My Daughter is a Zombie

Story: Lee Jeong-hwan (Cho Jung-seok) is a single father who dotes on his fifteen-year-old daughter, Soo-ah (Choi Yu-ri), who loves to dance. He often jokes around with her, but one day they witness a neighbor go berserk and bite her husband. Shortly after, she attacks Jeong-hwan and his daughter as well. The two flee and learn from the news that something like a zombie virus has broken out. The city is in a state of emergency, and the military is deployed. Jeong-hwan wants to go to his mother Bam-soon's (Lee Jung-eun) place in the countryside, but Soo-ah is bitten during the escape and transforms into a zombie. The father refuses to report his daughter, as demanded by the government, and hides her with his mother. She is initially reluctant to do so but cannot bring herself to kill her granddaughter. Several months later, the virus is under control in the country, and everyday life has returned to normal. Except for Jeong-hwan's, who has decided to "raise" his zombie daughter like one of his tigers at the zoo. His friend Dong-bae (Yoon Kyung-ho) also learns of Soo-ah's condition but ultimately supports Jeong-hwan, as there is hope for a cure from a pharmaceutical company. The father repeatedly believes he recognizes his daughter in the zombie, and indeed, she becomes less aggressive. But soon, the next hurdle awaits Jeong-hwan in the form of his reappearing childhood sweetheart, Yeon-hwa (Cho Yeo-jeong), who hates zombies and even hunted them for a while...

Review: "C'mon ... Not another zombie movie." That's probably what most people think these days when they hear about a film like "My Daughter is a Zombie", even though the title suggests it's not your typical horror film, but rather a comedy. After a few minutes, I got the impression that the director rather delivered a slapstick comedy that would likely only appeal to a small audience. The daughter loves to dance, and the father joins in, because it used to be his passion too. And when the zombie apocalypse hits, they simply dance their way through the horde. Not a brilliant start that immediately grabbed me, but I'm glad I stuck with it, because the film actually has quite a few surprises in store, all of which are very positive. The most notable aspect is that, contrary to expectations, the characters grow on you, and zombies no longer play a role after the groundwork is established, as the infection is pushed back and we find ourselves back in a fairly normal reality.

For the father of our story, nothing is normal, as he initially grapples with the moral dilemma of whether or not to rid his daughter from her undead existence. However, those aren't classic zombies here at all. Soo-ah, at least, retains her body heat and can even develop a fever. Human flesh isn't strictly necessary either, beef tripe will do as well (I have no idea which is more disgusting...). Much more fascinating, though, is that old habits and memories haven't been completely lost. The virus more or less shuts down the brain, but, according to the theory, with sufficient repetition, patterns can be trained, and so Jeong-hwan might not only teach his daughter not to bite anyone anymore, but she might also rediscover her humanity. We learn that the virus weakens with increasing brain activity, and a pharmaceutical company is working on a cure, so there is undoubtedly still hope.

Cho Jung-seok ("Exit") plays the father and is supposed to come across as easygoing and likeable from the start. Still, along with the chemistry between father and daughter, this felt too contrived to me, almost cringeworthy. It's hard to believe, but it's precisely when Soo-ah, as a zombie, can no longer communicate that the relationship gains color and depth. While there are still plenty of slapstick moments that are hit-and-miss — though some scenes are genuinely hilarious — the drama hit me completely unexpectedly, as it's surprisingly profound. A scene where Jeong-hwan is in his daughter's former room and imagines them having a conversation like they used to can be quite moving. It's commendable, then, that the drama is well integrated and not simply tacked on at the end, as is so common in Korean productions. The family history is also more complex than one would expect, and the mother/grandmother is another well-developed character who adds more momentum to the story.

More work could have been done on the supporting characters, though. Dong-bae, portrayed by Yoon Kyung-ho ("Good News"), is the good friend who cuts a fine figure, especially as a cosplayer in a Thor costume, but ultimately fades too much into the background. Then there's a former childhood sweetheart, played by Cho Yeo-jeong ("Parasite"), whose purpose, other than to inject a bit of tension into the story because she can't stand zombies, remains a mystery. It is precisely at this point that a certain lack of direction becomes apparent. The script also comes up with a few flimsy reasons why Soo-ah has to go to school, even though she's actually a zombie. Many of these scenes seem to have made it into the finished film simply because the director wanted to squeeze in a few more gags. Individual elements could easily have been removed without significantly harming the film. Despite all the criticism, one has to give the director credit for never keeping the viewer on tenterhooks wondering what will happen next. The journey itself is the destination, even if one is curious about whether and how the film will ultimately lead to a happy ending.

At first, I also thought I wouldn't be able to make much of Choi Yu-ri ("Alienoid") as a zombie, but I was wrong – she really shines in this role, especially since there are some absurd scenes that contrast "cute" and "zombie-like". And last but not least, there's a cat in the household who is, strictly speaking, a mirror image of Soo-ah. Cute, cuddly, but also animalistic and with a mind of her own. The ending almost ruined the film for me, but director Pil Kam-sung ("Hostage: Missing Celebrity") ultimately manages to save the resolution and does so in a very pleasing way. As already mentioned, he generally knows very well what to focus on in each scene. So, while the movie is ostensibly a comedy, the dramatic moments are the real highlight. "My Daughter is a Zombie" is therefore considerably better, more entertaining, and more engaging than expected. It definitely deserves a recommendation for that.

Buy this movie:

Follow @AsianMovieWeb