I'm a great lover of k drama and horror films and the Koreans do it so well I've just binged watched all six episodes in one sitting ( it's now three in the morning ) as I couldn't stop watching yes the acting was a bit ott in the beginning it didn't matter and I didn't see the twist coming in the last episode can't wait for season two hear it's got the go ahead if you love zombies and k drama don't miss this
611 Reviews
A genre disruption with social commentary.
v-thea26 January 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I've been waiting for this series to come out since the start of january, and I've got to say it has paid off. I think it was George A. Romero, who once said that Horror was a way for him to make a social statement and guess this series somehow delivers that in a great way (in one episode there's a strange- and quite actual- discussion on what to do with the bodies of working and high society people). There's also the long and neverending question between slow and fast zombies. After Train to Busan we got a peek to what South Korea seems to prefer, and I'm glad with this, but if you add the fact that these zombies share also some similarities with vampires (the fact that they're scared/damaged by light) it just climb up to other levels of awesomeness. I would like to say that what most attracted me to this series is the fact that the zombie Genre had long been quite unexploited and Kingdom is a rare gem because not only it's an era drama/horror series but also all the things I've stated before. I see it as a genre disruption (which for me is a good thing).
SEASON 1 & 2 THOUGHTS.
andrewchristianjr28 June 2021
Hell yes! The characters are interesting, the concept of zombie apocalypse in a medieval era and very well found, and the political intrigues add to the tension all the way. A beautiful little South Korean masterpiece that has nothing to envy to big Hollywood productions.
Hollywood take notes. This is how it's done.
Rastifan26 January 2019
It's hardly a secret that the zombie genre is a dried out well proven by western releases fighting to be the most boring and generic junk out there. Then to my pleasant surprise South Korea dishes up a series set in a Korean dynastic kingdom in 1897 where a crown prince tries to save his land from the horror. And it does it well. Good acting, believable costumes, lovely cinematic and the monsters blends into a wonderful time that makes this series worth your time.
Amazing Allegorical Era Zombie Horror Series
roz-oz26 January 2019
As my title suggested I am amazed at the successful combination of different genres so to speak. It was a really fresh idea to place zombies during the Korean middle ages(Joseon era) a direct contrast to most zombie films we see today, located at the modern urban landscape. The decision to do that breaths new life to the so far tired zombie genre.
Moreover, 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) and the way that the society tries to deal with their dead; seperating 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. Not only that but the Confucian principles of not harming the body(burning,cutting etc) are only to be applied to the rich. The society is so much plagued with an archaic system of principles and conduct that they fail to see it for what it actually is, the disease itself, in that sense not only the zombies are infected but everyone.
Btw no guns and slow zombies in this one like the Walking Dead. Here zombies RUN, no time to waste and the living ones have to use whatever tools they find, mainly tools used in agriculture and farming!
In terms of visual aestetics the series looks stunning! Amazing cinematography, directing, costumes, locations, action scenes, it is truly impecable.
What I would like to see is stronger female characters as the series is very male dominated.
Good job to everyone involved and can't wait for the second season!!
Moreover, 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) and the way that the society tries to deal with their dead; seperating 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. Not only that but the Confucian principles of not harming the body(burning,cutting etc) are only to be applied to the rich. The society is so much plagued with an archaic system of principles and conduct that they fail to see it for what it actually is, the disease itself, in that sense not only the zombies are infected but everyone.
Btw no guns and slow zombies in this one like the Walking Dead. Here zombies RUN, no time to waste and the living ones have to use whatever tools they find, mainly tools used in agriculture and farming!
In terms of visual aestetics the series looks stunning! Amazing cinematography, directing, costumes, locations, action scenes, it is truly impecable.
What I would like to see is stronger female characters as the series is very male dominated.
Good job to everyone involved and can't wait for the second season!!
Definitely one of the best horror shows ever made
chris7-142-31879526 January 2019
If you remotely like East Asian productions in general and Korean ones in particular and are a fan of the horror and zombie genre as well, this one is for you and not to miss. Add to that a historical setting with many subplots and subtext, and you get an idea of what kind of complete package this series is.
The only bad thing I could say about it is, that it ended after just six episodes and only half the answers were given with me wanting to get more of that show.
Strongly recommended.
Really a marvel!
fb-costantini7 February 2019
This show is amazing in many ways. It is estetically gorgeus, has got a great plot, good acting, and so on. But most of all, it speaks about our society more than one could believe: it is about migration, about the happy few exploiting a large mass of people in misery and in starvation, leaving them out of their lands again and again, as if they were just garbage. I think this is one of the best zombie thing of the last few years because it talks about now, truly folllowing Romero's path.
Netflix + Period Kdrama + Zombies = ZOMG
pilawsopo26 January 2019
Amazing series again by Netflix.
m-s-k-9949727 January 2019
Thanku Netflix for being global and introducing us to a different filmmaking schools other than Hollywood. WE the non-American viewers are sick and tired from hollywood's films that shows Americans trying to save the planet all the time. But thanks to Netflix we can see different and more beautiful art by (Korea, Spain, Italy, etc. ).
Great
0U13 March 2020
Season1
A series that deserves much more success. A season 1 too short unfortunately, but six intense episodes. The cast plays very well (there is Bae Doona, an actress whom I like very much!), The characters are interesting, the concept of zombie apocalypse in a medieval era and very well found, and the political intrigues add to the tension all the way. The best zombie show I have seen, personally. A beautiful little South Korean masterpiece that has nothing to envy to big Hollywood productions.
.......................
Season 2
Kingdom doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it does add new twists to the zombie mythology by introducing the quasi-vampiric nature of its flesh-eaters.
Mostly good
shashwatblack8 August 2020
Best Zombie Show Ever!!!
bear_adam27 January 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I just finished binge-watching Kingdom. I'll now explain my headline lol. Here is my review. The story takes place during Korea's medieval Joseon period amongst a mysterious plague. The shows pacing is perfect. The acting is impeccable and all the actors and actresses did incredible. The action was absolutely epic af. No exaggeration. Blood and Gore galore. The battles are the Koreans version of GOT. Korean anything in cinema is my absolute favorite. I feel like they reinvent the wheel constantly for outdoing their previous entries all the time and that "us" as American Filmmakers can learn a thing or two from them. The money they invested into this show definitely shows with each episode costing a tad more than 1.78 million dollars. The cinematography is to die for literally lol. The shots in both the action scenes and dramatic yet everyday scenes that were filmed are superb. The tension of the shots is evident at every angle. If you never liked reading subtitles prior you need to fix that crap immediately because this show is so worth it. I hope and pray that they make a season two because as it stands this is my favorite show of 2019 and it's only January and this will undoubtedly remain my new favorite show. Netflix was smart to invest in this show. Horror done right. The zombie design was magnificent in the most grotesque way possible lol. The few plot twists they had in season one were definitely unexpected to say the least.
A nice South Korean zombie-filled horror/drama TV series...
paul_haakonsen4 May 2019
I was recommended to watch "Kingdom" by a friend, as he knew I love everything zombiesque, and somehow the South Korean horror drama "Kingdom" had managed to elude my radar.
With "Kingdom" readily available on Netflix, I sat down and watched all 6 episodes of the first season in rapid succession. While "Kingdom" is no "The Walking Dead" in a South Korean interpretation, it is still a rather enjoyable TV series because of equal parts zombie action and storytelling.
"Kingdom" is somewhat hindered by a rather slow pacing, that while it definitely helps the movie and story, it just made me feel that it took the series forever to get up in gear and to become good. But the slow pace was necessary, I suppose, because it helped establish the character gallery quite well, while offering bits and pieces of adrenaline-filled segments to the audience of things to come.
While "Kingdom" is not following the average (and generic) zombie formula, it is still a very enjoyable show and it is an interesting approach on a zombie outbreak. One thing that I am usually not enjoying is agile, fast and running zombies, but it actually works quite well in "Kingdom" for some reason.
This is a TV series where zombies are a part, yes, but it is not a TV series about the zombies. No, this is a drama about well-defined and nicely portrayed characters and their quests for survival, hunger for power, revenge, political plays and such.
The TV series have a very nice ensemble of casted actors and actresses to portray to the various roles and characters in the show. I was definitely more than pleasantly surprised to see Doona Bae (playing Seo-bi) in the show, and she brings with her a lot of grace.
The zombie make-up is adequate, and it serves its purpose quite well. As stated above, this is not a TV series about the zombies themselves, so it is not richly endowed with gross and ghastly special effects displaying gore and other such grim things that are often a major part in the zombie movies and TV series. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Well, naturally as a massive zombie fanatic I would like to see as much blood, guts and mayhem as possible, but the toned down brutality and gore of "Kingdom" actually suits the theme and atmosphere of the TV series quite well.
The downside to "Kingdom" is the slow pacing of the story. While it was a mere 6 episodes running just short of an hour or so each, it felt much, much longer. But it is hardly a deterrence for me to shy away from season 2 if it should make its way to Netflix.
"Kingdom" is definitely well worth watching if you are a fan of the zombie genre, and need something to fill the time in between other zombie shows.
With "Kingdom" readily available on Netflix, I sat down and watched all 6 episodes of the first season in rapid succession. While "Kingdom" is no "The Walking Dead" in a South Korean interpretation, it is still a rather enjoyable TV series because of equal parts zombie action and storytelling.
"Kingdom" is somewhat hindered by a rather slow pacing, that while it definitely helps the movie and story, it just made me feel that it took the series forever to get up in gear and to become good. But the slow pace was necessary, I suppose, because it helped establish the character gallery quite well, while offering bits and pieces of adrenaline-filled segments to the audience of things to come.
While "Kingdom" is not following the average (and generic) zombie formula, it is still a very enjoyable show and it is an interesting approach on a zombie outbreak. One thing that I am usually not enjoying is agile, fast and running zombies, but it actually works quite well in "Kingdom" for some reason.
This is a TV series where zombies are a part, yes, but it is not a TV series about the zombies. No, this is a drama about well-defined and nicely portrayed characters and their quests for survival, hunger for power, revenge, political plays and such.
The TV series have a very nice ensemble of casted actors and actresses to portray to the various roles and characters in the show. I was definitely more than pleasantly surprised to see Doona Bae (playing Seo-bi) in the show, and she brings with her a lot of grace.
The zombie make-up is adequate, and it serves its purpose quite well. As stated above, this is not a TV series about the zombies themselves, so it is not richly endowed with gross and ghastly special effects displaying gore and other such grim things that are often a major part in the zombie movies and TV series. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Well, naturally as a massive zombie fanatic I would like to see as much blood, guts and mayhem as possible, but the toned down brutality and gore of "Kingdom" actually suits the theme and atmosphere of the TV series quite well.
The downside to "Kingdom" is the slow pacing of the story. While it was a mere 6 episodes running just short of an hour or so each, it felt much, much longer. But it is hardly a deterrence for me to shy away from season 2 if it should make its way to Netflix.
"Kingdom" is definitely well worth watching if you are a fan of the zombie genre, and need something to fill the time in between other zombie shows.
Ain't No Train To Busan
ricochet93-369-3088025 February 2019
While it is better than 80% of the zombie flicks out there, I feel this series is let down by some horrible over acting. And some ridiculous characters who I assume are there for some sort of comedy value.
One minute it's trying to be serious walking dead style horror, the next minute you have bumbling Laurel & Hardy type characters screaming like girls and falling about the place.
As for the people giving it a 10 rating...if you consider this a perfect ten, holding it aloft with the Likes of Breaking Bad and the Wire you need your head examined.
One minute it's trying to be serious walking dead style horror, the next minute you have bumbling Laurel & Hardy type characters screaming like girls and falling about the place.
As for the people giving it a 10 rating...if you consider this a perfect ten, holding it aloft with the Likes of Breaking Bad and the Wire you need your head examined.
Amazinggg
malek_abla26 January 2019
Must See . Zombies meet Zatoichi.
shortreviewsbyscreenjunkie26 January 2019
Has to be one of the best series in 2019 by netflix, I know I know its only january just now. But what a beginning to the year. You cannot miss it. Just wrapped up the season its brilliant all the way through. Beautiful costumes, amazing cinematography , brilliant gore, hints of comedy, good balanced action. Not too much of anything and not too little. Great gripping storyline throughout with an amazing lead role.
Not a spoiler ***** i died laughing at the head-cuffs scene ***** u'll know when u see it.
top notch
edotresnjic26 January 2019
Season 2 Plz!!!
yeonwoocws28 January 2019
Great show!
mfmunsayac26 January 2019
I only checked this out of curiosity but got pleasantly surprised how good it was and ended up bingeing. Every episode is full of action and there's no dull moment. At first I thought the idea of mixing period drama with zombie is laughable but with here, it works. Overall great and I couldn't wait for the next season!
Great series
wmcross-6346827 January 2019
Amazing with capital "A"
ytmitseva22 June 2022
I rarely write reviews, especially for series. The Kingdom definitely deserves one.
I've never been a fan of zombie movies/series, I find them very bland and uninteresting. So I was very skeptic about these series too. I was so wrong!
I couldn't stop watching it from the beginning. The actors did an amazing job, I fell in love with the costumes and the cinematography. It kept me on my toes until the very end!
If you haven't watched it, do it, you won't regret!
Can't wait for season 3, hopefully we will see it soon.
I've never been a fan of zombie movies/series, I find them very bland and uninteresting. So I was very skeptic about these series too. I was so wrong!
I couldn't stop watching it from the beginning. The actors did an amazing job, I fell in love with the costumes and the cinematography. It kept me on my toes until the very end!
If you haven't watched it, do it, you won't regret!
Can't wait for season 3, hopefully we will see it soon.
Amazing Production Value, Simple Plot
ksmart7321 February 2019
The acting is great, the cinematography is incredible, the production value is outstanding, and yet we are left with a plot that is pretty simple and predictable for the most part. I enjoyed this, don't get me wrong, but I was really expecting there to be higher stakes and significantly more tensions throughout. For a horror series, it was only until the final episode that I ever even got a good jump scare. I respect the use of actual extras to perform as the zombies, but holy crap--some of these extras are so silly in their body language/performance/movement that there is no hiding their human-ness regardless of how much makeup you put on them. Characters are very simply defined without much moral ambiguity, increasing the simplicity of the story.
Will watch season 2, but this series is not yet ground-breaking beyond it's production value.
Will watch season 2, but this series is not yet ground-breaking beyond it's production value.
Entertaining & SCARY!
pilkingtondawn31 January 2019
- Great story - politics, war, relationships, humor
- Compelling characters - strong female
- Suspenseful and funny scenes, with entertaining dialogue and surprising events
- TRUE horror elements including dread, fear of the unknown, impending doom, truly shocking scary scenes, taboo breaking & gruesome events (like mom zombies & kids). I will leave it to your imagination.
- Multilayered plot / build up to epic battle of human vs zombies and humans vs humans (political war for control of kingdim)
- SCARY ZOMBIES - Fast, Gory, Intense
- No one is safe
This is no run of the mill zombie story, it is REAL entertainment.
ms_melloney-980981 August 2021
This show is so worth watching, a zombie story with depth!
That is something you never get, it has an interesting storyline running all the way through, not about zombies.
They are more like a secondary storyline.
The zombies are not like you see in most other shows, they are there and they attack but the focus is not on the blood and gore, they are wild people, not slow walking bones.
The story is about people doing anything to gain ultimate power.
The zombies are referred to as monsters, but truly it is the humans that are far worse.
So far the show has been very surprising, there are tender moments, great displays of loyalty and revenge, along with espionage and evil doings.
The fight scenes are plausable, not the typical Chinese martial arts over the top stuff, no one flying through the sky or running up walls.
It is really one of the best zombie based shows I have ever seen, the movie is good too. I hate subtitled material, but I don't mind this at all, it is well worth it. Even if you are fed up of zombie stuff, watch it, as I said it isn't the main focus.
So watch it, enjoy some good writing, acting, scenery and special effects.
That is something you never get, it has an interesting storyline running all the way through, not about zombies.
They are more like a secondary storyline.
The zombies are not like you see in most other shows, they are there and they attack but the focus is not on the blood and gore, they are wild people, not slow walking bones.
The story is about people doing anything to gain ultimate power.
The zombies are referred to as monsters, but truly it is the humans that are far worse.
So far the show has been very surprising, there are tender moments, great displays of loyalty and revenge, along with espionage and evil doings.
The fight scenes are plausable, not the typical Chinese martial arts over the top stuff, no one flying through the sky or running up walls.
It is really one of the best zombie based shows I have ever seen, the movie is good too. I hate subtitled material, but I don't mind this at all, it is well worth it. Even if you are fed up of zombie stuff, watch it, as I said it isn't the main focus.
So watch it, enjoy some good writing, acting, scenery and special effects.
Cannot understand the high ratings...
bradleyxwright14 April 2020
This series is terrible. The plot is poor, the acting is awful with terrible 'over-acting' and ridiculous facial expressions. On top of that, it is very poorly dubbed and translated. If you think this is one of the best horror shows ever made then you clearly need to watch a bit more.. Maybe give Haunting of Hill House a watch instead.. I'm annoyed at just how misleading the ratings are.
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