‘Swarm’ Starts Strong, But Does It Deliver? [Cook Review]

The first bite is definitely tempting. But as you keep eating, it becomes a taste you’ve had far too many times. Even the rare and fresh ingredients don’t help. Whether it’s because the approach is outdated or because it tried to include too many things and lost its identity, either way, it’s a miss. ‘Swarm’ (Director Yeon Sang-ho) leaves a bland aftertaste that’s almost bitter.

‘Swarm’ tells the story of survivors trapped in a locked-down building during a mysterious infection, facing zombies that evolve in unpredictable ways. This is Director Yeon Sang-ho’s new zombie flick, following ‘Train to Busan’ and ‘Peninsula.’ It had its premiere at the 79th Cannes Film Festival in the Midnight Screening section and was released domestically on the 21st.

The beginning feels like it lives up to the hype. We have Seo Young-cheol (Koo Kyo-hwan), a mad scientist who suddenly declares biological terror, and Han Kyu-sung (Go Soo), who looks after his ex-wife Kwon Se-jung (Jun Ji-hyun) despite their divorce. While the setup is a bit hard to grasp, the actors’ performances keep the story interesting. The main setting is the Dung-uri Building, where the Chains Bio Conference is held. Keywords like “collective intelligence” and “consciousness integration” appear, which are the traits of the new zombies. The quadrupeds, who couldn’t even tell a screen from reality, evolve in real-time. They start walking on two legs and even mimic human speech and voices. This is all possible because they are connected as a single network, sharing information and updating themselves.

But that’s where it ends. Director Yeon Sang-ho’s explanation that it’s a “movie focused on the zombies themselves” is accurate. However, the human characters, who the audience should relate to, lack persuasion. The process of building key relationships, such as the bad blood between Seo Young-cheol and Kwon Se-jung, or the bond between Han Kyu-sung’s current wife Gong Seol-hee (Shin Hyun-bin) and ex-wife Kwon Se-jung, is clumsy. The villains, essential in any apocalypse story, are depicted flatly and have unnecessary backstories. In particular, the reversal of roles between a school violence perpetrator and victim during a crisis seems to hold a message, but the victim only getting revenge after becoming a zombie doesn’t leave a strong impression. To make matters worse, Lee Joong-ok, playing the anti-terror team leader, feels disconnected throughout. While it could be a matter of individual performance, all his lines are used strictly for plot progression.

The conflict between the zombie horde, representing universality, and Kwon Se-jung, symbolizing individuality, is predictable. The circular structure, revealed through the “ant-mill” plot point, is cliché. It’s a disappointing course meal. Still, it’s worth a try, provided you lower your expectations immediately after that alluring first bite. Rated 15+. Runtime: 122 minutes.