Fans of the zombie genre have waited over a year for Netflix’s Korean drama Kingdom to return with new episodes. Unlike the less-than-favorable zombie-filled series on the air today such as The Walking Dead, Kingdom has managed to garner a strong viewership by injecting the fan-favorite genre into a historical setting.
Viewers have now invested a lot of time watching exiled Crown Prince Lee Chang, portrayed by Ju Ji-hoon, as he investigated a plague that has been devastating his country. But, with the second season only being comprised of six episodes, many have already finished binge-watching the series and are looking for something new. So, to fill the fans' zombie craving, below are some movies and TV shows to watch if you loved Netflix’s Kingdom.
Updated on February 17th, 2021 by Kristen Palamara: Netflix's Kingdom has been an engaging series in the zombie genre that fans have loved for its new and creative approach to the saturated zombie movie and show market. The show mixes political conspiracy and intrigue with the spread of a mysterious plague resembling a typical zombie plague. It's a new and exciting entry in the genre and it's difficult to find other creative movies and shows in the genre, but here is a list of shows and movies for fans of Kingdom to check out after watching the series.
#Alive
#Alive is a South Korean zombie movie that was released internationally on Netflix in 2020. The movie has a typical zombie outbreak and centers on a young man who tries to survive by boarding up his apartment, keeping his food and water intact, and hoping that his family is safe when he gets phone service to contact them.
Oh Joon-woo starts to lose hope when he sees another survivor in an apartment across the road, Kim Yoo-bin, who helps him survive by sending food to him, and the two fight for their lives in the zombie apocalypse.
The Odd Family: Zombie On Sale
The Odd Family: Zombie on Sale is a South Korean comedy horror movie that is a fun satirical look at the zombie genre. The movie follows a zombie created through illegally conducted pharmaceutical experiments that becomes a phenomenon.
The Park family happens upon the zombie and tries to make a plan to profit off of the odd experiment by using the zombie to their advantage.
iZombie
iZombie was an inventive and creative television series that ran for five seasons on The CW. The series followed medical student Liv Moore who kept a quiet and reserved life until she decided to go to one party, got bitten by another party-goer, and woke up as a zombie.
Liv decides to start working at a morgue so she can find literal brain food of those who are already dead so she doesn't have to kill anyone to eat. She finds that she's able to absorb the person's memories, and personality, so she starts helping to solve murders. The show has a great balance of hilarity within a creative zombie genre setup.
World War Z
Brad Pitt stars in this zombie movie who is caught up with his family in the middle of a recent outbreak causing people to turn violent, unbelievably fast, and spread the virus through a single bite. The movie follows Gerry Lane (Pitt) as he desperately tries to find a way to stop the spreading, cure the virus, and save his family.
The movie, based on the book of the same name, focuses on both the heart-pounding action expected of the zombie genre and the scientific explanations behind the zombie virus in this world.
The Host
The Host from Bong Joon-ho isn't a zombie movie, but it does follow a manmade monster terrorizing a town. The South Korean movie sees the American military carelessly dump waste and dangerous chemicals into one of South Korea's rivers.
After several years after the event, a man-eating monster begins to terrorize the locals in the town. The movie mainly focuses on a young girl being kidnapped by the monster as the family tries to save her.
Train To Busan
Train to Busan making its way on this list is probably a given for many, considering it contains similar elements to Kingdom. Along with centering on a zombie apocalypse in the present day, the film also hails from South Korea, solidifying the country as a top contender in the genre.
Directed by Yeon Sang-ho, Train to Busan made its lauded premiere at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival’s Midnight Screening section and went on to set a record as the first Korean film to garner over 10 million theatergoers. In case you can't get enough, a sequel, titled Peninsula, is set to release this summer.
The Girl With All The Gifts
Unlike the usual zombie fare that is available to fans today, Britain’s The Girl With All the Gifts serves up a more thought-provoking spin on the genre. Based on the novel written by Mike Carey of the same name, audiences are introduced to a scientist, portrayed by Glenn Close, who is looking to find a cure for a fungal disease that has turned humans into flesh-eating beings called “hungries.” In order to do so, she studies a group of infected young children who seem to be able to control their hunger.
During these experiments, a special bond is formed between a school teacher (Gemma Arterton) and a young girl named Melanie, who seems to be humanity’s last hope in surviving the outbreak. On top of the thrilling visuals, the film boasts an awesome accompanying soundtrack.
Dead Set
Conceived from the mind of Charlie Brooker who created the technophobic anthology series Black Mirror, Dead Set is a satirical take on the zombie genre.
Inspired by the classic horror Dawn of the Dead, the mini-series chronicles a zombie takeover in Britain, while the cast and crew of the popular reality show Big Brother have no idea what is happening in the outside world. Through Dead Set, Brooker also manages to immerse his fans into his take on the Big Brother house, making it one of his greatest works to date.
Rampant
This one is a real winner. From the makers of Train to Busan, Rampant in a way acts as a predecessor to Kingdom. Set during the medieval Joseon dynasty, exiled Prince Lee Chung must fight against “night demons” that have run rampant across the nation. Along with having to battle against the flesh-eating creatures, Lee Chung must fight corrupt members of the empire to save his kingdom.
Aside from being a zombie apocalypse film, Rampant is filled with tons of action scenes, martial art sequences, and political drama, making this a fun ride for those watching in the comfort of their homes.
Shaun Of The Dead
Directed by Edgar Wright, Shaun of the Dead is a hilarious take on the zombie genre. The film’s protagonist Shaun, portrayed by Simon Pegg, is so caught up with his own life that he doesn’t even notice that a zombie apocalypse is unfolding right before his eyes.
The film does keep to some of the more traditional zombie tropes whilst managing to poke fun of every other genre film to come before it. Besides catapulting Simon Pegg and Nick Frost into the American limelight, Shaun of the Dead is arguably the best zombie comedy out there today.
Little Monsters
After starring in last year’s blockbuster Us, Lupita Nyong’o decided to take a more comedic route in the film Little Monsters. Just like the cult classic Shaun of the Dead, Little Monsters is a playful take on the zombie genre and centers on Nyong’o portraying schoolteacher, Miss Caroline.
When Miss Caroline and her kids set off on a class trip to the safari, they soon realize they are next to a military biological-weapon testing facility where an actual zombie outbreak is occurring. Miss Caroline must then stand up and fight to protect herself and her students from the outbreak. The horror-comedy also stars Josh Gad.
Fear The Walking Dead
Acting as a prequel to AMC’s The Walking Dead, Fear The Walking Dead showcases a world before the walkers had taken over, giving audiences more of a city-bound experience and a look at how the apocalypse affected different parts of America.
Over time, as fans started to lose interest in TWD, many were jumping ship to FTWD for its better character portrayals and storylines. Not only does FTWD make for a better show, but it also raises the stakes considerably higher. So, if you’re looking for more zombie series, skip The Walking Dead and jump straight into the prequel.
Flu
Not only will Flu resonate with zombie lovers, it eerily echos what the world has gone through in recent times. South Korea is in the midst of a disaster when a deadly strain of H5N1 starts infecting the country and its people, killing its victims within 36 hours. Time is quickly ticking away as the film’s protagonists Kang Ji-koo and Kim In-hae race to find patient zero and develop a cure that could save the nation.
Although the film came out seven years ago, it predicted many resonant things, touching heavily upon hospitals and communication systems becoming overwhelmed, a quarantine being initiated, and various governments failing to control the pandemic.
Cargo
Based on the 2013 short film of the same name, Cargo centers on Andy (Martin Freeman) and Kay (Susie Porter), parents who are stranded in rural Australia during a violent pandemic that has turned most of the world’s population into flesh-eating zombies. Infected himself, Andy is in search of a safe haven for his infant child and a means to protect her from the monster inside him waiting to come out and feed.
Cargo does add a few more twists to the zombie genre and plays more on the human emotions and despair felt by the film’s characters rather than being an action-packed adventure.
The Wailing
The Wailing is a South Korean horror film that centers around a policeman named Jong-goo who is investigating a series of murders in a small remote village that has recently been infected by a mysterious illness.
Many of the villagers believe the outbreak has to do with a Japanese stranger who came to visit the village only a few days prior. Soon, Jong-goo’s daughter, Hyo-jin, begins to succumb to the strange illness, and he must race the clock to solve the mystery. The Wailing is a beautifully crafted piece filled with supernatural elements and thrills.