All of us are dead

Reviews by thegapshap

Get ready for the quirkiest show


Much awaited since 2020, Netflix has finally released ‘All of Us Are Dead’ which is based on a popular webtoon Now at Our School. The much-talked-about show was released on 28th January 2022. Director Lee Jae-kyu chose some of the lesser-known K-drama faces for this fresh subgenre and we can’t take our eyes off them now. The first season has skyrocketed viewers’ expectations for the second one. This 12 episodes popular web series enjoys an IMDb rating of 7.6 and is streaming under Netflix’s top 10 non-English shows.

PLOT

After watching thrilling zombie invasion in shows like Black Summer, and iZombie, the spectators have all eyes on Netflix’s new release. An unlikely zombie attack seems surreal in this show.

The series begins on a floaty note encapturing the hunky-dory city of Hyosan, South Korea. The initial plot revolves around the hurly-burly of Hyosan High school, which is like any other school. Everything’s fine until a girl who is piqued by a metal creak in the science lab gets bitten by an infected hamster. This embarks a deadly wave in the school turning Hyosan High school into a zombie graveyard.

The first few episodes encapsulate the whole scenario of the school. It shows the measures, students, and teachers adopt, not only to save their lives but also to acclimatize themselves to live in classrooms with minimal or deficient resources.  How I always believed school algorithms never prepared us for a zombie war. Alas! We’re chickenshits in the real world, which seems pretty evident here. The series takes baby steps in establishing the reasons behind the invention of a deadly virus by the science teacher- Lee Byeon Chan.

All of Us Are Dead transcends much beyond the blood-spattered exodus of people. It has very creatively drawn the intricacy and complexity of human behavior and relations, which will get plonked into the hearts of viewers. Amidst the deadly war between the sane and insane, one has to deal with the looming realizations of the past, dilemmas, and fight against their loved ones (now zombies).

Slowly and gradually the virus starts swallowing up the city. The infection spreads from a zombie bite. The director Lee Jae-Kyoo has vividly captured the ugly politics surrounding the terror-stricken city. We get to see some good and responsible citizens as well. Thanks to the camerawork, the effervescence of every action in the series will make you go goosey.

The furore unfolds in a plethora of ways. We see that the ones who have been fear-stricken, bullied or terror-stricken in the earlier parts of their lives react differently to the virus. The deceiving advancement and evolving nature of the virus makes one of the children, Gwi Nam (the antagonist) resistant to the virus and he becomes many times powerful, unlike other zombies (typical Bollywood villain concept). This virus evolves much faster than coronavirus!

We see some of the strongest characters like Cheong-San, Su-Hyeok, and the class prez Nam-Ra. In such a horrendous outrage, their selflessness, and public-spirited behavior outstands all characters. The series is more about people and yarns a plot on how differently people react to fear. It also digs deep into the social evils of class disparity that are deeply settled in minds of some students.

Get ready to go hysterical, because the deep chemistry between characters like ‘Nam-Ra and Su-Hyeok’, ‘Cheong-san and On-jo’ will choke you up. The show will leave a penetrating effect, making you understand the deeper atrocities of a virus outbreak. The season ends with a plethora of questions and mysteries, leaving us all gasping for season 2.

OVERALL VERDICT

The show is overextended for sure. Initially, the plot remains monotonous and you might feel that the story is not moving forward. It’s only the latter part of the show that puts some flesh on the bones of the plot. However, commendable acting skills and amazing film-craft will lead you to clench your sphincter. Once into the story, you won’t be able to take your eyes off before reaching the end. Overall it’s a good watch.

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