Ten years ago, Korean writer and director Yeon Sang-ho became an international sensation with his thrilling and emotional zombie film, Train to Busan. Now, he’s back with a new zombie feature, co-written by Choi Kyu-seok (Revelations). Colony follows a professor at a biotech conference. When a disgruntled former employee unleashes a zombie-creating fungus in the building, the professor and a small group of survivors will have to try to find a way out while also searching for an antidote.

Fans of Yeon Sang-ho’s work have seen him create a zombie universe with Train to Busan, Peninsula, and the animated film Seoul Station. While he’s returning to the zombie subgenre of horror, Yeon Sang-ho and Choi Kyu-seok have created something very different with Colony. Seeming to take inspiration from both All of Us Are Dead and The Last of Us, this story involves a top research scientist seeking revenge after being fired and having his work taken. To get revenge and show the power of his latest creation, the man releases a dangerous fungal bioweapon during a conference where his ex-employer is speaking. The building has conference rooms, restaurants, and a mall, leaving hundreds of people trapped inside with the infected. This infection is quite unique, connecting all the infected together in a sort of hive mind that allows them to communicate and evolve at a rapid rate. One small group of survivors, including a biotech professor, has to not only avoid the infected, but they also have to find the ex-employee in order to try and get an antidote. What ensues is a tense, frightening, and at times disgusting journey testing the group’s survival skills as they try not to become one of the zombie horde.

It’s difficult to watch another zombie film by Yeon Sang-ho and not compare it to Train to Busan. While Colony has the same ingenuity and definitely the same level of action-packed terror, it doesn’t seem to hit the same emotional beats. Train to Busan is a film that makes this film critic cry during every single watch. Colony definitely made me tear up once or twice, but the emotional moments aren’t quite as intense this time around. This is likely because when we get to know the assorted group of survivors, the audience doesn’t get a complete picture of who these people are and their interpersonal relationships. While varied and interesting in their own ways, it feels like what we know of these characters is far more surface level than one might expect. The exception for this is the disgruntled employee and the professor trying to stop him. Since they are the focus of the plot, it makes it more forgivable that the other characters fall into the background. The real shining star of this story is the unique zombie infection. It is fungal in nature, which will remind people of The Last of Us, but that’s about where the similarities end. The hive-mind element makes these zombies even more terrifying because if even one of them knows where you are, then they all do. The way they communicate and learn is horrifying to behold, along with their movements. They start out animalistic and feral in their hunt for humans, but the more they learn and grow, the more disturbing their habits become. It makes Colony a unique, terrifying watch with some scenes audiences won’t soon forget.

On top of having frightening zombies, Colony also has a phenomenal cast delivering strong performances. Jun Ji-hyun (My Sassy Girl, Assassination) stars as biotech professor Se-Jeong. When audiences first meet Se-Jeong, she seems a bit directionless. She doesn’t have any job prospects and her ex-husband has taken it upon himself to help her find work. Yet as the film progresses, Jun Ji-hyun makes it clear Se-Jeong is incredibly intelligent, empathetic, and is able to think quickly in dire situations. She’s likely the only person left inside the building who can figure out how this infection works, aside from its creator. Koo Kyo-hwan (Peninsula, Parasyte: The Grey) plays the one who created and unleashed the fungal infection, Seo Young-cheol. This is a character who is pure evil. While Koo Kyo-hwan does allow for some empathy for Seo Young-cheol because of troubles in his past, he also makes the character’s current actions and motivations truly sinister. Despite some of his supposedly altruistic reasoning for unleashing the zombie infection, it’s abundantly clear from the start the real reason was revenge. Colony also includes great performances from Ji Chang-wook (Healer), Kim Shin-rock (Hellbound), and Shin Hyeon-been (The Ugly).

Horror fans are going to absolutely love the zombies in Colony. From the very first infected, the disgusting side of these creatures comes to light. Once infected, they immediately vomit white goo and their eyes turn milky. The physical performances from those playing the zombies are all absolutely breathtaking and terrifying. At first, they run around on all-fours like wild animals, lunging at anything that even resembles a human. As they learn and evolve, their movements become more calculated and ultimately more deadly. The way the zombies communicate adds an extra layer of horror to the film. Not only does this involve a strange movement done by all the zombies at once, but it also leads to much more of the white goo. It begins to grow and spread all over their bodies, the floors, and the walls, creating a slimy goo network for them to communicate through that also looks reminiscent of how the Xenomorphs change their environments in the Alien franchise. The makeup for the zombies is great, giving a little bit of a twist on the classic zombie look. The practical effects overall are as stunning as they are nauseating, allowing for realistic-looking injuries and plenty of slime and gore to go around. There is a bit of CGI used in the film as well, but it’s primarily reserved for creating CGI animals that could not have been done with real ones.

Colony is a hive-mind update to the zombie subgenre delivering plenty of goop, gore, and scares. Yeon Sang-ho has given horror fans another thrilling zombie flick to sink their teeth into. The story he created along with Choi Kyu-seok has familiar elements, but manages to feel fresh and exciting. Not only does the film include great performances from the likes of Jun Ji-hyun and Koo Kyo-hwan, but it also has some of the most horrifying and grotesque zombies to hit the big screen in ages. Audiences are sure to appreciate the amazingly crafted practical effects and the unsettling movements from the zombie actors. Colony had its world premiere at Cannes Film Festival just last month. It’s already available in many parts of the world and has been doing quite well at the box office. For audiences in the US, Colony will be available exclusively in select theaters beginning August 28th. This is one film you’ll want to see on the biggest, loudest screen possible.

OVERALL RATING: 7.5/10