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Kingdom (2019)

2019 · Action,Drama,Horror · historical-period, fantasy, political-drama

Kingdom poster

Kingdom is a South Korean Netflix period-horror drama set during the Joseon dynasty, combining zombie-apocalypse action with Game of Thrones-style political intrigue. Its central creative coup — placing fast-moving, ferocious zombies into a meticulously realized medieval Korean world — is universally praised as reinvigorating a tired genre. The show operates simultaneously as spectacle (stunning cinematography, epic production design, choreographed action set-pieces) and as social allegory, embedding sharp commentary on class hierarchy, Confucian rigidity, and the corruption of power into its zombie mythology. Season 1 is considered near-flawless; Season 2 introduces slightly over-elaborate plotting. The show was effectively cancelled after two seasons due to a dispute over IP rights between Netflix and the creators.

From the reviewers

KINGDOM is the second top-notch zombie production to come from South Korean, following the film TRAIN TO BUSAN. This one's a six-part Netflix miniseries that explores a zombie outbreak during the Joseon dynasty.
The series is a strong mix of GAME OF THRONES-style political intrigue and plotting with plenty of zombie action; the zombies themselves are fresh and frightening, thanks to some twists with the mythology and 28 DAYS LATER-style speed and ferocity.
Netflix have really gone to town with the production values here and many of the visuals are good enough to make framed prints. The scenery and sets look luxurious and the costumes are brought to life in glorious colours.
what I found incredibly interesting is the "subtle" commentary on the extremely hierarchical korean society, which is the actual disease that has consumed the nation. Look no further than where the disease started (the king is patient 0)
separating the bodies of the rich from those of the poor, giving proper burial to the rich whereas burning the poor. Instead of dealing with the actual situation they choose to focus on formalities even when those can endanger the living.

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