Despite the well-worn nature of certain subgenres, there can be a magical configuration of approaches that result in a sensation of something new and special. This is the case with Yeon Sang-ho’s Train to Busan (2016), an action horror thriller in which Seoul is overrun by zombies with the central action taking place on trains. Between the harrowing action, the dramatic twists, and compelling performances (particularly Don Lee), Train to Busan felt like an absolute inspiration amid the still-proliferating zombie fare. After a premiere at Cannes 2026, as well as screenings elsewhere on the festival circuit, Yeon’s co-written/directed Colony seeks to capture lightning once more through a composite tale, inspired by countless recognizable others, in which truth is not a disinfectant and villainy is not all about cruelty.
Gianna Jun as Se jeong in the Horror film COLONY, a Well Go USA release. Photo courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment.
On the day that CEO Kang Woo-cheol (Kim Jong-tae) is set to give a presentation at the Doongwoori building, local police receive a warning that a virus is going to be released with only one person possessing the vaccine, Suh Young-chul (Koo Kyo-hwan). As infected guests begin to transform and attack others within the building, Kwon Se-jeong and Han Kyu-seong (Gianna Jun and Go Soo, respectively), alongside a mixed group of employees, conference guests, and general shoppers, must figure out a way to reach the top floor and get to safety. But they have to figure out the best way to navigate the zombies roaming each floor and, the longer they stay, the more the undead seem to learn, making the trial they face all the more urgent and potentially impossible.
Koo Kyo-hwan as Seo Young-cheol in the Horror film COLONY, a Well Go USA release. Photo courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment.
The term “colony” refers to many things — a distinguishable localized population, a group of people/things with similarities existing in proximity, a group existing within a singular place or land mass. The bulk of Colony takes place in a multi-floor building used for shopping and conferences, a place where people come together but are still kept apart as the separations based on class, education, gender, and other interpersonal grievances, are further emphasized. The film, co-written by Yeon and Choi Gyu-seok (Revelations), explores the transformative nature of its zombies in this space as an improved version of humanity as communal communication and existence is gained through a dissolution of self and abdication of life, typical terrors for zombie movies. Though the script only explores the notions of the hive mind as necessary for plot and tension, there’s something truly unnerving about the escalation of growth from the as-expected mindless zombie to something that exists within a collective — a colony whose only directive seems to be to proliferate. Is that so different from humanity at large? The methods, speed, and intensity are different, but otherwise, not really. The script touches this from time to time, using the villain as a means of reaching for a wider-worldview that’s actually a mask for something far less altruistic, but never delves so deeply as it might distract from the mayhem.
Whereas zombie films tend to keep each zombie a singularity (that may or may not function with a pack), Yeon and Choi’s creations start in one form and develop — starting as the fast, modern zombies audiences are familiar with before transforming into something increasingly diabolical and unsettling. This allows for a variety of shifted expectations (for the audience) and multiple ways in which the writers can create something new and somewhat inspired out of said-expectations, generating some fun surprises and, frankly, some disquieting terror in the formations, movements, and general behaviors of these zombies. Many of the surprises come from the fact that, brilliantly, Colony eschews heavy CG for its zombies, relying on traditional VFX combined with specialized actors and choreography instead. Not only are the attacks far more intense because there are actual people involved (as opposed to discordant rubbery masses), further grounding the heightened reality of the situation, the utilization of contortionists and performers capable of twisting and moving their bodies to unnatural degrees enhances the disquiet in a way that CG cannot. For instance, the marvelous 2026 action thriller The Furious features the best stunt work you’re going to see in a movie all year, but there are a few key moments where the use of CG reduces the intended reaction to the violence. Having someone lose a hand via machete should be gross and painful, yet, due to the use of CG instead of practical VFX, the moment is more comical than dark. Through the use of physical performers, Yeon ensures that the audience never forgets that the transformed are real people and that the potential survivors are at a proper risk of transitioning to this new colony. It’s not that Yeon doesn’t use VFX in the film, most films do in various capacities (color grading, beefing up on-set stunts, or boosting makeup/prosthetics, to name a few), it’s that the focus on practical raises the tension for the audience by virtue of crafting a false reality we can believe.
Shin Hyun-been as Kong Seol Hui in the Horror film COLONY, a Well Go USA release. Photo courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment.
The issues, however, come from the fact that Colony feels constructed by other works, not just inspired by them. The setting of the Doongwoori building feels akin to George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead (1978), the presentation of the Seoul government as ill-equipped to deal with immediate crisis effectively due to bureaucracy harkens to Shinji Higuchi and Hideaki Anno’s Shin Godzilla (2016), and the virus elements remind of the 28 Days series (or even Busan, itself), as well as other elements to be discussed in a non-spoiler review. The issue isn’t that Colony reminds us of the other films because, as with any tale, one can see possible inspirations or homages based on what each audience member may or may not know. It’s that when one starts to think about these prior films, it’s difficult to shed the comparative glasses from that moment forward.
Still from the Horror film COLONY, a Well Go USA release. Photo courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment.
To its credit, even when one may consider other films as having achieved their goals far better than this action thriller, there’s some fascinating ideas within the film itself, as they relate to personal identity and responsibility within a colony, that are at least worth mulling over upon conclusion. This, combined with the reliance on actors who can bring the tortured and twisted zombies to life practically, creates a foundation for something interesting so that even the by-the-numbers beats are worth sitting through to see where the story goes.
In theaters August 28th, 2026.
For more information, head to the official Well Go USA Colony webpage.
Final Score: 3.5 out of 5.
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Categories: In Theaters, Reviews
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