Spoilers for: #Alive (#살아있다; #Saraitda)

#I_MUST_SURVIVE

"We're still Alive!”

- #Alive (2020, South Korea)

#Alive is one of the newest South Korean horror flicks to hit Netflix. This film, directed by Il Cho, depicts the struggle of characters trapped in their homes by a zombie virus with only social media as a means of asking for help. When communication with the outside world fails, the main characters must rely on themselves to survive. Actors Yoo Ah-in and Park Shin-hye star in #Alive (2020) as strangers living in adjacent apartments cut-off from the rest of the world as they take shelter from the mysterious virus that rampages the city outside.

#Alive feels like if the year 2020 was a horror movie. Except the virus is a zombie outbreak. The film begins with Oh Joon-woo (Yoo Ah-in) trying to deal with the outbreak on his own as he struggles to maintain his sanity and will to survive. In an adjacent apartment, Kim Yoo-bin (Park Shin-hye) faces the same struggles. These two survivors form a like-minded connection and band together, reinvigorating their hope for survival as they battle the virus that continues to rage outside their homes.

Actor Yoo Ah-in and actress Park Shin-hye don't disappoint as #Alive's main characters as they deliver convincing and identifiable performances throughout the film. With the protagonists as guides, the viewer gets swept away by the immersive cinematography and setting. The score also blends well with the pace of the story as both embody the ongoing rollercoaster of events and emotions the characters experience.

Final Thoughts:

If a zombie movie can be simple, yet complex, #Alive is it. Unlike most horrors, this movie is not escapist. Instead, #Alive feels like an extreme case of the reality of a pandemic, minus the cannibalistic zombies. However, this film can still be enjoyed on its dramatic zombie movie surface. It’s a horror movie with heart as it gives reasonable time, treatment, and attention to the characters' external and internal turmoil as they deal with isolation and growing fear as the world they know seemingly ends.

#Alive ends with many unanswered questions, but the somewhat open ending helps the viewer further understand the characters' uncertain state of mind and their world. Despite the unanswered questions, the film manages to end on a hopeful note, as the characters continue their journey into the unknown.

Whether you are looking for a horror-filled escape or are ready to deal with reality through a new lens, I recommend adding #Alive to your viewing list and experiencing this film's world for yourself.

About the Writer

Angela M. Thomas is a Co-Founder & Administrator of the WODC where she serves as the Write or Die Chicks Social Media & Branding Specialist. She captains the international media column Lost in Translation.