[Review] The brain-sharing zombie has arrived: 'COLONY' premieres with evolved infected creatures [Cannes★Report]

*This content was translated by AI.

• Review of 'COLONY' at the Midnight Screening of the 79th Cannes International Film Festival

Ten years after 'Train to Busan', director Yeon Sang-ho's zombies have evolved. Evolved infected creatures that cannot be contained by the mere term "zombie" captivate the audience.

On the 15th at midnight (local time), the film 'COLONY', an invited work for the Midnight Screening, premiered for the first time at the Grand Auditorium Lumière of the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France.

'COLONY' is a film about isolated survivors inside a building sealed off by an unidentified infectious outbreak, fighting against infected individuals evolving in unpredictable forms.

An unidentified mass infectious outbreak occurs in a super-high-rise building in downtown Seoul, and the building is sealed off in an instant, leaving those inside completely isolated. Initially, the infected crawled like beasts, but they gradually evolved, began walking on two legs, identified humans, and started attacking survivors in groups.

Biotechnologist Kwon Se-jeong (played by Jeon Ji-hyun) and the survivors head toward the rooftop where a rescue team is waiting, seeking Seo Young-cheol (played by Koo Kyo-hwan), who reported injecting a vaccine into his own body. However, as they ascend, the situation becomes increasingly unpredictable, and Seo Young-cheol blocks the survivors' path by leading the infected.

Director Yeon Sang-ho was invited to the Cannes Film Festival for the fourth time, following his first feature-length animation 'King of Pigs' (2012, Directors' Fortnight), 'Train to Busan' (2016, Midnight Screening section), and 'Peninsula' (2020, Official Selection). Known as the father of the Korean zombie genre, Yeon Sang-ho captivated attention by presenting not ordinary Korean zombies but evolved infected creatures, so-called "brain-sharing zombies."

While following the formula of Yeon Sang-ho-style zombie films, the movie offers new attractions and stories through variations of the zombie concept. While 'Train to Busan' provided fresh enjoyment with a zombie outbreak inside a sealed KTX train, 'COLONY' depicts the confrontation between people trapped in a shopping mall building and the infected creatures.

The zombies in 'COLONY' shockingly appear as infected entities that share thoughts and brains in their own way, much like ants sharing thoughts through pheromones. 'COLONY' introduces zombies immediately upon the film's start and propels the audience forward with relentless pace for 122 minutes without a single moment of boredom.

Jeon Ji-hyun, returning to the screen after 11 years, successfully took on a new challenge by working with director Yeon Sang-ho. Jeon Ji-hyun's charm permeates the zombie film, driving the work forward. Koo Kyo-hwan served as the absolute villain and antagonist in the film, adding strength to the story. Koo Kyo-hwan's distinctive voice and expressions created the atmosphere of 'COLONY'. Ji Chang-wook adds another layer to the film by building chemistry with Kim Shin-rok, who plays his sister in the movie. Kim Shin-rok perfectly embodied a difficult character with terrifying acting skills. Shin Hyun-bin leads a narrative outside the sealed space, raising thought-provoking questions.

'COLONY' tackles social issues facing our society in a commercial and entertaining manner. Director Yeon Sang-ho, who prefers showing rather than teaching messages, packed various thoughts into the story's relentless conclusion. Above all, the emergence of a new infected creature named 'COLONY' and the setting of shared brains broke existing frameworks and created the evolution of zombies. The sight of zombies, having lost their humanity, evolving to move in swarms, sharing thoughts, and acting as a single living organism, along with the loneliness of isolated goodness within, raises thought-provoking questions. Furthermore, the depiction of public authority resolving the situation and the public's acceptance of it is also bitter.

It remains to be seen what kind of response Yeon Sang-ho's evolved infected creatures will receive from audiences after the film's release, drawing significant attention.

First unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival, 'COLONY' will be released domestically on the 21st. Rated for viewers aged 15 and above. Running time: 122 minutes.

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*This content was translated by AI.