Phew!
I don't know where to begin. I really don't.
What a rollercoaster.
Honestly, I'm not a fan of Korean movies. What I mean is that I don't go online specifically looking for anything Korean to watch, but you see this one? I had to.
Hmmm.
It happened to me the way Squid game happened to me and I must commend the directors and all the cast.
Those kids were amazing.
Enough gist.
Lets dive right into the matter.
Movie Plot
While trying to make his son courageous against bullies, a science teacher accidentally creates the Jonas Virus. A zombie virus that kills the host and takes over the human senses (regular zombie stuff). The virus starts with his son and wife, which he's able to contain, but when a student gets bitten by an infected rat, pandemonium breaks out in school as students of Hyosan turn on each other.
Massive spoilers ahead. And I mean massive ones!I took out time this weekend to watch this because I love horror with all my heart. Plus, if you've seen Train to Busan then you know these Koreans know their stuff when it comes to horror movies.
The entire 12 episodes were so intense the only time I breathed well was at night when the kids were asleep.
For the purpose of this review, I'll be summarizing highlights and lowlights and lessons learnt.
Stay tuned
Bullying
Despite the zombie nature of this movie, the main lesson wasn't lost on me. Bullying drove the science teacher to make his son strong. Bullying almost made Eun-ji commit suiced. Bullying was the main villian not the virus.
It's disheartening to see schools and school administrators pretend and cover up violent acts of bullying because they obviously don't care.
How can you ask a victim what he did wrong? I was so happy when that useless teacher was literally gutted by Eun-ji (suicide girl). What nonsene.
I'll come back to bullying, let's just continue.
Love
Nothing annoys me more than liking someone and not saying anything. Oh, it pains me in the gut and I feel like hitting people who act this way.
Jeez, what's the worst that can happen? He or she will say no and you move on.
Granted, moving on isn't always easy, but it's better than mooning whenever you see the person.
Cheong-san had had feelings for On-jo since he was six. Six, people! On-jo had feelings for Su. Su believed On-jo and Cheong are going out, so does the entire school, and is heavily in love with Nam-ra (class president) to the extent he was willing to become a half-bie (half human half zombie)
My gosh!
What sort of complication is this? A serious square that had me vexed until Su and Nam-ra finally broke the borders.
Please, please, tell that person you love him or her. Don't let things stay unsaid. You sincerely never know what will go wrong.
Parents Love
But she wouldn't have stayed at her shop. That moment where Cheong saw her tore me. I found a streak of tear running down my eyes. Yes, they know their parents might already be dead, but seeing them as zombies was worse.
What about On-jo's father? The man risked treachery, got shot, couldn't assist a couple and gave away the gun he would have used to fight, all for his daughter. The fact he insisted that his daughter was waiting and truly the daughter was waiting was just so sad. That reunion, though short lived, will forever remain in On-jo's heart. She'll know that he came for her. He came just as she had predicted.
Ingenious Thinking
Hats off to On-jo, Nam-ra, Cheong-san, Joon and Su for idea bringing. Especially On-jo.
Following the conversation at the breakfast table with her dad, it was clear On-jo was always coming in last and the dad had lost hope in her passing.
But how many ideas did On-jo bring up for them to stay alive?
How many times did she think outside the box using things around them?
How many times did she make suggestions that made it work?
Joon (smart kid) was one of my favorites. He's really handsome and so cute. I cried when he turned. He wasn't supposed to go like that. He had held on for too long to die when salvation was already close.
On-jo showed that it's not always about the paper grades. Smartness and intelligence aren't the same and she demonstrated that she was fit to lead any group any time. Even Nam-ra told her she should have been the class president. Her blend of smartness with compassion made her my all time favorite.
Rank in Disaster
It's only a crazy person that'll pull class rank or social rank during an outbreak. Pink sweater girl, Nu whatever, annoyed me so much I felt like strangling her from my end. Gosh!
She killed Gyoek. Just like that. How did she even have the heart to do so? But I was also pissed with the class president. Why didn't she speak out? She noticed her and kept quiet.
Knowing me, I would yell at her and not allow her to get close to the guy.
The toilet set that survived had me switching from don't die to die. That girl was on my nerves and she was the reason the smart guy died.
Seriously!
You're thinking about seniority in a time like that?
How?
Who freaking care who's a senior? Does it matter? Does being a senior save any of the others from dying? Did being a junior present any challenges for the survivors?
It didn't.
Bonding
If there's one thing the students had to do, it was bond. Whether they wanted to or not, they just had to. The roof top bon fire scene where Cheong finally said his truth was so memorable. It was a raw scene and I liked it.
People who annoyed me
Pink sweater girl
You killed someone because others preferred him to you.
Why won't they?
When all you do is bitch and yell like an entitled brat.
I was just indiffernt to her death.
Roof top guy
I know Gwi-nam was the bully but you see that guy that refused to open the doors, it'll never be well with him
Ever!
He's the main villain. What differentiates him from the others? I like how he got what was coming for him. Happy it wasn't another person that Eun-ji ate.
Mrs Parker
I get that she wanted to be a noble teacher, but what she did was fools hardy. You went out to save a murderer and ended up being murder by the guy she murdered.
Talk about freaky.
Guy!!!
Did she feel like the kids were too harsh? Was that it? She killed herself. She just let stupid nobility get the better part of her.
Girl who saw both parents a zombie
You don't fall when on the run for your life. But then slips do occur. When the girl ignored her partner who fell, I just lost it.
First, I was mad at the one that fell. If she had taken Deo-Su as a partner instead, it wouldn't have been that way. She's lucky she made it out alive. I actually thought she would go first. And the one who didn't save her, still turned.
Gwi-nam
I don't want to talk about him again.
Comic Scene
The police officer and his junior have got to be the funniest pair in the movies.
When the junior took off I was like, "He's so gone."
But seeing him on the bus was impressive.
And how about the YouTuber? This one should go and thank his stars that he got somewhere high and his luck was high.
He would have been a zombie meal.
Boys BromancePainful deaths
From episode 1 to 12, these were people whose deaths stung
Gyeonk (Pink sweater killed him)
Joon (smart guy)
Cheong's mum
On-jo's dad
Cheong-san
Wun-ji (archer's brother)
Watching Cheong-san use his final breath to save his friends by causing a distraction tore me into two. I started crying when he was bitten. I cried until the explosion and still cried when the name tag showed up. He was a hero. He tried. He fought for his friends. He tried his best and will forever remain in our hearts, that is, if he's truly dead.
I don't want this to be too long.
That movie packed a bunch of lessons.
If you love somehow, for the love of God please tell them already. Get over it.
Parents who care go out of their care to protect their child even when it'll cost them their lives.
Bullying doesn't give you an excuse to be a shithead to others.
Bullying is bad. It strips one of their essence and drives the person to a point of no return. If you're a bully, cut it out.
Rating: 9/10
What do you think about this movie?
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