but primarily he) could beg for a job for her. While he lacks her passionate integrity, Han worries about her, so he wants to leave her in a secure position, before departing indefinitely for America. Then the zombie outbreak explodes.

It was all Seo Young-cheol’s fault, as he himself gloats to the 911-equivelant operator. The founder of Chains fired Seo for the increasing ethical sketchiness of his research, which took an even sketchier turn after his dismissal. As payback, Seo pumps his old boss full of zombie virus and himself full of the only existing vaccine. Consequently, Kwon and her ragtag group of survivors, including Choi Hyun-seok, a security guard in the Columbus Circle-like mall underneath Chain headquarters, and his wheelchair-employing IT-speecialiist sister Choi Hyun-hee, must capture Seo and hand him over to the police to escape zombie ground zero.

Frankly, Seo is creepier than the zombies, but that is not a bad thing. Although Yeon is best known for the Train to Busan trilogy, which started with the animated Seoul Station and concluded (at least for now) with Peninsula, these are very different zombies, rampaging in a completely separate narrative continuity. They are much more resourceful, because they are literally wired together into Seo’s head. However, the methods Kwon devises to foil their hive consciousness are consistently clever. Consequently, Colony could be the most satisfying zombie film since Anna and the Apocalypse.

Yeon fully capitalizes on the upscale mall setting (think Coach rather than JC Penney), without prompting unflattering comparisons to George Romero’s classic Dawn of the Dead. This is a punchy, fast-paced zombie thrill-ride that arguably better incorporates the hive and swarm themes than any previous insect horror movie, including Phase IV.

Gianna Jun Ji-hyun is also terrific as Kwon, making her a convincingly smart and resourceful protag, with considerable but forgivable flaws. Koo Kyo-hwan’s portrayal of Seo is memorably evil, in a uniquely cold and clammy way. Plus, Ji Chang-wook and Kim Shin-rok elevate the Choi siblings to grandly tragic levels.

Peninsula was better than its largely lukewarm reception would suggest, but Colony definitely recaptures the magic that made Train to Busan such a success. As usual, it retains Yeon’s darkly pessimistic view of human nature, yet, somehow, it is still a wildly fun ride. Highly recommended for zombie fans, Colony opens today (8/28) in New York, at the IFC Center.