Movie Review: Gangnam Zombie (2023) – WellGo USA Blu-ray

September 10, 2023

Written by DanXIII

Daniel XIII; the result of an arcane ritual involving a King Diamond album, a box of Count Chocula, and a copy of Swank magazine, is a screenwriter, director, producer, actor, artist, and reviewer of fright flicks…Who hates ya baby?

During the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, two dudes get the shit-hot (minus the hot) idea of robbing a shipping container down South Korea way. Once said container is pried open a feral cat leaps out and attacks one of the would-be criminals, who then turns into a flesh-hungry zombie-like creature (of the fast moving variety) before falling in the drink and floating un-merrily down the stream to the posh Gangnam district.

This spells impending disaster for former Taekwondo ass-kicker now office worker Hyeon-seok (Ji Il-joo) and his officemate/unrequited crush Min-jeong (Park Ji-yeon), because guess who shows up at work (after some wacky hijinks accompanied by cartoon music, naturally)? It’s the cat attack dude… c’mon, did any of you actually get that wrong?

Anyhow, he’s now in the building biting mother fuckers willy-nilly and creating even more of a monster-based mess, and the impossibly bitchy owner of the building has ordered the doors sealed shut so no one will associate her precious building with an outbreak of diseased lunatics… cannibalistic ones at that.

So now our heroes… and the landlady… have to fight to survive the advances of the ever increasing legion of the damned… and things ain’t lookin’ good, ya dig?

Going into Soo Sung Lee’s Gangnam Zombie blind, I was expecting to see just another zombie apocalypse yarn, but was instead pleasantly surprised with a comedy filled with horror, sweet TDK moves, an even sweeter (like in the cute sense, not like in a “Sweet Shrek tattoo, bro!” way) romance… and a zombiesque apocalypse.

It doesn’t hurt that leads Ji Il-joo and Park Ji-yeon are charming af, which makes their continued survival easy to root for, no matter how madcap… or murderous events around them become… and speaking of murderous…

The zombie surrogate creatures present here are both unique and well-realized, and come off as hissing, cat possessed demons… after going through a more subtle, and more traditional, plague-born zombie stage… and the make-up utilized is rather effective and unique.

There’s also a slickness to the production that makes it look bigger and more bombastic, which helps out when the proceedings change gears from laughs to lacerations… in other words the action elements hit hard thanks to deft cinematography, choreography, and editing!

On the negative side of things (depending on your personal preference), this film ends both abruptly and open ended, so if that grinds your ghoulish gears you have been forewarned!

As for special features to accompany all of the above fun n’ games, this Blu-ray release from WellGo USA showcases the film’s trailer (and a handful of trailers for their other releases) and that’s it… so that, coupled with the film’s 81 minute runtime will ensure you are in and out of this funny fright flick in a fuckin’ New York minute!

If you like your “zombie” flicks served up with a heaping helpin’ of laughs and charm, give Gangnam Zombie a wicked whirl; it’s got a ton of heart, plenty of bloodshed, and Taekwondo versus monsters… just the combination of crazy we dig on ’round these parts!

 

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