Why All of Us Are Dead Is More Than Just a Basic Zombie Show

Based on a webtoon, All of Us Are Dead is a thriller K-Drama based on a zombie plague that is taking over the country. It was released in January 2022, and immediately caught a lot of attention from fans worldwide. So much so that it has received the green light for season 2. Directed by Lee Jae-Kyoo, this show follows the story of a high school that becomes ground zero for a virus outbreak. One of the teachers injects the virus in his son, who was bullied. Now it is up to the trapped students to figure out a way to survive the infection and escape or become engulfed by the monstrous plague.

The up-and-coming cast included Park Ji-Hu as Nam On-Jo, Yoon Chang-Young as Lee Cheong-San, and Choi Yi-Hyun as Choi Nam-Ra. The pilot episode of this series excellently sets up the plot of the action and horror that followed in the later episodes. Along with the main storyline, writer Cheon Seong-Il dedicates almost 4-5 episodes to side plots, none of which are dull. These side stories include a story of a high school student who gives birth mid-contagion. They added more depth to the havoc wrecking in the school, and now all around the city of Hyosan.

All Of Us Are Dead is often compared to being as excellent as the zombie movie Train to Busan. The overwhelming experience includes elements that are not usually found in the genre, that have been overdone at this point. These elements include love, high school bullies gaining more power, and class dynamics. Here are some reasons why All of Us Are Dead is more than just a basic zombie show.

Different Themes

As mentioned previously, All of Us Are Dead talks about more than just zombies. Through the characters of Nam On-Jo and Lee Cheong-San, screenwriters show the beauty of finding love in a hopeless world. The two characters are portrayed as long-time friends who only realize their feelings in a life and death situation. Another theme that is at the base of this show is the culture of bullying in high schools, which makes it as hard as a zombie apocalypse for many to bear. This intriguing series also caters to the topic of class dynamics through the character of Lee Na-Yeon (Lee Yoo-Mi). She purposefully infects Gyeong-Su (Han Sung-Min) with zombie blood after being proven wrong. She Na-Yeon is shown as someone who picks on Sung-Min for his wealth.

The Zombies Are Different

This show portrays a realistic representation of a zombie-run world, much like Train to Busan. The zombies are vicious, fast, and worst of all, primarily children from high school. As the show is mainly set in the Hyosan High School, watching children turn into zombies brings out a range of anxieties in the viewers. The zombies also run as fast as Usain Bolt. This makes them even more challenging to deal with, considering the high schoolers are trapped inside without provisions for food and water. Zombie shots in the city of Hyosan also depict the disorder and how the infected will stop at nothing to kill any living things near them.

The Action

One of the best things about All of Us Are Dead is that it does not elongate the plot-building any further, and jumps right into the chaos inside the school. The seriousness of the situation is emphasized right from the beginning. It shows how severely the virus can spread if containment measures are not taken. This thrilling series also features some of the best close calls with the most vicious zombies, and internal threats from fellow zombies. If being attacked by zombies is not enough, this show reflects bullies, particularly Yoon Gwi-Naam (Yoo In-Soo), gaining the powers of being half-zombie. He uses this to his advantage, and what follows are some of the most intense fights between Gwi-Naam and Cheong-San. The library showdown is one of the examples and will keep viewers at the edge of their seats.

The Cinematography:

This series uses a lot of wide-angled shots once the plague has spread. These shots are specifically entered to make the viewers realize the extent of disarray in the city. Viewers see wide images of the school and the city streets. Sometimes these shots are also used to reveal a bunch of zombies to highlight the gravity of the situation, like the camera panning out to show the school grounds full of them. The camera angles also change according to the severity of the situation with the complimenting color palette. Scenes on the rooftop of the school have more of a softer touch and warm undertone to them. Whereas anywhere else in the maze-like hallways of the school, the camera angles are sharp and the scenes have a blue and melancholic undertone.

Emotional Acting:

This is where the cast of this show absolutely shines. As the show is based on the survivor of high schoolers, viewers get to see the most appropriate reactions and emotions from them. Emotions started with denial, leading to heartbreak, realizations, survivor's guilt, and fear, and the cast nailed everything. Their facial expressions depicted the emotions to the point, making viewers want to help them somehow. Nam-Ra, the cold class president, performs even more spectacularly by showing double emotions as a half zombie. Even the bully Gwi-Naam had some of the most spectacular sinister expressions, which built a lot of anxiety.

Additionally, the parents of the children were not forgotten. On-Jo’s father faces a tragic end as he finally protects the children from the zombies and gets them out of the school. The same goes for Cheong-San's mother, whose efforts to save the kids from the military do not go in vain. However, the show's ending displays a heart-wrenching shot of both adults as a hoard of zombies get killed in the drone strike, leaving fans with a lot of questions left to be answered.