I wouldn’t usually put the words gorgeous and zombie in a sentence together, but that is what Kingdom is. A gorgeous zombie horror drama that also doubles up as a political-period thriller. So much in just one show.
What It’s About?
Kingdom is set in the Joseon era, a few years after the Japanese invasions of Korea at the end of the 16th century. The countryside is struggling with poverty and famine. The king has been terribly sick with a mysterious illness and the courtiers are getting restless with this vacuum in leadership. No one is allowed to see the King, creating suspicion that he may be dead. A conspiracy is set in motion to put the Crown Prince, Lee Chang, on the throne.
However, Chief State Councilor and head of the Haewon Cho clan, Cho Hak-ju has other plans. The Queen is pregnant and should she bear a boy, he will be first in line to the throne trumping Chang’s claim (as his mother was a concubine). As the Queen also is his daughter, putting her son on the throne ensures that the reign remains with the clan.
When Chang wants to see his own father, Cho denies him and accuses him of trying to steal the throne. Chang decides to investigate his father’s illness and travels to Gyeongsang to meet the royal physician who treated the king.
When Chang reaches Jiyulheon, the nursing home ran by the physician, a horrific plague has broken out. The town is crawling with infected, flesh-eating monsters that come to life only at night.
With the royal guards hunting him for treason across the countryside, and the zombie infection spreading, Chang must fight a war on both fronts.
Photo Credit: Netflix
Written by Kim Eun-hee (of the Signal fame) and directed by Kim Seong-hun, Kingdom shows remarkable restraint in the portrayal of the zombies. The focus is not only on the creepy creatures and their horrific masses but also in the fear of their victims. There is such a thing as too much gore, and Kingdom finds the right balance.
The story moves at a breakneck speed, both in terms of plot and time. All the action appears to happen in weeks. The goal of Kingdom is to provide instant gratification to the viewer so no time is wasted in long-winded plots.
The good guys fight the bad guys. And the zombies are an existential threat to them both. The characters are fairly two-dimensional and deal with simple moral dilemmas. It is political chaos and palace intrigue that provide the human drama in what would otherwise be a straightforward zombie show.
Photo Credit: Netflix.com
Why It’s Worth It
The opening titles of this hit drama are just a preview to the high-quality production. Netflix pumped in $1–2 million per episode to ensure cinematic quality and it shows. Whether it’s in the hordes of the attacking zombies rushing through the fog or in the lush fabrics of the traditional royal costumes, the details are breathtaking. The elaborately choreographed action sequences take most of the screen time and are a delight to watch.
However, it is the performances that lift the show from the danger of being plain ridiculous. Ju Ji-Hoon as the Crown Prince spends most of the time on screen looking bewildered, as the horror unfolds before his eyes. Lest one accuses his performance as wooden, his emotional outbursts are quite excellent, as his journey from a clueless prince to leader of the people. Bae Doona shines as the determined female physician surely ahead of the times. Ryu Seung-ryong provides the understated performance appropriate for a villain of a zombie show, leaving the screaming and rage to the flesh-eating monsters. Korean acting veterans like Kim Sang-ho and Heo Joon-ho further elevate the quality.
Across its two seasons, Kingdom tries to juggle two parallel threads — the rise of the zombies and the fight for the throne. At the end of the second season, a sense of hope is created and quickly shattered with a cliffhanger that demands a third season.
So please Netflix, bring it on.
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