#Vivo (2020)

Pick Kingdom instead

Let's say when I saw a zombie movie from South Korea I was quite interested but unfortunately it is a typical Netflix level of production. It's not bad, but it's not good either. The story is set, nothing special, I don't mind if we jump into the middle, people turning zombies, and the main characters need to survive. My problems with these kind of movies when they are not logical.

Oh Joon Woo sends out hes drone to make a phone call, but the battery dies. Seriously? He forgot to check it? And he couldn't charge it after and send it out again? What exactly he wanted to do there? No explanation.

First one zombie breaks into Oh Joon Woo`s place, and later on a zombie breaks into Kim Yoo Bin`s place also. How exactly? Those doors are opening from the flat into the hallway so to push them into the flat is basically impossible and I'm pretty sure if someone tries to pull them open the handle will break before the door gives up. Of course we didn't get any explanation.

They ( I guess the government) were bombing the city, or one part of the city we saw the bombing happening, and also a nice night traffic on the bridge… huh?

Firefighter zombie climbing up on a random rope was also a bit wtf moment. I mean they are mindless zombies like how the TV was showing or clever zombies or mixed bag?

And then they meet with the third character who saves them, gives them water which they are afraid to take because why exactly? Did they met any bad humans during the apocalypse? Or they just saw a lot of movies so they were like wait a minute this random stranger gives us water? But then they are drinking the water they are getting drugged (also i didn't see any explanation how they got drugged but the weirdo not) and then just randomly Kim Yoo Bin won't black out, and also Oh Joon Woo wakes up after 2 minutes. What kind of a shitty drug is this guy using? Also this I will feed my family with you was way too cliche. Just like the helicopter rising from the “deep” at the end but I was kinda expecting that.

So if you want to switch of your brain just watch something with zombies you might like this one, but if you are the same type like me and pisses you up if the main characters are acting stupid just for the drama then just skip this one and watch Kingdom. That series IS quality.

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Slightly underwhelming

The plot was pretty slow in the beginning, only began to pick up in the last 30 minutes or so and ended on an anticlimax.

I do appreciate that it portrays an alternative way of dealing with a zombie apocalypse (which is honestly probably what I would do too if I faced the same situation) instead of rushing out and fighting with zombies immediately. However, perhaps it's because I watched Kingdom and Train to Busan before this, but it felt like there were too many scenes with a lack of action. A lot of it deals with the loneliness and isolation from the outside world. In a way, it was kind of relatable due to COVID-19 lockdowns but it wasn't quite what I was expecting to see in a zombie movie.

Still, it's great to see Yoo Ah In on screen again. The zombie crew was great too.

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Realistic and enjoyable!

I really enjoyed this film, it has just come out on Netflix and as soon as I saw the cast I knew I wanted to watch it. Their acting was really good throughout the series as well as the effects and acting of the zombies, it wasn't cringe or strange it felt like they were real and very scary xD I felt as though it was kind of realistic, for a zombie film that is. Like the way they behaved in situations especially Yoo Ah In's character would be how a lot of people would behave. My only improvement would be if there was a larger cast, but this might just be my preference. It would've been cool to see lots of different situations other than two teens/ young adults who had been home at the time. But overall I enjoyed it and really recommend others give it a shot!

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Great thriller/horror

When going into this movie, please keep in mind that this is a zombie thriller. Don't expect any more or any less, and you will be perfectly satisfied. It delivers everything it promises to. A lot of people have grand expectations with Korean movies, since they aren't bound by the same laws dramas are and can thus cover heavier subjects which earn them their reputation of being insanely good, mind-boggling pieces of art that leave you thinking about it for days. This movie isn't like that. It's really /just/ a zombie thriller, but it's a great one.
The whole time I was on the edge of my seat watching the events unfold, wondering how the characters would survive, and miraculously, they did. I really enjoyed the cinematography and all the little details they included about the mechanisms and routines they'd developed to survive the apocalypse, it made it feel that much more realistic. The zombies were not much to write home about, they were your typical stumbling half-dead monsters.
I really enjoyed the motif of staying alive portrayed throughout the whole movie, and how even when things seem to b endlessly dark, and our best option may seem like ending our lives, we really just want to survive and keep on living. It was surprisingly wholesome coming from a zombie movie. The acting was great, especially Yoo Ah In's.
It's an enjoyable movie to watch when you don't want something super deep and just want to feel some adrenaline.

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Quarantine

This movie is about quarantining themselves. If they go out, they will be in danger leading to death. They must survive at any cost.

Pros:
- Makes you curious how the plot will go to the end.
- Shows you how boring is it when in quarantine.
- Gives you a thrill every second.
- Good for you who love thriller movie but don't have much time to watch.
- Good to watch together with classmates in the classroom.
- Park Shin Hye.

Cons:
- The atmosphere feels monotone since this movie takes place only in one location.
- A scene that brings a BIG question and apparently unnecessary.
- Feels too short.
- Typical zombies with no uniqueness.

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The unrealistic set up made me not care for the characters, which is probably the worst case for character driven production.

I saw quite a few people praise the movie for the realistic approach to such an unrealistic scenario and I would agree if we look at the big picture. Focusing on one character and how they are trapped in their own home, the lack of dialogues and music, which made the smallest sounds made by zombies that much more noticeable, BUT the devil is in the details and that's what they messed up.

First, there was not enough exposition about his relationship with the family, so when they tried to bring the emotional scenes related to it, I couldn't care less.

Second, they try to make us believe someone can not eat for a good ten days and still have the energy to do anything at all. He didn't even look physically exhausted.

Third, the ending did not fit the overall mood of the movie. It showed all the tragic, gruesome and questionable aspects of humanity, but then they followed it with a Disney ending, why? I think that was the most disappointing part of the movie. Amazingly anticlimactic.

What about the good? As I mentioned earlier, they did a good job in creating this "isolation that slowly drives you mad" feel to it. While the lack of sounds and dialogues annoyed me at first, I started to appreciate it more and more as the plot progressed. The zombies were done in extremely good style, we got a few "gross", but fun scenes, especially between the zombie and Shin Hye's character. That would be it though.

Overall, it was painfully "meh". It had its moments, but overall I almost fell asleep while watching. I did not connect with the characters so the whole movie did not evoke any type of emotions in me, except for frustration.

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Not Train to Busan but 100 times better than Peninsula

I went into this movie with high expectations. I felt satisfied after finishing it. I don't understand the negative reviews. I definitely enjoyed it MORE than Peninsula, which I felt was such a let down after the masterpiece that was Train to Busan.

People are saying that it was slow moving but I think it went at a good pace and was entertaining until the end. Slow moving for me is 99% of the walking dead which is literally packed with boring, filler episodes. At no point in this movie was I bored or waiting for it to end. It held my interest from start to finish. So that's why I would consider re-watching it again. I am also a huge Park Shin-hye fan so maybe I'm a tad bit biased?

Check it out for yourselves :)

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A passable Zombie movie that you can watch if you hate scary movies

As far as Zombie movies go - this is a good one .
As far as movies go - this is an okay movie.

#Alive has a great introduction and really compelling acting from Yoo Ah In , His acting chops really made the movie feel full and really well lived in even though he was the only human for the duration of the movie.

What brings this movie down is its failed logic and lousy set pieces. Theres not much to get or learn from this at all. Its barely emotional and does little to move the viewer. Not to mention that it is not scary.

However, it is passable and I was able to finish it , albeit in two sittings. Ha!

I wouldn't jump to recommend this movie . Its not special enough but if you are someone who wants to dip their toes into the genre then this is the safest option OR if you are an avid fan of the zombie genre - then go for it ! Though I must warn it is no Train to Busan .

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Not a romance but more of a survival movie

I've watched many zombie movies and series but this movie stays on my top 5 list.
Honestly speaking if you're into zombie movies where they try to find the cause of the virus or shows the bad impact of it on the world or something like that , then you may not like it.
This movie is purely a survival movie. Where a guy tries to survive the zombie apocalypse and finds a girl on the opposite building trying to do same and they fight the zombies to be rescued.
There's no romance so if you're looking for one, don't watch it .
I liked the action and plot and would love to watch more movies like this.

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Locked In and Isolated - COVID-19 Style

Our slacker hero Jun Woo (Yoo Ah In) wakes up to discover that a mysterious outbreak has occurred in spread through Seoul. His family is out for the day, Jun Woo is trapped alone in his apartment, and can see the impending disaster, with no way to escape and a dwindling food supply.

His neighbour Yoo Bin (Park Shin Hye) is more resourceful, and the two cleverly communicate using a drone and a laser pen, and clever Yoo Bin finds a way to send food to starving Jun Woo.

The cast was not extensive, but the performances in #Alive were excellent and particularly Yoo Ah In and Park Shin Hye good, often acting alone.

The zombies acting was good, as per normal in Korean productions. They have developed their own style of movement, which involves a lot of contortions which I really enjoy.

Overall, I enjoyed #Alive every much. Acting was well done, solid storyline, cinematography very good. High rewatch value. Thanks

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Definitely watch it

The story is definitely awesome .
If you didn't watch it yet just go for it .
Their acting is super cool , and the zombies here
looked like so much real. You aren't safe in your room also. This movie taught us many self defending process .
You will love their communication skill.
The process of helping each other. Supporting each other.
Not every movie needs love story .
They showed the reality .
Their action against zombies are awesome.
In many movies we saw many kinds of weekness of zombies like they can't see in dark, many things.. but here nothing is there.. the zombies are so much real. Like they even can unlock your door. They can climb up with the help of a rope. They can see in the dark. They go for the sound mostly.

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You'll wish to go shopping after watching this

Alive won’t break any new ground as far as Zombie movies but it follows the formula well. It's not a scary zombie film, it's more about the loneliness, the isolation and the will to live through it. But with that being said, there were a few big jump scares while our main character, Joon-Woo is looking through apartments for food and other essentials. The zombies themselves looked amazing and so creepy. The transformation of those creatures sends shivers up my spin. The chase scenes themselves were very exciting. The sheer number of the zombies chasing our MCs made the chases very tense and gripping. The dialogue throughout the film is rather limited with not much being said given the characters' situations but I found that they were able to convey communication really well thanks to their facial expressions and good use of the technology around them. Joon-Woo using his phone and his drone and Yoo-Bin using her laser pen to good comedic effect but showing her smarts using rope to send food, saving Joon-Woo from starvation. Just a good solid film from a production and story standpoint. I enjoyed every moment of the film. One of the biggest criticisms of the film that I have is that it's very short compared to most Korean films (which are mostly 2 hours plus in my experience). Perhaps some scenes are cut out or the writers didn’t feel the need to drag the story out longer. There is room to develop the film more, I feel.

The performances in Alive were really good throughout the film. The acting from Yoo Ah-In is particularly strong as well. He brings a good sense of frustration and regret to the role during the opening 40 minutes where it is basically a one man film. The short cameos from Jeon Bae-soo and Lee Hyun-wook provided some nice spice. Park Shin-Hye was solid in the film as well. Her character is very resourceful and friendly to living things such as her plants and Joon-Woo. That came across in her acting - Shin-Hye is a very soft natured person naturally so the role was perfect for her and her other roles. Again, there weren’t many lines but she sounded natural and on-point when called upon.

I just want to point out the brilliant soundtrack. From what I heard, it was only two or three songs (Break by Beenzino and Sail by Inni) but Sail by Inni in particular had a real tension fueled vibe to it. The eerie synth sound brought gravitise to the scenes it was used in.

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