#Alive (2020): Death by loneliness vs. death by zombie attack

Yes, #Alive is yet another zombie apocalypse movie, but with something else to offer.

If you love zombie movies for the gore, destruction, and chaos, then #Alive is not for you. This movie focuses on the loneliness and fear that surviving alone in a zombie apocalypse entails.

A look into #Alive

The movie centers on Joon-woo (Yoo Ah-in), who lives alone in an apartment complex. He wakes up to what he thought was just an ordinary morning: He starts by playing an online game.

However, outside the complex is chaos. With notification from friends online, Joon-woo opens the TV to see the news about how the city has fallen. He looks outside his patio to see people running amok, some biting others.

As expected, Joon-woo opens the door to see what’s happening, and a neighbor rushes into his unit. This man turns out to be infected and goes zombie mode in front of Joon-Woo. After successfully fending off the zombie, Joon-woo receives a text message from his dad, who tells him to survive. It sinks into Joon-Woo that it’s a zombie apocalypse out there, and he has to stay inside to survive, alone.

The zombies

To give you an itsy-bitsy hint about what the movie is like without giving you so many spoilers, I’d say it’s close to Will Smith’s “I Am Legend.”

As for the zombies, I’d say they are a bit close to how zombies in “Train to Busan” look like but perhaps 50% less the bloodstains on their bodies. They move like the zombies in “Train to Busan” too, and how they twitch their bodies when they turn into zombies is reminiscent of the Gong Yoo movie.

Reflection

“#Alive” tells you how a man tries to survive alone, managing his resources and staying sane. It presents the struggle between wanting to live and giving up. You see the joy of finally finding another survivor and the downside of trusting others in such a situation. It makes you ask yourself: Would I do that same if I were trapped in my apartment amid a zombie apocalypse? How long would I last?

If it were me, my survival would be until my books last. When food’s all gone, I’d probably eat the pages of my books just to survive. I’d read the page, then eat it. It’s crazy talk, I know, because I don’t really think I’ll survive a zombie apocalypse.

Anyway, my favorite scene in #Alive would be when Joon-woo’s last bottle of water spills, and he discovers there’s no more water flowing in the faucet. It shows his utter frustration and desperation. It’s heart-wrenching.

Yoo-bin (Park Shin-hye) is the glimmer of hope for Joon-Woo. Another survivor, Yoo-bin, tries to maintain a steady image despite her inner struggles to stay alive.

This movie does not explain why there’s an outbreak. It does not focus on the government and law enforcement being overwhelmed by the situation. However, these missing elements are not shortcomings of the movie in any way. I think the movie was successful in conveying the message of what a person could feel and do when in a similar situation as Joon-Woo’s.

However, I must admit. At the end of everything, I did ask myself: Is it possible to survive a zombie apocalypse with a drone, some hiking equipment, and a golf club?

Still, it’s fiction, and the important thing is, it was able to convey the idea of surviving alone, so, kudos to actors Yoo Ah-in and Park Shin-hye, for bringing to life the characters, and to director Cho Il-hyung.

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