‘Colony’ Review: A Vertical Nightmare Unfolds in Yeon Sang-ho’s Latest Undead Thriller

‘Colony‘ immerses viewers in a sleek high-rise during a biotech conference, quickly transforming that polished lobby into a sealed tomb. Director Yeon Sang-ho, known for ‘Train to Busan,’ builds a sense of dread through surveillance cameras, locked stairwells, and the growing panic of attendees realizing they are trapped. Jun Ji-hyun stars as Kwon Se-jeong, a scientist whose expertise becomes crucial as the infected begin to evolve in unexpected ways.

The narrative places Se-jeong alongside her ex-husband, played by Go Soo, and a diverse group of strangers, including characters portrayed by Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Kim Shin-rok, and Shin Hyun-been. Observing this ensemble as they navigate their roles as leaders, cowards, and casualties injects the film with an early pulse, creating genuine excitement as genre veterans are thrust into such a vertical and claustrophobic setting.

As the outbreak escalates, ‘Colony’ reveals its identity as a visceral piece of filmmaking. The infected do not merely run; they contort, cover surfaces in a slick mucus, and seem to communicate through a shared nervous system, lending the latter half of the film a disturbingly unique texture rarely seen in this genre. Each corridor becomes a mini siege, and the choreography of bodies crashing through glass and stairwells generates a visceral energy that kept me on the edge of my seat.

However, the film falters in its ambition to convey larger themes. Se-jeong frequently revisits lab footage and biotech jargon that aim to explain the virus’s origins, causing the narrative momentum to stall. While the desire to weave a monster movie around themes of surveillance, corporate recklessness, and authoritarianism is commendable, the film often states these ideas rather than allowing them to unfold organically, making the dialogue-heavy scenes feel more like a chore than engaging storytelling.

The cast performs admirably with characters that feel underdeveloped. Jun Ji-hyun anchors the film with a strong, weary presence that conveys her character’s competence, even when burdened with clunky exposition. Koo Kyo-hwan adds a relatable humanity to a role that could have easily fallen into one-dimensional comic relief. I found myself wishing for more moments of genuine interaction between the characters rather than forced explanations of the plot.

Visually, the film showcases a director who has gained confidence in handling scale since his last genre effort. Cinematographer Byun Bong-sun effectively utilizes the building’s blend of glass atriums and narrow service tunnels to keep the audience on edge, ensuring that the geography of danger remains unpredictable—an essential quality for a siege film. The final third, in particular, delivers some of the most inventive practical effects I’ve seen in a horror film this year.

While ‘Colony’ may not achieve the instant classic status its premiere slot and pedigree suggested, it remains a functional and occasionally thrilling piece of genre filmmaking. I left the theater wishing the film had trusted its audience to feel its themes of isolation and control rather than simply narrating them, as the raw filmmaking deserves sharper writing. Balancing the flashes of genuine horror against the sluggish exposition, I would rate it 7 out of 10, a solid genre film that entertains more often than it frustrates.

Have you seen ‘Colony’ yet? Did the building’s descent into chaos resonate with you as it did with me? Share your thoughts in the comments below.