What Is the Story About?
A bunch of students are struck inside Hyosan High School building When a zombie outbreak occurs. Did they manage to escape the premise and the zombies? Who set off the deadly virus in the first place and why? What happens, in the end, is All Of Us Are Dead’s basic premise.
Performances?
The casting for the entire series is superb. There are not one or two individuals who shine or impress the most. Instead, it is the entire bunch (Park Ji-hoo, Yoon Chan-young, Lee Yoo-mi, and the rest) who as a collective deliver the best. The dramatic moments hit the right note due to their acts. The casting director deserves a huge round of applause for the brilliant ensemble out and out.
Analysis
Lee Jae-kyoo and Kim Nam-su jointly direct All Of Us Are Dead. It’s based on the digital cartoon Now At Our School.
The basic premise of All Of Us Are Dead is a simple one. It is about a bunch of students who are stuck in a situation involving zombies. No one is coming to their rescue and it’s all on them to get out of the impossible scenario.
The screenplay and characterisation are the keys here along with the writing to hold the attention. Mind you, the series is lengthy as it is with each episode close to or more than an hour in length. It is only when we feel the enormity that we realise how well the whole thing should be done to keep one interested.
All Of Us Are Dead takes time to get going, though. While the opening is intriguing and the slick making draws our attention, some illogical sequences (an initial feeling) hold us back. It continues that way until we really connect to the characters. And the whole thing takes time because there are many of them.
It is only after we slowly understand the motives of the main players and what is driving them that we are hooked to the narrative. Also, we get a hang of the group as a ‘collective’ and that’s when things start rolling and the proceedings turn exciting. A clear and well defined characters help in the whole process.
The entire set of episodes from the middle is high on thrill and emotion. The way the real characters of the individual boy and girl comes out under adverse conditions is borough out amazingly. Their actions drive the narrative fluidly without any deviations from the core plot.
However, towards the end, the narrative does feel very repetitive. We have seen one too many complications and escapes by that time. It dilutes the impact of the thrills although they are well placed.
The ending is again done on an emotional note and looks like a neat wrap up to the whole thing. But, the persistent feeling of length and weariness rods off a little sheen.
Overall, All Of Us Are Dead is a well-made zombie apocalypse thriller cum drama. It starts on a passable note and takes time to hook, but once it’s done, the narrative combines thrills and emotions well. If you like the Zombie genre, do give the series a try.
Music and Other Departments?
The background score by Mowg is neat. It helps create the eerie mood perfectly whenever necessary and at the same time, maintains the rhythm for a racy thriller narrative. The balance is maintained without losing out on the emotional side.
Park Se-seung‘s cinematography gives the series a slick and edgy vibe. It is particularly effective in thriller parts. The editing by Shin Min-kyung is good. If not for the careful editing the whole thing could easily have been turned into a messy affair. The writing is fine throughout maintaining an undercurrent emotional connect.
Highlights?
Brilliant Ensemble Casting
Story
Screenplay
Thrills
Drawbacks?
Length
Repetitiveness
Some Manipulative Emotions
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes
All Of Us Are Dead Web Series Review by Binged Bureau