At first they crawl on all fours, then within minutes they run on two legs, and within hours they can fool people. This is the story of the zombies in "Gunchae." Director Yeon Sang-ho developed the zombie horde from an idea about AI into a finished product whose powerful weapon, "collective intelligence," now even surpasses humans. In Yeoniverse, all of this is possible.
"Gunchae" (directed by Yeon Sang-ho, distributed by SHOWBOX, produced by Wowpoint (WOWPOINT)·Smilegate, co-produced by Midnight Studio) depicts the desperate fight that isolated survivors wage inside a building sealed off by an unidentified outbreak as the infected evolve into unpredictable forms. It heralds a new evolution of the zombie genre and announces the birth of a new species different from conventional zombies. It was officially invited to the midnight screening section at the 79th Cannes Film Festival and received a seven-minute standing ovation immediately after the screening, and it has been pre-sold to 124 countries overseas, drawing global attention even before its release.
A biochemical attack occurred at the Dunguri Building in the heart of Seoul, throwing the country into turmoil, and it turned out that genius biologist Seo Young-cheol (played by Koo Kyo-hwan) was identified as a prime suspect. At the same time, biotech researcher Kwon Se-jung (played by Jun Ji-hyun), who was in the building, became isolated with her ex-husband Han Gyu-seong (played by Go Soo), and infected people who crawled on all fours and attacked people surged. The two who barely survived hurriedly hid after encountering security team member Choi Hyun-seok (played by Ji Changwook), Hyun-seok's sister and a lower-body disabled person Choi Hyun-hee (played by Kim Shin-rock), police officers, and high school students. At that time they learned from the police that suspect Seo Young-cheol was the only one with the vaccine and obtained information that capturing him would allow them to be rescued from the sealed building.
However, to reach Seo Young-cheol they must pass through the infected to reach the third floor, putting their lives at risk. The zombies that once walked on all fours like beasts could initially be easily outwitted with just a single sandwich board, but within minutes they began exchanging information among themselves, evolving and updating to start running on two legs, and before long they could identify humans. Their collective intelligence continued to advance, and they responded in a coordinated manner under Seo Young-cheol's control and direction.
The fast sprinting and grotesquely twisting movements we have seen countless times remain basic. But have you ever imagined a zombie that secretly eavesdrops on a person's phone voice and reads and forwards group chat messages? It is shock and terror itself.
Previously, in normal settings where sound is muted or lights are blocked and even someone walking right in front can pass by unnoticed, humans usually had the upper hand in the typical "human vs. zombie" fight. But "Gunchae" is different. It contains scenes of bloody battles between humans and zombies that have become so smart through collective intelligence. If "Train to Busan" focused on physical struggle, "Gunchae" is closer to the process of identifying and eliminating the cause of the zombies. It is, in effect, the smartest zombie in history born from a combination of AI and the characteristics of ants.
In fact, after the masterpiece "Train to Busan," domestic audiences over the past 10 years have naturally felt the genre's formulas and limits while encountering numerous zombie works. Reactions such as "Is there anything new left in zombie films?" emerged, but director Yeon Sang-ho nonetheless created a more evolved "Gunchae" through constant variations and attempts.
In previous works, director Yeon Sang-ho worked with breakdancers and stuntmen to express zombie movements, but because "Gunchae" required the difficult task of embodying an abstract concept, he brought in an avant-garde modern dance team. As a result, the gestures of the zombie horde are scarier and more chilling than imagined.
In the past, "Train to Busan" surpassed 11 million admissions but could not avoid some criticism for its Korean-style melodrama. By contrast, "Gunchae" is mercilessly cold. You might even hear, "Couldn't they have added a little humanism…" The actors aboard the Yeoniverse, including Jun Ji-hyun and Koo Kyo-hwan as personas, blend together smoothly without flaw.
Opens May 21, rated for ages 15 and up, 122 minutes.<
[Photo] movie poster and stills
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