#Alive: Worth a Watch?

-

Netflix’s zombie game has historically been pretty strong, with Cargo and Ravenous both standout entries in a sometimes tired subgenre. Buzzy new Korean movie #Alive looks set to continue the trend – but is it worth a watch?

In a nutshell: Layabout twenty-something Joon-woo (Ah-In Yoo) is left home alone in his parents’ apartment when the zombie apocalypse kicks off outside his window. Lacking in both groceries and basic life skills, does Joon-woo have what it takes to stay alive?

This is a spoiler-free zone.

#Alive's hits


  • This is the most relatable zombie film I’ve seen in a long time. Rather than the hardened and resourceful survivors we’ve grown used to, Joon-woo is too scared to leave his apartment and initially just goes back to his online gaming to pass the time.
  • The movie has the patience to flesh out its characters, with most of the film focusing on Joon-woo’s attempts to keep despair at bay. That said, it’s not afraid to get its hands dirty with some nerve-jangling set pieces.
  • I enjoyed the emphasis on up-to-date tech. Joon-woo's drone comes in pretty handy, but he suffers a major setback when he realises all his headphones are wireless. It's one way of introducing plot developments you don't get in Dawn of the Dead.

#Alive's misses


  • The zombies themselves offer nothing particularly new – they’re the bloodied, squawking hordes that became the default ever since 28 Days Later. Purists will argue they’re not even zombies since they have a viral infection and aren’t actually dead.
  • The narrative falls back on the regular story beats of a zombie apocalypse story a little too easily. There’s a development in the third act we’ve seen millions of times before.
  • The film isn’t all that ambitious with its single setting and limited cast of characters. Though doubtless an entertaining watch, it doesn’t add anything new to the subgenre in the same way as Cargo or Ravenous.
#Alive is available to stream on Netflix.

Still looking for something to watch? Why not check out more of the Worth a Watch? series.

Fill your Twitter feed with weekly horror content. Follow us:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The four weirdest horror movie sex scenes

-
Image
Gratuitous sex scenes are a mainstay in most horror flicks, but some stick in the mind for their general WTF nature. Here are the four most bizarre scenes of intercourse, handpicked in four different categories. This list includes consensual encounters only, so there'll be no appearances from otherwise memorable scenes such as the Midsommar fertility ritual, the Evil Dead handsy tree branches or the various penile decapitations in Teeth . Weirdest Slasher Hookup We all know teens in slasher films exist to have sex and then be inventively killed. But which movie has the most out-there adolescent coupling? There can be only one answer: WINNER:  Madman (1981) - hot tub scene TP (Tony Fish) and Betsy (Gaylen Ross) are enjoying a bit of aquatic loving, unaware the murderous Madman Marz is on the prowl. The scene has distinct soft porn vibes - the song choice of Steve Horelick's 'I Don't Need Words'; the slo-mo undressing; and seemingly endless shots of the couple circl...
Read more

The significance of The Entity's 10 different forms in It Follows

-
Image
The It of It Follows   takes several different forms, and we're told early on it could appear as "someone you know or a stranger in a crowd". If you pay close attention, it seems like each form is chosen specifically to mess with Jay (Maika Monroe) , acting as a manifestation of subconscious anxieties. Director David Robert Mitchell explained to Vulture that when choosing the form of It - often referred to as The Entity - he "tried to just think about what was troubling to me in each of those situations". Mitchell noted in the same interview that many of the forms The Entity takes are more significant than we realise - it's just too far away to properly register for most viewers. Bearing this in mind, I've listed all of the main forms The Entity takes and teased out how they're significant to Jay's mental state at that point in the film. #1 - Naked woman in the car park (Ruby Harris) There's some debate over who thi...
Read more

Top 10 slasher kills - from Friday the 13th to Terrifier

-
Image
Slasher movies have been preoccupied with the most inventive ways to kill folks for decades. Here's ten of horror's most elaborate murders from artisans such as Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger and Art the Clown. The kills are ranked on originality, gore effects and just how much they make your stomach turn. There's also a bit of info on how the special effects team worked their magic. It hardly needs saying, but be advised there are some bloody images and video clips below. 10/ Caught in a cat flap - Scream (1997) Killer: Ghostface Victim: Tatum Riley (Rose McGowan) What goes down: Tatum is confronted by Ghostface while grabbing some beers from the garage. What she thinks is a prank escalates quickly as the masked killer pulls a knife. Tatum looks to have the upper hand as she batters a flailing Ghostface with fridge doors and beer bottles. Yet then she makes the ill advised decision to try and squeeze through a cat flap. Ghostface can't beli...
Read more