All of Us Are Dead: Season 1 – Netflix Review

ALL OF US ARE DEAD on Netflix is a new zombie series from South Korea (org. title: Jigeum Uri Hakgyoneun). Based on a webtoon, this South Korean series is off to an extremely good start from the very first episode. Read our full All of Us Are Dead season 1 review here!

ALL OF US ARE DEAD is a new Netflix zombie series from South Korea (org. title: Jigeum Uri Hakgyoneun). In true South Korean zombie style, the transformation into a full-blown zombie is swift and the zombies themselves are extremely fast and persistent.

MORE SOUTH KOREAN ZOMBIES

Netflix also has the South Korean period piece zombie series Kingdom >

All of Us Are Dead is based on a webtoon, and this South Korean series is off to an extremely good start from the very first episode. By the second episode, we also get the actual origin story of this zombie outbreak. Instead of it “just” being a virus, this zombie story features a man-made parasite-inspired origin.

Continue reading our All of Us Are Dead season 1 review below. All 12 hour-long episodes are out on Netflix now.

Zombies in South Korea

In recent years, South Korea has produced some of the best zombie stories out there. From the previously mentioned period piece, which offers a whole new take on zombies, to movies. Obviously, Train to Busan has to be mentioned. In fact, it’s referenced in the All of Us Are Dead series. More than once. It’s brilliant and obvious fan service but done right!

DON’T MISS OUT ON

Our review of the South Korean zombie movie Train to Busan which was a worldwide mega-hit >

For me, the mention of Train to Busan also served as proof (yet again!) that those of us who watch zombie stories will have a better chance of survival when the zombie apocalypse happens. Just sayin’ that it’s basically a fact!

In All of Us Are Dead, the main outbreak happens at a local high school. Episode 1 focuses on setting the stage but don’t worry. While South Korean productions are always notoriously slow-burn, the zombie outbreak happens within the first episode. In fact, the opening scene also features a taste of what’s to come.

Obviously, the high school setting means there are many young actors in starring roles. However, there are also teachers and it should come as no surprise that the outbreak is in no way contained to the school campus. Zombie outbreaks never are!

You should see a familiar face or two

If you’ve watched any genre productions from South Korea, then you should see quite a few familiar faces in All of Us Are Dead. In fact, there are at least a couple of actors from the Netflix mega-hit Squid Game. A South Korean genre series that broke all Netflix records in terms of views and became an instant iconic series worldwide.

MORE ON SQUID GAME

A second season has been confirmed and you can read our Squid Game season 1 review here >

As with pretty much all productions from South Korea (and genre productions in particular), it is a brutal watching experience. There is no mercy and nobody is safe. Anyone can become a zombie and deaths can be unbelievably heartbreaking.

Actually, the heartbreaking element is strongly connected to the fact that the story is character-driven. This is yet another thing that tends to be a trademark of South Korean productions. However, if you’re just here for the blood and gore, you will not be disappointed. Again, just think of Train to Busan.

Watch All of Us Are Dead season 1 on Netflix now!

As mentioned earlier, All of Us Are Dead is based on “Now at Our School” (org. title “Jigeum Woori Hakkyoneun”) by Joo Dong-Geun. This was published from May 2009 to November 2011 via Naver Webtoon Corp. This is far from the first webtoon adapted into a South Korean series. Other amazing Netflix series such as Sweet Home and Hellbound are also based on webtoons.

NETFLIX SERIES BASED ON WEBTOONS

Do not miss out on Hellbound which also featured a brilliant season 1 finale >

We still haven’t watched the final half of the season, but everything looks as though the quality will keep up till the end. The effects are brilliant and the characters are intriguing and well-rounded. Also, there’s that different and very interesting origin story for the zombie apocalypse itself. Not unlike 28 Days Later which is another classic zombie story!

Do not miss out on this new Netflix series, if you like zombie productions. And, as always, make sure to choose the original language and read subtitles, if you want the optimal viewing experience. Season 1 has 12 episodes that are each around one hour long (or a few minutes more), so there’s plenty of zombie gore to enjoy!

Season 1 of All of Us Are Dead is out on Netflix worldwide from January 28, 2022.

Details

Directors: Lee Jae-Gyu, Kim Nam-Soo
Screenwriters: Cheon Seong-il, Joo Dong-Geun
Cast: Yoo-mi Lee, Rich Ting, Yi-Hyun Cho, Park Solomon, Chan-Young Yoon, Park Ji-hu, In-soo Yoo, Byeong-cheol Kim, Jeong Esuz, Ahn Seung-Kyoon, Lee Eun-Saem