Colony – Movie Review (4/5)

COLONY is a Zombie Horror movie from South Korea and comes from the Train to Busan filmmaker. And yes, it shows in all the best ways. To me, this one isn’t better than his 2016 megahit, but it manages to come close. It’s a wild ride, so make sure you’re ready for it. Read our full Colony movie review here and watch it in theaters!

COLONY is a Korean Zombie Horror movie (org. title: Gunche), which should already be enough to intrigue you if you’ve watched Train to Busan. And if you haven’t, then you have an amazing treat in store. For those who are familiar with the zombie megahit, the biggest selling point is that this 2026 zombie horror movie comes from the same director.

This new zombie treat has a runtime of 2 hours (and 2 minutes, to be exact), but it never feels too long or gets boring. There is plenty of storyline, and both the plot and zombies evolve in ways that keep things interesting. This is the kind of movie you’ll want to watch in a theater if possible. Especially for horror fans who love zombies and want to experience this crazy ride with like-minded crazies.

Continue reading our Colony movie review below. Find it in theaters from August 28, 2026.

Zombies in a skyscraper

With Colony, we’re not on a train like that iconic zombie hit movie Train to Busan. Instead, everyone will find themselves trapped in a skyscraper when a zombie virus is let loose. The skyscraper houses everything from a shopping mall to a conference location. The latter is being used for a biotech conference, so I’m sure you can guess the origin of the outbreak.

Now, people are trapped in a fairly small area and are contained there by government officials. All in an attempt to contain the outbreak. Awful for those trapped inside, but necessary to secure the public at large. Not unlike the amazing Spanish zombie horror movie [REC], which is one of my personal favorites.

However, don’t worry, it’s not like Colony is a Korean take on that Spanish classic.

Nor is it Train to Busan, set in a skyscraper instead.

A new kind of zombie in Colony

Oh no, for this latest zombie movie, we’re getting a whole new kind of zombie. One that is more inspired by The Last of Us. Again, no, it’s not that Colony is a direct take on that premise either. It’s a whole new thing, but horror fans and zombie movie fans, in particular, will surely recognize these elements.

Also, it plays out (in part) in a shopping mall. Just like Dawn of the Dead. Both the 1978 original and the 2004 remake.

These zombies truly are a different breed, just like those extremely fast and flexible zombies in Train to Busan were. And also the zombies of 28 Days Later and World War Z.

Admittedly, I do find it both more intriguing and way scarier when zombies are superfast rather than slow and dumb. In Colony, they also turn out to have added abilities. It’s all about evolution. Remember, this all began at a biotech conference. And having something begin as a “cure” or “solution” is something we know all too well from I Am Legend.

I know I’m name-dropping all the most successful (and many of the best) zombie productions. That’s just to say that Colony appears not to steal from them, but rather to pay homage to beloved zombie lore.

Watch Colony in theaters

Colony is from director Yeon Sang-ho. Admittedly, I was a tad nervous about yet another zombie movie from Yeon Sang-ho because I was not a huge fan of his Train to Busan sequel, Peninsula. I was underwhelmed and, frankly, disappointed. Fortunately, this latest 2026 zombie movie wasn’t co-written with either of the writers from those previous movies, so it was a clean slate in that regard.

The screenplay was co-written with Choi Gyu-seok, and the two also worked together on the 2025 Revelations movie and the Hellbound series. I didn’t look this up ahead of time, but if I had, then I would’ve felt a lot safer from the onset.

The cast also has a few familiar faces, including Gianna Jun (Kingdom: Ashin of the North), Koo Kyo-hwan (Kill Boksoon), Ji Chang-wook, Shin Hyun-been (The Ugly), Kim Shin-rock (Sweet Home), and Go Soo. As with virtually all South Korean genre productions, most characters exist in a gray area. They may be good, but can still do bad things. Or be bad, but still have some good in their past or current actions. I love that!

This Korean zombie movie is hitting U.S. theaters the same day as The Dog Stars, which I am sorry to say disappointed me. But hey, you could make a (long!) night of it, and watch both. A new Barbenheimer, but for post-apocalyptic and zombie movies. The “DogColony” maybe?! If you do this, make sure you save the best for last. Watch The Dog Stars first and Colony last, as that zombie movie will be sure to keep you on your toes.

Colony is out In Theaters on August 28, 2026.

Details

Director: Yeon Sang-ho
Writers: Yeon Sang-ho and Choi Gyu-seok
Cast: Gianna Jun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Shin Hyun-been, Kim Shin-rock, and Go Soo