Plot: After a science experiment gone wrong, a local school is overrun with zombies, and the trapped students struggle to survive. With no food and water, and communication cut-off by the government, they must use equipment around the school to protect themselves in the midst of a battleground or they will become part of the infected.
Review: Everyone wants to be the next Squid Game. Netflix’s breakout 2021 hit series was not the first in the streaming service’s collection of Korean shows, known as K-dramas. With a unique premise and a mystery to solve, it is no wonder that Netflix is continuing to push its next show to the same heights. Premiering last week, All of Us Are Dead is nothing like Squid Game but does offer a distinct voice for a sub-genre of horror that is as popular in North America as it is in Asia: zombies. Set in a high school and following the conventions of standard K-dramas, All of Us Are Dead is a solid binge-watch with some pretty intense zombie action.
Based on the webtoon Now At Our School, All of Us Are Dead is a fairly straightforward zombie tale. Set at a high school in Seoul, the series puts a group of students directly in the path of a zombie outbreak. Within the first minutes of the premiere episode, this series showcases some of the hallmarks of K-dramas like melodramatic acting, over-the-top humor and violence, and a heavy dose of relationship drama. Unlike other zombie films and shows, All of Us Are Dead never shies away from referencing other undead properties with Korean hit film Train to Busan name-checked directly. This is a pop-culture-heavy show that takes itself pretty seriously while managing to have fun along the way.
Before you get your hopes up and expect this show to be the next Walking Dead, you need to understand something about Korean television shows. There is a heavy dose of cheesy dialogue at the core of this twelve-episode run which can sometimes make it a challenge to take seriously. This is also squarely aimed at an older teen audience which makes the frequent profanity a bit surprising to take in. While all of us likely went to high school and swore like sailors, it feels a bit forced when seen in a show like this. Despite this, the actual plot and narrative of All of Us Are Dead is a bit inconsistent with the twelve episodes feeling about three chapters too long.
What I liked most about this series was the unique origin of this story’s zombie virus. Rather than chalk up the undead to a rogue satellite or government virus, there is a much more specific start to these zombies and it relates directly to the social messaging that many Korean series are known for. Like Squid Game, All of Us Are Dead takes aim at the class disparity in South Korea and uses a high school setting as a microcosm and concepts like bullying to tell a deeper message. Zombies have long been a way for filmmakers to tell stories about the world at large and this series is no exception.
The series also benefits from having a cast of young actors who look age-appropriate for their roles. Notably, Solomon Park, Ji-hu Park, and Yi-hyun Cho are breakouts in this cast. All three actors play convincing teens but also manage to elevate this material from being like any other teen drama. There are many moments through this season where the zombies are not actively part of the plot that allow the material to slide towards familiar shows like Riverdale, Glee, or any other American teen series. These moments are the weakest parts of this show and drag down the pacing significantly.
All of Us Are Dead does not do anything we have not seen before in a teen drama or a zombie story. The high-quality effects work here helps keep the focus on the gore, but the solid acting is what keeps the momentum heading towards the cliffhanger of a finale. With the potential for a second season, All of Us Are Dead is definitely worth binging even if it is a couple of episodes too long. I like the creative choices that this series takes along the way and it definitely manages to keep you engaged over its run, but this series is not Squid Game nor is it likely to cross over into the mainstream quite as that series did. So if zombies are not your thing, All of Us Are Dead is unlikely to convert you. If you like your post-apocalyptic undead thrills with a dose of teen angst, this show has just enough bite.
All of Us Are Dead is now streaming on Netflix.