Buckle in – Netflix is taking the zombie genre to the next level! The new reality series Zombieverse sees a group of contestants immersing themselves in a zombie apocalypse simulation that’d leave anybody second-guessing.
The streamer teases, “In a sudden turn of events, Seoul becomes a zombie-infested world, and the cast must undertake quests to survive.”
As you can tell by the single quotes around “real zombie,” the experience isn’t necessarily real; however, it isn’t entirely fake, either. What do we mean by that? Well, creators Park Jin Kyung and Moon Sang Don, along with the production team, went to the extreme to ensure the experience was as authentic as possible.
The contestants – which include familiar faces like Sweet Home actor Lee Si-young and Korean rapper DinDin – all faced unpredictable challenges while on their quest for safety in the unscripted format. For instance, in the first episode, they are able to escape the zombie-filled production studio in a large black vehicle. However, when they stopped for gas, it was unknown to them that the driver would be attacked by the undead, leaving them vulnerable and in need of resources to continue on their journey.
And then came the issue at the hospital – how was anybody to know how the current residents would react to the injuries sustained during the gas station incident? Especially given that nobody knew what injuries were to come due to the variety of options the contestants had.
Did Zombieverse on Netflix leave you with a ton of questions? Here’s everything you need to know about the ways in which the series blurred the lines between fact and fiction.
Told over eight episodes, Zombieverse places its contestants – Lee Si-young, Noh Hong-chul, Park Na-rae, DinDin, Tsuki, Yoo Hee-kwan, Jonathan, Patricia, Kwachu Hyeong, and Dex – in a situation where zombies suddenly appear in South Korea. At first, the contestants are shown filming a show-in-show romance reality series. However, during filming, one of the romance subjects reveals herself to be a zombie. Jump scare, anyone?
While the show has its “real” moments, like the genuine reactions from the cast to the obstacles, they fully consented to take part in the simulation, as made clear in the first episode.
“This survival game takes place in a zombie universe. The cast act of their own accord and turn into zombies once bitten. Please be advised of the immersion in the game,” reads a disclaimer before the episode begins.
Taking place over three days, Zombieverse provokes intense reactions from the cast as they venture into the unknown and complete multiple quests while avoiding being attacked by zombies. The group is given the mission to make it to an evacuation ship at Incheon’s Wolmi Island, which is roughly a 30-minute drive from where they begin in Hongdae, Seoul. During the journey, the contestants have their loyalty and bravery challenged by the imminent threat.
But how did Zombieverse construct the simulation? The series hired the creative team behind the K-drama All of Us Are Dead and the choreographers from the zombie horror series Kingdom, both of which are streaming on Netflix.
The series also smartly utilizes familiar locations like a gas station, a hospital, a supermarket and an amusement park and transforms them into nightmarish environments, which is sure to draw goosebumps from both its audience and its willing participants.
In all, what makes the series feel “real” is the unpredictable nature of the events. Seemingly, the contestants know just as much as the audience about the simulation, which is nearly nothing. But, point blank, the show isn’t real — and thank goodness for that! We already have aliens on the planet, we don’t need to be thrown another curveball. However, it can be argued that some of the show is real. I mean, it is “reality” television. The scares and reactions from the contestants may totally be real, as well as the kinship formed throughout the series.
Zombieverse is currently streaming on Netflix.