“GANGNAM ZOMBIE” (2023) | Film Review

Reference to Jackie Chan: none available

Oppan Gangnam Zombie!

The corona pandemic seems to have been forgotten a long time ago. It is only being dealt with miserably. The film industry is also somehow avoiding the issue altogether – you could catch something.

I can understand it. That time was shit. But can’t suffering often be turned into something creative? There are a few films that have dealt with the pandemic or lockdown in recent years, such as ‘LOCKED DOWN’ (2021) with Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Elijofor. Apart from a few good social dramas, they are often cheap horror films. And ‘GANGNAM ZOMBIE’ (2023) is one such film.

I’m a fan of trash films, or rather B- and C-movies. There’s a difference. Where the former deliberately want to be trashy and are therefore usually ‘cringe’, the latter tend to be unintentional due to a lack of experience or a lack of money during production. Anyone who has seen ‘CHOPPING MALL’ (1986) will know what I mean.

Interestingly, the modern zombie film from South Korea reminded me of the US film from the 80s, because in ‘GANGNAM ZOMBIE’ an unsuccessful YouTube team tries to fill their channel with viral content in their rented office space in a shopping centre. Where in ‘CHOPPING MALL’ the cheeky teens have to flee from robots at night, here Gen Z’ers try their luck with streaming equipment and zombies.

Sounds like a really nice bad film, unfortunately it’s just bad. Although the acting is impressive, the sound mix is lacking at all ends; the soundtrack seems unfinished. A story is started, but just as quickly dropped again. Yet it had so much potential.

Act one actually only ends after almost 40 minutes, but by then half the film is already over and we still haven’t been infected by a plot. Instead, the viewer is kept at a distance and the zombies are left to do their zombie thing in overacting. Even though they can run and sometimes fight, the film disappears into thin air after the second act and barely 80 minutes.

As quickly as Corona arrived, it is subsequently ignored. That’s exactly the feeling you get with ‘GANGNAM ZOMBIE’.

Bedridden 3 out of 10 stars

Original trailer | “GANGNAM ZOMBIE” (2023)

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