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It’s hard to get creative with zombie films today. It almost feels as if everything’s a matter of “been there, done that.” As a zombie movie lover myself, even I can admit that, but South Korean zombie films and shows have taken the spotlight in recent years (Train to Busan and Kingdom, anyone?). With that being said, Cho Il-hyung and Matt Naylor’s #Alive includes refreshing elements that may resonate with today’s tech generation in a hyper-connected world.
The film follows Oh Joon-woo (Yoo Ah-in), a college student who’s built a decent following through video game live streaming. On a day that was supposed to be just like any other day, a zombie apocalypse ensues while he watches the chaos unfold several floors below from the balcony of his apartment. He then barricades himself in his own home, losing his sanity with each passing week spent alone—until he meets fellow survivor, Kim Yoo-bin (Park Shin-hye).
What I found most interesting about ‘#Alive’ was its creative use of technology in the film. Considering that Joon-woo seems fairly popular in the video game live streaming biz, at least in South Korea (home to many dominant players in the e-sports scene), he also has quite a following on social media. He notices that many Instagram users are still alive, waiting to be rescued. In another post, he sees a man fall to his death from his apartment while trying to capitalize on the dire situation for content. I don’t think it’d be way out in the left field to say that people would do the exact same thing if the apocalypse were to occur in real life. In fact, I know people would still be trying to get their 15 minutes of fame online even with the threat of being ripped apart by flesh-eating monsters. A commentary on what our hyper-connectedness is going to do to us in the future? Sure, but it can’t be ignored that it has its uses. Joon-woo reaches out to fellow survivors by making an Instagram post stating that he’s trapped in his apartment and needs to be rescued, ending with the hashtag #StayAlive. Hopefully, his gaming skills will come in handy in the meantime.
While zombie films are inevitably formulaic—stock up on food and water, find a weapon, don’t get bitten, etc., it is Joon-woo’s fast-formed friendship with Yoo-bin that carries the film. They form this friendship in creative ways considering that they are both in separate apartment blocks situated across the street from one another. Mind you, there are a whole lot of very hungry zombies in the way. Joon-woo flies his drone (most likely received for free as part of a sponsorship—gamer perks!) across to Yoo-bin’s unit so that they may transfer food and other necessary supplies between each other. One of my favorite moments is when they “share a meal” by eating ramyeon simultaneously in their respective apartments (and coincidentally discovering that they prepare it the same exact way—adorbz!). Another heartwarming moment is when they lay on their couches, talking about everything and nothing at all over their walkie-talkies. There was something satisfying in seeing that they forgot about the world ending around them, even if only temporary. For a moment, everything felt close to being normal again.
All in all, I appreciated how in-tune the film was with today’s tech generation, especially with regards to the rise of video game streamers and social media influencers. Combine those factors with a zombie apocalypse, and you get a pretty interesting watch. My overall rating for this film: 7/10.
If you want to see if the pair manage to #StayAlive, you can watch #Alive on Netflix.
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