Gun-Che (Colony) Review: A Zombie Film with Action Potential but Weak Character Investment

Yeon Sang-ho’s Gun-Che (Colony) initially intrigues before devolving into repetitive claptrap, joining the ranks of horror films driven by the incompetence of their characters. If you seek carnage—particularly action with a grounded, visceral feel—you’ll find it in abundance here.

With an impressive team of stunt performers, contortionists, make-up artists, and production designers, Yeon continues to innovate zombie lore. His filmography, spanning Train to Busan to Hellbound, showcases his ability to transform shambling monsters into creatures of terror. Notably, Train to Busan features zombies that move faster than typically seen in other media.

In Gun-Che (Colony), Yeon reimagines zombies as communicative entities capable of teamwork, channeling their force rather than acting as mindless consumers. While the action sequences deliver, the film lacks depth in character development, leaving audiences uninvested despite Yeon’s attempts to evoke pathos. Zombie projects can be smart, but this one seems uncertain of its identity, failing to fully commit to its zany concepts. It would have been better to embrace its brainless roots.

The film wastes no time diving into action. A movie of this nature must draw blood quickly, and we soon learn that Seo Young-cheol (played by Koo Kyo-hwan), a disgruntled biotech employee, plans to unleash a biological virus he developed. His motivation? Revenge against superiors who stole his work at a biotech conference.

Before the outbreak, we meet several characters destined to become zombie fodder. Among them is Kwon Se-jeong (played by Jun Ji-hyun), a biotechnology professor meeting her ex-husband, Han Gyu-seong (played by Go Soo), who offers her a job at the same biotech company Seo was fired from. We also encounter Choi Hyun-seok (played by Ji Chang-wook), a security guard at the facility hosting the conference. Other brief roles include sushi chefs and students, each given minimal backstory before meeting their demise.

It’s clear the film does not intend for audiences to invest in these characters—except for Kwon Se-jeong. However, Yeon’s attempts to infuse emotional weight into their deaths undermine this approach. Once Seo unleashes the virus, the facility goes into lockdown, leaving only a handful of survivors uninfected.

The zombies are terrifying due to their unnatural contortions and willingness to break their bodies in pursuit of prey. The sound design, particularly Julien Paschal’s immersive work, amplifies the horror by making each bone snap, jaw crack, and lurch feel visceral and real.