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Still from the Korean Netflix original series “All of Us Are Dead” (provided by Netflix)

The Netflix original series and South Korean zombie high school drama “All of Us Are Dead” is on track to become the next global sensation, ranking No. 1 worldwide on the streaming giant within a day of its release on Friday and garnering favorable reviews from around the world. Critics say the show’s intricately choreographed action scenes, vivid characters, and social message in line with the COVID-19 pandemic all contributed to its success.

According to streaming content ranking website FlixPatrol on Wednesday, “All of Us Are Dead” placed No. 1 in the world under the Netflix TV show category as of Tuesday, also ranking at the top spot in 54 countries including South Korea, Japan, France, Germany, Brazil, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan and Mexico.

The show topped the chart in 25 countries out of the 88 counted on the website on Saturday, a day after its release, slowly expanding its No. 1 record ever since: the show was No. 1 in 44 countries Sunday, in 46 countries Monday, in 48 countries Tuesday, and in 54 countries Wednesday — a trend that’s led to projections that the series is on track to become the next “Squid Game.”

A thriller with a high school drama twist on the tradition of Korean zombie flicks such as “Train to Busan,” “Kingdom,” and “#Alive,” “All of Us Are Dead” portrays students fighting for survival on a high school campus overrun by zombies. The 12-part series is based on a webtoon series of the same title by Joo Dong-geun and was directed by Lee JQ, whose previous works include the TV series “Damo” and “Beethoven Virus” as well as the 2018 film “Intimate Strangers.” The screenplay was written by Cheon Sung-il, who previously wrote for the TV series “The Slave Hunters” and the film “The Pirates” (2014). The show stars actors Park Ji-hoo, Yoon Chan-young, Cho Yi-hyun, Lomon (Park Solomon), Yoo In-soo, Lee Yoo-mi, and Lim Jae-hyeok as high school students.

Still from the Korean Netflix original series “All of Us Are Dead” (provided by Netflix)

Experts said the secret behind the success of “All of Us Are Dead” can be attributed to the show’s novel take on the zombie genre. Pop culture critic Kim Bong-seok commented, “‘All of Us Are Dead’ is a great example of what Netflix has been aiming for in terms of creating a well-made, moderately budgeted genre series that’s highly stimulating.”

He added, “If ‘Kingdom’ succeeded by interconnecting palace intrigue with zombies, ‘All of Us Are Dead’ put forward a new kind of story by throwing zombies into the mix of a school campus — a space of intense societal contradictions. Introducing appropriate variations to cliches proved effective.”

Film critic Kim Hyo-jeong also said, “‘All of Us Are Dead’ is like a well-made zombie horror version of ‘Reply 1988.’ Well-written dialogue, several charming characters, and action scenes in which characters run away from one spot on the school campus to another make the hour-long episodes feel like they’re only 20 minutes.”

She added in high praise, “More than anything, the quality of the action is incredible. Well-choreographed action scenes unlike any seen in previous zombie movies last for over 10 minutes at a time. When numerous zombies appear in a scene, it’s important to make sure the actors move in conjunction, and this was done well [on the show]. They were able to create great, untiring action scenes with young actors.”

Critics also added that the show’s timely social commentary added depth to what could have simply been a popcorn flick.

Kim Bong-seok said, “Another strength of the show is its addition of metaphors alluding to the Sewol ferry disaster or the COVID-19 pandemic that doesn’t necessarily encroach upon the limitations of its genre, which elevated the show’s realism.”

Kim Hyo-jeong also noted, “Foreign viewers have nicknamed the show ‘Shibal,’ after the curse word students use repeatedly in the show.” She added, “It’s impressive how realistically the show dealt with issues like violence in schools, though not as realistically as existing school-set films like ‘Bleak Night.’”

Regarding a contentious scene in an early episode in which school bullies strip a female classmate of her school uniform and film her with their phones, the two critics didn’t agree with the controversy, saying, “The scene seems necessary in the grand scheme of the show’s flow.” However, both concurred that the show could have worked better as an eight-part series instead of a 12-part one, as some parts of it lagged and felt overly drawn out.

Foreign media chimed in with favorable reviews as well.

On Friday, the British daily the Guardian called “All of Us Are Dead,” “Netflix’s Korean zombie show [that] will blow you away,” saying, “This South Korean monster series in a high school is a world-beating piece of doomy existentialism.”

Likening the zombie outbreak on the show with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Guardian pinpointed the show’s setting as “what keeps it fresh,” adding that “having high school students as the main characters is a very clever move.”

US entertainment media Variety also commented, “Like ‘Squid Game’ before it [. . .] ‘All of Us Are Dead’ makes the most out of its nightmarish central location to otherworldly, dizzying effect.”

Meanwhile, “All of Us Are Dead” scored 79% on the US film and TV review website Rotten Tomatoes, with 11 out of 14 critics giving it a positive review. “Squid Game” previously scored 94% on the same site.

By Oh Seung-hun, staff reporter

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