among film geeks and horror enthusiasts, the word “zombie” is known to draw blood between even the closest of friends. From “28 Days Later” to “Warm Bodies” to the seemingly dozens of seasons of “The Walking Dead,” zombies feel like they will never die out, pun semi-intended. With an origin that can be traced back to the days of early cinema, the subgenre’s undergone its fair share of reinventions, reimaginings, and repurposings to last a lifetime. So understandably, for some, it is hobbling on its last leg. However, although Netflix might be indifferent to American audiences’ increasing distaste for zombies, “Kingdom,” even in its worst moments, thankfully presents a vision of the genre that feels refreshing and original.
Created by Kim Seong–hun and Kim Eun–hee—the South Korean director and writer responsible for “A Hard Day” and “Signal” respectively— “Kingdom” is a collaborative project of epic proportions. At a glance, pairing two of South Korea’s super talents sounds immediately enticing, and that’s before you add corrupt hierarchies, ravenous zombies, and stomach-churning violence to the mix. And yes, each of those elements appears throughout the course of this genre-bending show’s inaugural season.
Set in the Joseon period in Korea’s history, “Kingdom” focuses on the journey of a crown prince (played by Ju Ji–hoon) as he sets out to find the source of a mysterious outbreak that begins to overtake his country. Along the way, he encounters horrors beyond his imagination as he slowly grows into his role as a future ruler.
Blurring and mixing genres in television, especially horror, is far from an innovative idea, but what sets “Kingdom” apart from standard zombie fare is its historical worldbuilding and interpretation of the creature’s mythology. Functioning as a gore-centric, albeit politically charged, take on the genre, “Kingdom” explores relatively uncharted territory, and in turn, achieves the sentiment of experiencing an age-old tale for the first time. The show blends water and oil, but more often than not, the mixture works to a surprisingly effective degree.
On the filmmaking front, Seong-hun’s direction never falters. Sharp cinematography and visually striking costume design pop out against the barren landscape in which the characters find themselves fighting for survival. On the whole, each episode features at least one image or scene that is guaranteed to haunt you. Whether it is the image of a lone child wandering through a desolate village in the aftermath of an attack, or a man staring at a flame-covered skyline in the dead of night, “Kingdom” revels in its apocalyptic beauty.
Thematically, “Kingdom” utilizes its fictional platform to address the real-life issue of class disparity between rich and poor. As a deconstruction of an unethical regime’s effect on the populace, the show manages to sneak in a handful of timely observations to accompany its blood-soaked action sequences. While subtext and social commentary do not present themselves in an overbearing manner, and perhaps only appear if you’re really looking for them, the hints remain admirable.
Nevertheless, where compliments reside, so will critique, and “Kingdom” holds more than a few examples in the latter category. Although the long-form storytelling model allowed by TV can be put to spectacular use when applied to a single story (i.e. the first season of “True Detective” or any season of “Breaking Bad”), “Kingdom” possesses no indication of forward-moving momentum in terms of pacing. Despite the show consistently raising the bar on its spectacle with each passing episode, the lack of investment in the overarching story significantly injures the desire to stick around for the next entry.
Similarly, in terms of writing, each of the main characters is entirely nondescript at best, a fatal flaw for any television show. Although Ji-Hoon’s portrayal of a prince evolving from snobby royalty to kind-hearted warrior feels authentic, it fails in providing any sort of connection point with the audience. Overall, these characters only exist to complement the action, which admittedly is fun, but can only distract you for so long with such little substance. After a couple hours, the episodes seem like they are continually spinning their wheels, although as the end draws closer, plot twists ignite “Kingdom” with an invigorated sense of purpose.
Had its disappointing elements been amended or tweaked slightly, “Kingdom” might have become the revolutionary mainstream breakout hit that South Korean cinema rightfully deserves. Granted, “Kingdom” is a TV show, but there’s still enough here for American audiences, who might be unaware of the fantastic South Korean new wave, to sink their teeth into. In short, this series is risky programming for people who appreciate the unusual, gory, but imaginative, things in life. Considering the oversaturated state of the market, it is refreshing to see Netflix taking chances. Let’s hope that this business model, as opposed to zombie fever, is a trend that continues far into the future. [B-]