Director: Yeon Sang-ho
Year: 2026
Country: South Korea
Alternate Titles: Gunche
Genre: Zombie
Plot:
Attending a special technology conference, members of a special firm learn that the mall where everything is held is the site where a viral outbreak turns people into a hive-mind zombie horde, forcing them and other survivors to band together and find a way to stop it from spreading.
Review:
This was a rather fun and immensely effective genre effort. Among the more likable factors here is the intriguing spin on the genre this takes by offering up the idea of a hive-mind controlled through technological excess. The specific mindset of the conference they’re attending, being a call to propose a way of integrating biomechanical models gleaned from the study of animals and insects to help spread the use of information quicker through the hive-mind idea, creates a fantastic modernized touch that extends into the creation of the zombies themselves. When their erratic and uncontrollable behavior is shown to be the basis for thinking as their encounters slowly start to reveal the extent of the infection. There are some impressive elements on display here detailing this type of change in the creatures.
What helps to make them stand out even more is the insanely clever use of having action build up the idea through the characters rather than having it spelled out literally. Multiple times throughout here, encounters show them trying to outwit the zombies using the confines of the mall or even cardboard display structures that work once only to be then unable to be effective again as the zombies are shown to communicate the information to others, even if they’re not in the same vicinity as the original attack. The whole idea of using this information against them to try to escape, where the attempts at disrupting communication patterns, tricking recognition and analysis patterns, or simply providing unexpected physical barricades for them to overcome, present the conclusive proof that they’re learning and adapting.
That all comes about even more through spectacular action scenes featuring the group trying to make it out of the building alive. The series of swarming attacks featuring the contorting zombies lurching erratically after the survivors in the mall as the initial outbreak sequence is a fantastic highlight that ranks among the best the genre has ever produced, relying on surprise and a series of intelligent responses to analyze a way out of the situation. Other fun scenes, including the attempts trying to get to safety using relayed footage from the CCTV cameras in the building or trying to effectively maneuver around the building without the zombie leader spying on them, have a lot to like, much like the high-energy finale where the SWAT team try to enter the building to take them out in a flurry of gunshots or other setpieces, generating a lot of brutal, bloody action and giving this a lot to like overall.
There are a few minor drawbacks to this one that hold it back. The biggest issue here is the main villain’s arc, which is an opportunity for this to present a slew of dumb decision-making that offers some infuriating turns. Every bit the cold, calculating, and vindictive villainous persona needed in this type of story, that doesn’t stop the fact that far too much of their interactions with him are based on trying to keep him unharmed so he can be a cure, even though they know everything is tied to him controlling the zombies. That causes the group’s reactions to their encounters to prioritize him over their safety, making this feel far longer than it should by keeping him alive and unharmed in the rest of their interactions. The other drawback here is that the general lack of competence that appears when the military comes in, as everything here is filled with usual stalling and political red tape to prevent the spread of information rather than dealing with the threat, all of which help to hold this one down.
Overview: ****/5
A really solid and likable genre effort even with some issues, there’s plenty of enjoyable factors here that deal with the genre, even if there are a few drawbacks that keep it from the upper echelon of the genre. Those with an appreciation for this style of genre fare, who are curious about it, or who are fans of the creative crew will have a lot to like, while most others out there should heed caution.
This review ran as part of our coverage of the 2026 edition of the Fantasia Film Festival. Click here to follow the rest of our articles about the festivities!
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